Have Not Want Not

Happy Campers

2011-07-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

We took a brief respite from the routine for some camping out in the Applegate. When we forget how privileged we are to live in this part of the world, we have places like this as a most happy reminder.

Due to the unusually high snowfall this year. The lake was pleasantly full and picturesque. This full, deep blue also made for lower water temperatures. We frolicked, just for shorter spans of time.

Here are our "urban meets the dust" campers. They were quite certain that everything tastes better outside, and that we possessed magical powers for surviving in the great outdoors.

Mid-marshmallow stupor, and we hadn't had dinner yet...

Even when you're living the moment, evening on the lake is a little nostalgic.

On Our Way To The Show...

2011-07-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

...We stopped for some pho.

We also figured some ice cream couldn't hurt. Carmelized apple ice cream anyone?

Super juicy almost medium rare Foster Burger. Throw in a Moscow Mule, and the evening is made.

Ultra fantastic Olympic Provisions Chef's Choice platter. Rabbit pate. Thank you little bunny.

Back in the happy place.

Late Starts

2011-06-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

Until recently, the weather has been less than hospitable for gardeners. I've kept my plants under weak artificial light in the garage, rather than subjecting them to the dangers of nightly low temperatures or persistent precipitation. My ground cherry starts are rare and special. I wasn't taking any chances.

There they are. All the little ones I was at last confident enough to commit to dirt. My delusional hope is that not only will the straw keep the soil warm and moist, it will magically repel weeds. It also makes the worms safer from death from above. Plus it gives the entire plot this rather manger-like glow.

While I have the process of being patient and waiting for Summer's vegetable wonders, the neighboring garden has a planting combination that is an aesthetic delight. The tissue-like delicateness of the poppy petal, combined with the rugged texture of the artichoke foliage.

Not usually a rose person, I've unexpectedly enjoyed this lovely white, shared by a friend.

I Spy Weekend

2011-06-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

It sounded so simple. "We're going to go pick asparagus in the orchard. There's tons of it".

This of course takes a practiced eye, of which I did not immediately possess. Suddenly the orchard looked very large, and the asparagus...not at all. After randomly stumbling upon some green stalks, I then understood its nature, and the asparagus showed itself to me.

Once I got warmed up, I sure my harvest could have been more abundant, but my shoes were so muddy they were the weights tied to my feet.

After Dave let us pick the asparagus, he was kind enough to show us his real passion - his cows. They were all talkative and greeted us with exuberant lowing. I'd have shown you the two impressive styles of bulls, but they were too busy giving us the "what for" while rounding up the girls.

The next day I went on a morel hike with some experienced mushroom guides. Again, a big forest, and the mushrooms, very shy. Although I found only four, it's hard to complain about spending a temperate day in the woods with impassioned mushroom identifiers.

Hello little morel...I see you. I Spy with my little eye!

Little Gems and Wine Giants

2011-05-17T12:19:00.001-07:00

Tucked away off the main thoroughfare, small and unassuming at the end of an orange-scented lane, Napa Valley Olive Oil Company was someplace I could have stayed forever. I wanted the curator to adopt me, fill my picnic basket, and continue to feed me tastes all at once. We found rarities, and quality common goods. The picnic that followed was perfect.

Stag's Leap's caves were spotless, complete with Nasa "air scrubbers". Between the wall sconces and the Foucault pendulum, it was sort of like the Hyatt met the inner sanctum. I have to say I'm partial to Antinori's mixed barrels and the mold.

An impressive line-up anyone would be thankful to enjoy as part of their afternoon.

And there it is, the most photographed ridge in Napa, the Stag's Leap Palisades.

To Antinori and Beyond

2011-05-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

Our arrival in the Napa valley was jostling and hurried. We had rambled casually throughout the early and mid stages of the trip, and had to sprint in a clock-watching anxious state at the end. Luckily Scott proved an excellent navigator and aggressive pilot. We made it to Antinori in time for the tour.

At the top of Soda Canyon Road, behind the large iron gate, the vinyards spread before us.

Antinori's cave was a wonderous, mold-lined revelation. Barrels of various cooperage, tucked away amongst the spongy walls, and a stillness that was most comforting.

