Day Three Iris and new old PC keyboard

   Beautiful Iris in its own right but definitely
not a Florida native. Now I'm going to have to
dig into my records and see if I saved the tag
from my purchase last year. This will be a test
of my record keeping too.

  Left my Microsoft Ergonomic keyboard at my
last employe and have regretted it ever since.
Just now got around replacing it today, Yippee!

 WOW!

Kecko's back too!

Snails - Who knew they could take out a Dragon.

Even Dragons can be defeated by the frail and sluggish.

Now I know what ate the tip off this Dragon
fruit plant. As I flick off the offending and
pick up pot and set it back down, "Oh, I'm
sorry were you under there little guy?  It pays
to pick up the pace little buddy!"

My what great big teeth you have.

  

Can't leave them alone for a minute, OK maybe hours.

Thanks for the sacrifice Old Man, these were the days. Nice root development too!

Update:  Checked on the Floaters and Sinkers and Vessels #1 and #3 Angelwing Begonia

seedlings, wait, did I say seedlings? More like dusts and would need a microscope to tell

if they sprouted.

Gecko moved back to its original digs, by the 24/7 desk lamp.

Gave half pot orchid new shoes, replaced wooden basket with a better one that was lying around.

 

Taste Test Kitchen - Saved by the Cheese - New Item

    Wild  Oats Organic Minestrone soup from
WalMart, with added grated Romano cheese
and Organic Arugula greens from Aldi's.
 I was reluctant to bye the Minestrone due to
the canned pasta and obviously so due to that
fact that I picked all of the pasta out, not that
there was a lot. Not bad but a terrible waste in
regards to the pasta. Shame. Followed with
some fresh Black berries.Yum! Should have
put the berries on the meal.

Spaghetti Squash never disappoints

Nearly and hour set at 300 and covered in my
stainless steel skillet. Grated Romano cheese
and some Marinara sauce.

Rain, surprise ,beauty and a bust.

  Shiny Blueberry - Vaccinium myrsinites heavy with this mornings rain and they
are as small as they look too and native to the state of Florida. Small berry, small
taste. These have produced some berries going on three years now.

   Iris hexagona a purple iris native to Florida,
whether this one is or not, I'm not sure. This is
its first time blooming and was purchased from
Loews.

Iris roots submerged in small pond water.

   A pleasant surprise and will have to keep an
eye out for when the bloom opens.

Day two.

Rescued agave looking good and still have yet determined where it will
remain and prosper. Just noticed as I post this that there is a blueberry
nestled or hiding amongst its crown.

A Landscape that caught my eye, which consists
mostly Florida native plants.











Yesterday's failed attempts at preparing some Ruby Red Rice.

Although what may have failed to please the palette I tried my best to please the eye.

Up On the Roof - Camphor Tree - Cinnamomum camphora

  My Triannual Camphor Tree maintenance which, mostly involves
trimming the canopy. Both for manageability and for Hurricane Season reasons.

   This tree is is also my Helper tree that I use to climb up unto the roof of my house.
I feel a whole lot safer using a ladder and tree combination to access the roof, both
up and down.

  This tree also helps shade the kitchen and gives me a great view from the kitchen

of it's interior.

 This allows me to be that perennial tree climber that started when I was
 a young boy and the wisdom to wine down that youthful exuberance.
  I've had a neighbor describe me as the guy always up in the trees. Know
doubt referring to my once ambitious biannual tree trimming campaign.

If this view doesn't beckon one to climb.

  Also while up on the roof I sealed and secured some loose flashing around the 

chimney base with concrete screws and caulking. 

  With the mornings heat and may be being up on the roof too long is when I 

start to ponder a random of act of Yoga on top of the roof. Perhaps a handstand

against the chimney, anybody? Yikes!

Sunchoke sprouts update

 Four out of the seven Sunchokes that have been planted have survived so far.

Check on seedlings and pot up cutting

Checked for moisture on the Sinkers and Floaters Amyrillis seeds and the Angel Wing
Begonia that are being incubated with a Yogurt maker .


Planted the Easter Cactus cutting (see below) and flagged it with a found feather from
a Mockingbird, our State bird.

Easter Cactus is being Photo bombed by the Drunkard's Dream to the left.

It's long time companion, whence it came.

Cardboard Fern - Zamia furfuracea

This plant is one of many favorites of mine and may be going on twenty years since planted too.

From its new fern like new shoots in the spring. Even last years leaves are looking
surprisingly green. The leaves texture and firmness are cardboard like hence the name.

I've learned over the years to leave a couple of years growth behind so the
new growth has to tower over it and so it will be taller. Should there be any
yellowing or die back then I just cut them out accordingly

There are separate male and female plants. They both produce cone like
reproductive structures. Where the female cones swell with these bright
orange fleshy seeds that the squirrels like to distribute through out the yard
like they do acorns.

Last years male cones.

Last years seedlings sprouting at the base
of the female plant. I make a point to cut
off the seed laden cone to subvert a rotting
fruit mess. Will have to post some pictures
of the female cone when it is bearing fruit.

