Ollie's Spring

Ollie carries on this afternoon after an unscheduled visit to the vet this morning. The cancer has begun to defeat remedies which we've been applying since last November.

Life Goes on in Historic Ellicott City

Yesterday afternoon was spent rediscovering Main Street, Ellicott City, with all its antique and boutique shops, galleries and restaurants. I had not visited Main Street for a while, though I was there some time in the last year or two and was aware of some of the new places already. As I use this blog as a portal to things artistic and cultural in the area, here are some Ellicott City links, a couple of which I'll put in the margin later:

ellicottcity.net
Historic Ellicott City, Inc.
The Orchestra of St. John's

Some readers might be intrigued by The Obladi, currently the only hotel in Ellicott City's historic district. It's also a shrine to the Beatles.


(Rather than start a new label, I'm using the Columbia label on this post to cover destinations in or around Howard County and close to Columbia.)

celestial affairs

Well, my little Powershot at least registered the shape of the crescent moon, and that's either Venus or Jupiter visible nearby. (In other attempts last night, the moon was just a white blob.) For the last few nights -- after the sun has gone down and early in the evening -- the sliver of the crescent moon has been lining up with bright Venus and Jupiter in the western sky.

Here's a post with more information on the Baltimore Sun's Maryland Weather blog. And Mars is coming closer to us in March! You remember that the Martians waited for this circumstance in H. G. Wells' novel?


moon venus jupiter google image results -- some better photos from around the world, the scene with different atmospheric conditions and features on the ground. (A nice one from the India Times!)

link: hunting for restaurants in Howard County...

...and Dim Sum and coffee places on the Lakefront

Now and then I'll play food blogger and post something to help hungry opera cats in the area. Here's a link to a recent post by HowChow showing how to navigate Columbia and the county in general and giving an overview of restaurants, bakeries and markets along the way. Many of these places are familiar to me and are regular destinations; many are new to me, and I want to check out that Kolache Creations Czech pastry bakery on Route 40 soon:

No Signs, No Problem

A recent personal discovery: Dim Sum at Red Pearl on the Lakefront in Town Center. I've been enjoying Red Pearl's main menu since it opened, and now I'm trying to get a little Dim Sum club together for weekend brunches there. It's very popular, and they don't take reservations.

The Lakefront is in walking distance for me (when I know it won't be dark on the way home). I continue to enjoy an almost weekly Saturday stroll over to Lakeside Roastery for coffee and a sandwich and a look at the latest art works on display from the Artists' Gallery next door. They're not in the main row of restaurants along the Lakefront. Look for them on the ground floor of the medium-rise office building that's further up the slope behind Clyde's.

hocofood@@@

psssst!....found at Daedalus Books in Columbia....

...the 1965 film of Othello with Laurence Olivier and a certain Maggie Smith...a set of director John Ford's movies, including some of his work other than westerns...that expensive 4-disc pack of the Ben-Hur reissue, now reduced to the outlet's ridiculously low price, starring the wonderful Hugh Griffith -- oh, and Charlton Heston, of course.

Addendum, February 26: I must mention another gem recently found at Daedalus -- a box set of movies based on Tennessee Williams' plays. Some famous titles here (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) and a couple of new ones for me (Baby Doll; Sweet Bird of Youth) and a documentary film about Williams and the South.

Snoozing 2

If Ollie can do this still, he must be doing well. End of February marks 4 months since the vets found the first growth in Ollie's colon. Recent X-ray showed the cancer all over his intestine, but new food, prednisolone, Miralax, Tylan powder and hypoallergenic treats and lots of love are helping him carry on. He's crazy about those treats -- they might be helping more than I know.

Snoozing 1