All grown up and nowhere to go

In honor of faithful reader Adam, here are some fresh images of my own private Poperinge:

Climbing!

So tall!

But of course, I still won't get any flowers again this year, which renders these wild tendrils nothing more than deer-proofing for the plants they're wired between and taking over (alas, poor flowering maple, I knew you well), and reminds me that at some point I need to live somewhere that gets more than a couple hours of sunlight a day...

WTF - Yerba mate beer

John, this one's for you... Springing up in all the appropriate shopping venues lately (read: places that sell bulk organic spelt flakes and fair trade buckwheat grouts) is this latest spin (read: gimmick) on herbal beers: Mateveza. Get it? Yerba mate + cerveza = mateveza. But I can only tease so much, since it is caffeinated, and it does happen to be brewed by a local (Chico!) brewery that's been waving the organic brewing flag for a loooooong time. And yes, of course, I'll inevitably try it at some point, guaranteeing them at least one more 6-pack off the shelf. I just can't imagine it'll have a spot on that shelf for very long. If only the bottles suggested you drink it through a bombilla in the same way Belgian ales suggest tulip glasses...