We rented a mini-van and drove up to Hamilton, NY to pick up a Plycraft chair we bought on ebay and we took the lovely scenic Taconic Parkway. Unfortunately, part of the scenery, in among the wildflowers, was a surprising number of state policemen, one of whom surprised us indeed and gave us a ticket for going 82 in a 55mph zone. Hmmph. Here is a picture a disgusted Hector looking back at the absurdly garish flashing lights on this gentleman’s car.

And here is a similar chair. Ours is camel color.

We spent the night at a dog-friendly b&b in Morris, NY. I had never heard of Morris, NY. Why would I have, really? And I never would have gone there if we hadn’t needed a dog-friendly b&b. Buy I’m awfully glad we did. The Butternut Lodge is great. Here is a picture:

We got there after the one restaurant in town was closed, so we went to the ice cream place which also serves hot dogs. And Janet bravely went into the scary tavern and got two beers, so we had hot dogs, beer and delicious soft serve ice cream for dinner. A truly perfect cuisine. They also serve a dollop of vanilla with a milkbone in it for dogs. In the morning we had breakfast at the diner and ate delicious pancakes while men in caps and suspenders discussed feed for cows. I wish every furniture purchase were like this one.

I have been in Westport, CT, sniffing the air trying to discover the source of the most sublime June air, and I’ve narrowed it down to what I think are Locust Trees (thank you, Nancy) about which, wikipedia tells me, William Carlos Williams wrote a poem that I must now read,

as well as some bushes I don’t know the names of.

But there are no Linden Trees out here, and so I was sad. Then, I went back into the city for one night, Monday, June 23, and there it was: the cloud of blissful scent, the freshest essence of spring, the…Linden Trees in bloom!

When I got up to our apartment, there was an urgent phone message from our neighbor Murray alerting us to the glorious occurrence! Linden Tree Day! I think there ought to be naked people (nice looking young ones), cherubs and satyrs out dancing under stars to celebrate. Maybe next year. I’m glad I didn’t miss Linden Tree Day. And I’m glad to get old Salvador Dali off this blog. I bet even Salvador Dali is sick of looking at himself here. Onward and upward. A rare day in June.

Need to waste some time? In a pleasant, pretty pursuit? Check out this interactive web site for Campers shoes (click here). It’s like a video game for ladies. Who only want to play for two minutes.

(Thank you, onegoodbumblebee)

I just got home from an evening at Zampa, a new wine bar on 13th Street and 8th that my friends Danny Emerman and Sandro Prosperi have opened. To quote Maggie Smith in Gosford Park, “Yummy!” I wish I lived close enough to have lunch there every day and go back for wine and octopus every evening. Zampa means hoof in Italian. I thought there would be pigs trotters for dinner. But there was tuna and there were white beans and there were beets. Not a cloven hoof in sight.