the first thing i did this saturday morning was to do a water change on the lotus seeds. two of them had germinated, a green sprout poking out of cut end. i wasn't imagining it, but the sample seed was the first to germinate, so apparently cutting into the seed didn't seem to have a negative effect, even though most of what i read online said it makes the seeds more prone to rotting. perhaps the secret isn't so much how you cut it but rather just maintaining a warm water temperature (and not trying to enhance it with water heater or putting the jar directly in the sun). a few of the seeds have a milky slimy coating on the cut end, which makes me think those have already started to rot. maybe i only end up with two seedlings (just like last time), but i have to be patient, give it a few more days.

annie was up early as well, and left the house by 9:20am to meet up with a friend of hers living nearby in somerville to go to haymarket. i was watching her leave when she suddenly turned around as if she saw me. she returned to the house and i opened the door for her to ask her what's up. "did you call me?" she asked. i told her no, but i'm starting to wonder if she has some kind of ESP power. as for me, i futzed around at home for another hour before taking the motorcycle to belmont. i packed up all my new camera gear in my small orange camera bag, excited to be taking the 80D out for the first time to see it in action.

i found my father in the backyard mowing the lawn, which was something i'd planned on doing this weekend as the grass was starting to get a bit long. my mother came out later to cut some garlic chives to make jiucai hezi for dinner tonight.

i was just in belmont on wednesday, cleaning up the lotus barrel after a critter had fallen in and knocked over all the lotus containers. since then, a second rolled up coin leaf has emerged from our lone lotus plant. the water in the deeper barrel was still a little murky compared to the shallow barrel, which my father had decorated with pruned off reed leaves. the original coin leaf has also gotten bigger. in a few more days if all goes well, i will add at least two new lotus seedlings into the barrels.

each germinating seed is so precious i've given them special names: elephant trunk, umbrella hook, and nub sprout.