Baby grapes! This time of year, everything in Napa really is green.

Sutter Inn's manicured grounds. (Overdone interior Victorian decor not pictured) Their back veranda did make for a perfect afternoon respite.

Jellyfish clouds over Stag's Leap.

Violet Hues

2011-05-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

Although I shun purple in the wardrobe, I find it fabulous on alliums, ranunculus, and matthiola incana.

To Market, To Market...

2011-05-16T16:38:00.001-07:00

My top of the list in any city is a grower's market. The Ferry Building beckoned on Saturday morning with promises of glowing produce, oysters, salumi, spices, and an incredible view. While we are priveleged on many levels here in Ashland, the diversity of a San Francisco market in May, (while we are still unwilling to put our starts in the ground in the Rogue Valley) was a heartening intoxicant.

The City

2011-05-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

Occasionally breaks were taken from eating, or thinking about what to eat next,to have a look around.

Quintessential.

On the borders of Chinatown, a stencil kitty of fortune.

Lanterns and the smell of dumplings adrift on the evening breeze.

All the peacefulness of the rabbit with the protective properties of metal. I think it sounds remarkably calmer than the year of the fire pig.

Dangerous store. I limited myself to only two Momiji dolls. (Papillon and Claire)
I also touched many a purse and throw pillow cover. Luckily the immediacy of food won out over fashion or decor.

Please Don't Feed The Animals

2011-05-16T16:20:00.001-07:00

Another exhibit we enjoyed was the Academy of Sciences cafe. We rushed the lines for bottled water and found ourselves in the midst of a very Ikea-ish feeding experience.

In addition to the aquatic scenery, the rainforest exhibit proved to captivate our interest. (Aside from the numerous strollers, toddlers, and the disregard of the requests for no flash photography.)

This snake made me wish I was its tree.

Of course I love the fact that they eat their web every night and build it all again in the morning. Not just resourceful, but elegantly hardcore.

At first it sounded as if they were bickering, but I think their chatter is very similar to my grandparents never-ending squabble.

My survival instincts are obviously askew. To all other animals, this frog's coloration says "don't touch me I'm deadly". I of course want to pick it up and stroke its tiny head.

Touristing

2011-05-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

We had a perfect afternoon at the Steinhart Aquarium. You will be spared the detailed "vacation slide show", and I'll only share the the exceptional scenes.

Pink and purple coral! My favorite.

A nice yellow hue among the bottom feeders.

For all those angel fish we sacrificed in our own aquariums.

Peachy colored anemones that looks like Jim Henson characters.

It's really nice of them to place the jellyfish on the startlingly blue backdrop. It's like taking pictures of electricity in motion.

Noshing and Sipping Through The City

2011-05-16T15:27:00.001-07:00

Our primary objective was to eat our way through the city. We set about our goal with relish. Of course the over-achiever in me feels we could have eaten more.

Artful cocktails at Millenium. An Ojai Hop and something with a clever hip name with tequila. Mine had thyme, Scott's had cilantro.

Shadowy pictures of a beautiful vegetable salad drizzled with bagna cauda at Chez Panisse. I wanted to be subtle in my picture taking and not be the nerd with the flash. So dim pictures of dinner it is.

Vanilla meringue nests with fresh tangerine sorbet and strawberries.

Best salad rolls EVER! Pho Hoa on Jones St.

Pho perfection. A rare breakfast treat.

"I'm stll hungry" she said.

2011-05-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

We covered a lot of ground food-wise. I didn't get the complete "cart" experience I was searching for. I guess that's why you plan your next trip.

A lovely hand-selected antipasti plate. I was told the bread tasted great as well.

Tucked off of Trader Vic alley, this was a magical brunch spot. Le Colonial was a jeannie bottle on the inside.

If we weren't feeling so before, the sunny courtyard gave a leisurely aspect to the morning.

An "Old Cuban" as an aperitif.

A perfect blush of rare beef peeking from the top of the pho bowl. This was rivaled only by the house brussel sprouts. Quartered brussels, pan fried with shitake mushrooms, sweet chili sauce, and finished with fried shallots. Nothing like delightfully crunch mini cabbage between your chopsticks.