Will be taking a break from  my usual Thursday night yoga class to attend another
eight week Yoga Barre class, which starts next Thursday. With the intentional focus 
on the hamstring stretching.

Have more windowsill and window loosening to do today. This way I can let my
contractor know its status and find out when he can install the next round of
window screens. Had to retreat from the mosquitoes, while trying to loosen up
the last stubborn window.

Bread and butter and something green is missing

 As I was taking yesterday's pictures for a post. I noticed how
lacking in green my home diet has been. Not that there has been
much.

Take for instance my fast food prep.
Bread and Butter (spread) made
with sprouted grains and Sauerkraut.
Fast and easy and fills in when
needed and just wants to feed that
need, be it emotional or your stomach's calling.
  The only real effort is splitting the
frozen bread slices and a light toasting.
The rest is just stuffing your face.

This is when it hit me. Where is the green?
Some Arugula perhaps, something!

Yesterdays mail there was Aldi's mailer
and to my surprise, organic Arugula.
Wonders never cease.











So todays lunch at a Chinese buffet, I think the 'Where is the green?,'still took hold.

First plate is typical.

Second plate, I was really seeing green.

No longer have to wonder what it is like being a cow grazing on some grass.

The green beans where exceptionally crunchy and chewy.


Unusual air plane activity is in the air, must be time for the annual fly-in.

Made these these for late afternoon snack.

Easter Cactus - Schlumbergera Gaertneri

Easter Cactus cutting day one.

Day two, nestled in some dampen sheet moss. One flower is still opening.

Day three, and the Flowering still goes on while trying to bring moisture 

and yet still drying the cut end.

To be continued, as I dash off to Yoga class.

No painting today, just loosening up the painted windows from their sills.


H
A
P
P
Y  E
A
R
T
H D
A
Y

House Gecko - Hemidactylus mabouia changed venues.

Welcome Back to the Bachelor Cafe - Grass fed Beef, Artichokes, Asparagus and?

You may have seen this what-to-do-with-last remaining Asparagus

Except there was no Marinara sauce, so break out the seasonings.

I won't tell you what I paid for this at this past Florida State Fair and I don't
have to tell you that there's enough garlic in this to keep the Vampires away.

I also hope we're not doing partner yoga in this evening's Yoga class.

Seasonings and lots of olive oil made this exceptional, IMO.

Keep them horses corralled - Rough Horsetail - Equisetum hyemale

   Only had this specimen not even a
year and the canes turned brown. So
I had to cut it back to the remaining
green. I'm not sure what caused the
browning, either its completed its
cycle or something else.
   I had another stand of horsetail but
it also turned brown. So I tossed it
because it was either dead and was
not as robust as this one here.
   I keep an aquarium air pump and
air stone to recirculate the water, so
as not get any mosquitoes.
   Horsetail prefers to have a wet
environment so the container retains
water and keeps it from sending
runners, which could get invasive.
   I also have some pond lighting that
comes on at night for some dramatic
up lighting for the statuesque Crape
Myrtle standing to the left.

  There is also a water lily (cant see) that has come back too and has yet to bloom.
I only had this water lily for about seven months.

Welcome Back to the Bachelor Cafe

    Scraping the bottom of the refrigerator for things on their last leg.
So we have Baby Portabello mushrooms, not another day!Key limes
that have seen better days (not shown for obvious reasons). An Avocado,
which has yet to ripen and tired looking at it.

                                                             
    Spoon off a lot of the liquid so it's no longer soup. Cut up the avocado
and place in a bowl and pore mixture over the avocados. Squeeze the
limes over everything.

Eat with Rye/Sesame crisp bread (not shown) and Smart Balance spread.
Finish with a Ruby Red grapefruit.

Omelet with seasonal Asparagus

 omelet-with-seasonal-asparagus.html

Taking advantage of this Spring crop vegetable.

A variation on a previous post I've added black and toasted white sesame seeds,
chopped fresh cauliflower and leaving it open face.

Yesterday, it rained off and on just about all day. So had the day off from painting the house.

Today, finished windowsills and the majority of the stucco walls on the driveway side of the house.

Finished in time to head off for Yoga practice. Loosen up these painters' shoulders.

Yesterdays - Experimental Kitchen

Not every experiment in the kitchen is a success. These two did not go as well
as I would have thought. Next time I think I will use some Kippers.

Amryillis seeds starting in water is re-visited and now we have the Sinkers and the Floaters.

Amryillis seed starting in water
See link above for previous Post.

These seeds started off floating on top of the water. Over the ten
day period, only to find half of the seeds at the bottom of the bowl.
A bit impatient perhaps and dishearten with this new process. I've
decidied to put them in soil accordingly. 

The Sinkers look as like a gelatinous mass.

While The Floaters still look individually viable.

Both get a top dressing of Compost and a misting of water.
Covered to retain some moisture.

Placed into the nursery where the Angel Wing Begonia seeds are
incubating in my Yogurt maker germinating-angelwing-begonia.