The first sunlight of the day reached Rome at 06:36.
That sunlight will recede until tomorrow, I hope, at 19:48.
The “Ave Maria” ought to be chimed at 20:00.
The Roman Station for this Easter Friday, upon which you can eat meat, is Santa Maria “ad martyres” (aka the Pantheon).
Speaking about what’s wrong in the Vatican…
This recent Latin tweet from the Vatican is getting a lot of flak, and I think it’s because it is basically a mechanical translation of the Italian source tweet with some word order changes plus a few lexical replacements. Let’s go step by step. https://t.co/tQL7vA6hKf pic.twitter.com/qTXBGNC3qC
— Stephen C. Carlson (@sccarlson) April 10, 2026
Here are your ivy (yes, I know) and jasmine (no, not the Jesuit) reports.
Taken in the same spot as before. HERE
The jasmine has a way to go yet. I am contemplating getting a potted jasmine for my little cortile. I am not sure it would survive my absences.
Black to move and mate in 4.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
Interested in learning? Try THIS.
Chess is undergoing a huge renaissance. Do yourselves and your kids a favor. LEARN TO PLAY. It is something that lasts a lifetime.
I was at the Campo de’ Fiori today to get some veggies and some flowers from, of course, Pippo.
Beautiful tulips and peonies now.
Not peonies.
In hoc barbarorum tempore, stylos nostros et ad litteras pristinas nosmetipsos revertamur, ut instrumenta simus ad errorum corrigendum illiteratorum.
A good deal can be done “precibus nostris” also. Probably more.
I knew it, I knew it.
As soon as I saw the flowers, I knew there would have to be dogs.
Thank You Father for saving the best for last.
ps. They sure are interested as to what is in that hand.
Black to move and mate in 4
1) … Qxf2+
2) Rxf2 (or Kh1) Rd1+
3) Qe1 (or Rf1) Rxe1+
4) Rf1 (forced) R(e or f)xf1# mate
If
2) Kh1 Qxf1# mate
If
3.Rf1 Rfxf1# mate
The only appropriate names for those two dogs is Ketchup and Mustard.
Beautiful flowers! I miss them; living in a desert area, I use silk flowers. Real flowers either wither in the dry heat and sun or require too much water (water being precious in the desert). Sigh!*
Thank you for the pictures!
Ha Ha!
(and you could throw in some chili too)