Second Handfull In Three Days

Even if you grow them yourselves there
is no guarantee that they will taste great.
You know where they came from, how
they were grown and most of all, how
fresh.

I will place these into a brown paper bag
to see if it will do it's magic.

Ode To Blue

 























I've had this cobalt blue glass scone for years now and just now putting it to some use.

For years now our city as installed a similar colored lighting on our traffic lights and not
for decorative purposes either and without getting into their purpose it only brought back
to my attention why I was drawn to this color.

You've seen this color in stained glass in churches. Probably in the last ten years of Christmas
three lighting that utilize LED. How about runway lighting too. You know you've seen it and
it is almost hard not to stare at it's glow. Not to mention those electrical appliances that have
those beady blue tine ball of blue. Be it a PC computer or coffee maker too. Your car may have
them too as part of the dash or your car stereo.

It's not easy staying blue when you've looked at something of this hue.

Repurpose, Repaint and Hoo Hoo Knows

Take a break from painting the house for moment
and do something just as monotonous. I just realized
how monotonous the word monotonous is spelled.

Could it be any more monotonous?

The sun is way beyond setting and an owl hoots not far away.

First Meal With Added Spaghetti Squash

And yet still missing something.

I thought if I stared at this long enough it would either make me hungry enough to recreate it and
explore what it needs. I've often found out that what it needs is an attitude adjustment in the name
of some heat, spicy heat. Some Sriracha heat to be more exact.

Just Mayo has one that I've been experimenting with. This is from someone that has never liked
mayonnaise. Still has that typical mayo taste but with that extra kick. I think the reason I gravitate
to this mayo is because I use very little and it's still novel.

Second Flush, Tomato and Two Japanese Eggplants So Far

 

 

 

 

 Watching BBC's  Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Bigggg Birds

Groups of peafowl (any sex and age) can be called a bevy, a muster, an ostentation, and a pride.

The Small Tufted Titmouse Is Back - Not That It Went Anywhere

Rooftop, Chimney Painting

Rooftop landscape.

Primed more that three quarters of this chimney.

Orbweaver Spider (Neoscona crucifera) Me Thinks! By Day and Night

This guy, and I do believe that it is of the male species, keeping still. After all it is
nocturnal and as you can see that it is broad daylight looking up in this corner
at the backdoor.

I suspect is the one responsible for threads of web that have been catching
in my hair as I pass through this doorway on numerous occasions. Once they
have spun their web for the evening and late night netting of insects. They
will then gather most of what they spun and eat the webbing. What few tendrils
of silk are left is what I feel as I had mentioned.

I doubled checked just a few minuets ago and sure enough he was out there, same
corner of the door jam, suspended upside down on a thread, while the misses is
touching up the web. Good thing I ducked really low as you will see.

Male spider top left and female
in the web almost diagonal from
the male spider.

Female spider running scrimmage and
adding lure like patches.



                                                 

Female with larger abdomen and weaves
majority of web.

Blue Pea Bares Pods

This was fist observed a couple of days ago when they were greener and was
wondering what they would taste like.

Yesterday's Harvest - Smilling Tomato

Yeah, like you have something to
grin about. Have you looked in the
mirror lately?

I'll still eat you if something else
doesn't.

The last tomato from this new crop
is any indication of it's potential taste.
What's a few blemishes.

Ripening Haas Avocados and Paris, France

While at the store last week I notice this women buying some really green Avocados.
I asked her if she ever had any issues with buying unripe Avocados. So she shared with
me on how she places them in a brown paper bag and placed in a cool dark corner of her
kitchen to ripen in days. I'm thinking to myself, I hope not all at once.

This week at the same store and with determination and the love of avocados I buy
three extremely green avocados. Blemish free as can be, only to get to the cashier
who manages to transfer them to wagon only to hear one of them fall to the hard
tiled floor. Heard it like a wooden thud as only a green Avocado can.

I place this green bounty of delicious into a respectable brown paper bag that will
house and facilitate this ripening process. Two days later I reach my hand in thinking
that I don't want all of the captured ripening gasses that may have accumulated to
escape. To find at least one soft to the touch. If that wasn't enough, I had to remove
them from their confines, with no  to find three shades of ripeness. The darkest being
one that I would have picked on sight with the idea of  potentially being ready to eat.

