Missing butterflies? I am. Richard and I keep looking for butterflies but so far, we have only seen a few. (The above photo was taken last summer.) Climate change to blame? Pesticides? Whatever, it is to be hoped that we will see more.
Earthquakes, floods, tornados, fires, extreme heat... so many are suffering just now. Living in Georgia, we have always had hot summers but this year, it is nearly impossible to be outside. Why, even the cities up North, the heat looks just as bad! I pity anyone who has to work in it. Since our son lives in Chattanooga, I sometimes see stories from there that I otherwise might not know. I recently learned that there was a severe flood in Chattanooga in 1867. The Tennessee River (which runs right through the city) rose 58 feet above the normal levels. As this was just after the Civil War, the city was not equipped to repair the streets and buildings. Here is what they did- they simply brought in soil and packed it onto the flooded streets. The buildings that were on the first floor became the basements. The new entrances were made into the 2nd floor, which then were the 1st floor. Does that make sense? Funny thing, in England, if you get on an elevator (and even that is called a "lift"!) you will see a button for G and then 1, and then 2, and so on... "G" means ground floor! (Richard says that is how it used to be anyway! And it seems I remember that also.)
In other Chattanooga news, the only Frank Lloyd Wright house designed in Tennessee is on the market! Yes, the "Shavin House" in Chattanooga is a cool $1,600,000.00. It is a "Usonian" home. "Usonian" is a mid-20th century architectural style conceived by Frank Lloyd Wright. Usually the homes were small, single stories with L- shaped layouts, flat roofs and had radiant floor heating with lots of natural light. Frank Lloyd Wright got the word from "Usonia" which is...wait for it... an abbreviation of "United States of North America"! (He didn't make it up, I think I read that someone in either Scotland or England came up with it!) Anyway, if anyone wants to buy that house, please do so and I can stay with you and visit our son in Chattanooga! The address is 334 N. Crest Rd. Chattanooga. I have the link below for you!
334 N Crest Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37404 | MLS #1346032 | Zillow
Did you know that I am interested in architecture? It's true! I think I told you in a post that I asked about a building on the front of our text book in 6th grade! (The teacher had another student write to the government of that country about the building. No, I am not bitter. Honestly!)
Richard and I spotted a native plant on a walk recently. It is a spotted wintergreen, and it had the tiniest of buds! It is a native and I hope that we have not missed the blooms. In other floral news, our night blooming cereus cactus bloomed last night!
Hope all of you have a great 4th of July here in America, my fellow Usonians! And for anyone else in the world, you have a great day that day also! What song? Why, "Chattanooga Choo Choo", of course!
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