Old Anglers Inn

It's a gorgeous weekend and 3 days long, so we took a Saturday drive to Great Falls, MD. The plan was lunch at Old Angler's Inn, then a walk along the canal.

I had soup de jour followed by omelet de jour. That was a smoky celery soup with bacon and pear. Who knew celery soup could be so yummy? "And it would have been even without the bacon," says the vegetarian me. Then a spinach and goat cheese omelet with salad, and a glass of chenin blanc. The omelet was so-so, but by then the waterfall and wine made up for it. Finally, I had the sort-of-cheesecake, which is really a cream cheese hazelnut cannoli. Delish.

We listened to the water fall, wondered what it looks like lit up at night, brushed away the occasional stink bug (why must they follow me everywhere?) , then headed to the trail parking lot. But wham to that plan. The lot was full as were both sides of the road. Cars were parked everywhere, people were walking or biking everywhere, and we were clearly too late to get a parking spot. So, we went to the Mass Ave Crate and Barrel to daydream about red sofas, then to Johnson's to buy mums for the balcony. Then home to pull up the summer's herbs, pot up the mums, and make some Moosewood Roma Soup (not the original name which is politically incorrect and I doubt that there is much authentic to the name anyway but it is a great soup and deserves an entry of its own). It was great with a piece of Firehook zuccini bread.

A two-great-soup day is always a good day. We'll have to go back for the walk another time.

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Balcony of death, jar of no return

Ah, fall is lovely. The crisp air, the first yellow and orange leaves, my little bear peeking over the edge of a potful of mums... clear blue skies... wait - what's that - NOOOoooooooo!

Stink bug! Invaders of my peace, they just won't leave me alone. They keep on coming, landing on the screen door, each one with its little thwack, thwack, thwack. They don't hear the screams of the ones who came before, who shout, "don't come here! 'Tis the balcony of death!"

And so it is. My weapons of war are always near - the soapy jar and the squirt bottle.

But the stinky things keep on coming, ignoring the cries of their fallen loved ones, "No honey, turn around! They've got soapy water and they're not afraid to use it!"

Indeed.

Look no further

Unless you are prepared for

The balcony of death

and

The jar of no return.

Music Monday: Bettye Lavette

Sadly for me, I only discovered Betty Lavette when she released the "I've Got My Own Hell to Raise" album. Now I know that she was a Detroit soul R&B star in the early 60's. I have the sorta excuse that I was born in 1954 , but that doesn't really explain how I found so many other musicians who made music before my own time.

This interview with ReelBlack is very good. I love both the history, the reality that a great singer was neglected for so long, and the equal reality that her survival depended upon her wise response to being told that she needed to work at becoming a great singer. Hey, how many singers would spend decades working on Lush Life? (IMHO Ricky Lee Jones was not yet worthy.)



Here she is then



And now



Did The Who know that they'd be sitting with Barbara Streisand at the Lincoln Center event honoring their career? What an amazing thing to see Bettye Lavette, Pete Townsend, Roger Daltry and Barbara Streisand all present in the same musical moment.

Anyway, Bettye Lavette is wonderful. Buy anything and everything she sings.