Beans.
Hello again, journal. Before I get to the beans, here is part of what happened this morning. I asked myself, "Why am I journaling?" I replied, "Funny I should ask." "So?"

Well (yes, I will get to the beans), I was inspired by Valentina Igoshina. As I often do, I went to You Tube to listen to her performance of Chopin's Ètude Op. 10, No. 3, and to the words with which she prefaces her performance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrD1ZaNwdsU). Valentina has her composer, and I should have something too. And I do. Beans. Squash. Eggplant. Kale. Spinach... That's why and how, journal!

Beans. Half of my beans are sick. I have already extirpated several plants. Beans in the greenhouse are a pitiable sight. The leaves are speckled, like. What salt and pepper hair is to middle-aged men, this speckling is not to the beans.

And contrary to the popular wisdom that a picture is worth a thousand words, these two pictures don't make the beans look anywhere near what their sorry state is. I take my word. Needless to say, these babies will not make it into the compost bin.