This looks promising.





As I write these ramblings the tragedy that struck Paris, France weighs heavy on my mind
most and inseparable.

As far across the world it may seem, yet it is here in my thoughts, in this room. With the
notion that this level of violence, of this nature can happen any where there is disregard
for the human life.

Yesterday's First Meal - Experimental Kitchen

Salvaged two cans of Lentil soup, grilled
Brussels Sprouts with some yellow mustard
to tie it all together and a dash of coconut oil.















Good read so far, from our Library.

First Eggplant Of The Late Season

Something already got a bite out of this so I
thought that I would get my first bite in.

I think I may have picked it too soon but I will
have some more opportunities while the others
ripen.

This second season is usually has more pests
to deal with to, so we will see who wins.









Today's first meal not only included this eggplant but also some different hued sweet potatoes,
which I'm really really trying to enjoy. I should of drenched and mashed them up with some
green olives.

Perhaps all the olives in the jar couldn't of masked the cloyingly sweet yuck that persistantly
manages discourage me from eating these again. Had I not ran out of vinegar, I think is the
only way to go.

AfterThe Rain - Lillies

I have Rain Lillies and several kinds of Crinum Lillies and you would think
that the one called Rain Lilly was given that name for the obvious reasons.

Well this Crinum Lilly has been off and blooming since that three days of light
rain this past week. I can't keep track how many times it has bloomed so far
this season. It's location is appropriate too , at the entrance of the driveway, on
the street side. Welcoming those who notice things like that.

Like a five headed Hydra, in a good way.

                                              

I wonder if they've opened this late evening or not?

Not only have they opened but they are intoxicating the night air and from this picture the pollen
doesn't appear to be ripe, so to whom are they attracting.

 Perhaps just filling the air to lay a path for those tomorrow.

                                

Veteran's Day, A Day Of Remeberence

A salute to my father, uncles, current friend, brother and two nephews, both past and current
serving and to all of my sisters and brothers who currently and past that have
served in the our military.

Backdoor Garden Update

Fig tree on it's second flush
of leaves. Typical after all the
leaves obliterated from a leaf
rust, due to heavy rains and
seasonal lighting changes. This
last push of foliage usually
accompanied by one last setting of
fruit too.

Typical angle as seen from the sidewalk with

a lassoed vine from the Confederate Jasmine.

This vine is recovering from a severe trimming 

earlier this Summer, clearing a path around the

house for some house painting.

From an sculptures standpoint this specimen lends it's self to several
interesting viewing angles. As many as sculptures that I have created, I find to
rare to have more than two really good viewing angles. Being a living sculpture
certainly has it's advantage. Whereas a static sculpture, once it has been chiped
an carved there is no is no going back, just forward. This live specimen, as long as it is viable,
regenerates and lends itself to the sculpting process with out question. One of the
many joys of gardening. This is also coming from my own garden philosophy of form
over function, of which this over twenty year old specimen has been witness to.

This potted Key lime tree has done well this season

with two rounds of fruit followed by a an

over enthusiastic show of flowers. This is my

second attempt with this citrus variety and will have

to reward it with transplanting it to a larger

size pot. This particular variety is very juicy to and

with a very distinct flavor characteristic of the Key lime.

This Buddha Belly seedling going on it's

third season put on it's last show of greenery.

To think that it was preparing for it's dormancy.

One of three batches of Amryillas seedlings in the back ground and thriving, second oldest of the three.

I'm Not The Only One Looking For A Meal Tonight - Cuban Tree Frog

You're not alone little buddy. Even though there use to be two of these frogs hanging out in this downspout. Still room for one more.

Evania appendigaster - Another Mouth Full - Cockroach Egg Parasitoid Wasp

This little guy has been hanging around my kitchen sink for the past week.
Very distinctive long back legs and wasp like extended bobbing stomach.

This guy gets thirsty too, what with all it's flitering about an all.

To see it in action, walking about, it reminds me of a stunted flying cricket.