April 6th, 10:28pm

2011-04-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

Put away your cute shoes kids. Just when you thought you were done with socks. Yep yep, that's snow! April in Ashland is so predictable...

April Kick-Off

2011-04-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

April is always a big month around here. In addition to birthday and anniversay, we've added volunteering for the Ashland Independent Film Festival.

We welcomed April with a temperate evening stroll for First Friday. It was a festive troop and we paused for cocktails and nibbles. The beverages outweighed the noshes, making First Saturday a bit of a challenge.

Sunday brought the kind of blue sky that makes you ache, and once at the mountain, we knew the day was destined to be a late-season treat.

I cannot decide if I am amused by the whimsical nature of this sign found on First Friday, or acutely irritated by its arbitrary woo woo-ness. This is Ashland, I can be both. I'm sure its author will chronicle the responses in a soon to be award-winning documentary.

Please Turn On The Color...

2011-03-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year where I am craving anything colorful. The grey tones of lingering Winter are like a sour note on the tongue that craves sweet.

The Busy Days Of Summer

2010-07-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

This is only a fraction of the amount of crab cocktails that were consumed in our 36 hour stay in Bandon. Shameful and gluttonous are excellent adjectives to describe our devotion to Tony's crab shack, and his divine product.

These are but a sampling of the abundant starfish along our early morning walks while the tide was playing elsewhere. When it comes to starfish and anemones, seeing one does not mean that you have seen them all.

Sigh...

A dog show at Bandon High School. Who knew? We were delayed by the French bulldogs for quite some time. When they love you up...they purr. (Sort of. I'm sure it's a nasal passage inadequacy.)

And here is the latest on the garden. Thriving is a lovely term. It is the calm spot in all of the juggling.It hasn't been the quietest June. We've had guests, concerts, leaps and bounds in our business, dog skunkings, and the rest of what felt like chaos is jumbled in and stirred around enough to be somewhat forgotten.

And We're Off...

2010-05-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

Last week's 32 degree lows have past. All the plants are in. I've saved some room for some gems I might come across.

Beans: Stringless Bush, Masai Bush, Yin-Yang pole, and Dixie Speckle Lima
Squash: Acorn and Butter Boy Butternut
Cucumbers: Pickling, Market More, and Burpless
Tomatoes: Mr. Fantastic, Mr. Stripey, Better Boy, Black Prince, Amana Orange, Sweet 100, and the elusive "Ground Cherry"
Eggplant: Classic, Purple Rain, and Japanese Long
Swiss Chard
Thyme
Chives
Cilantro
Basil
Peppers: Serrano, Hava Zana, Jalepeno, and Thai Hot
Sweet Peppers: Golden Sweet, California Wonder, and Orange Glo
Perfecto Radish
Purple Dragon Carrots
Chiogga Beets
Flowers: Snapdragons, Nicotania, Stock, and Delphiniums

Like I said, I'm sure I still have space for something else...

Low of 32 degrees

2010-05-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

Ranger is doing what we all seem to be doing this last week...looking for the sunshine. Today we are experiencing a high of 43, with low of 32. Hibernative and sluggish seem to pair well when you have winter in late May. And if you don't have time to hibernate, or be sluggish, grumpy seems to work just fine as well.

Here are a couple of pictures that at least make me think of Spring. This was a beautiful little jam jar full of assorted tulips...

This is my birthday bouquet, taken with my birthday camera. A Cannon Powershot SL90.
It makes the dyed hothouse grocery store daisies sing.

We Love April.

2010-04-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

It was a perfect April day ten years ago today. The weather smiled upon us, with a beautiful, sunny spring day. The garden was amazing.

If you look close in this picture you will see the snow. The weather wasn't so kind this morning. But we were smiling at each other...

Happy Anniversary Scott.

Comes In Like a Lamb..

2010-03-14T19:42:00.001-07:00

March introduced herself, very light and delicate and warm.

She wanted make certain we knew her...and then she let her true colors show.

Middle Winter

2010-02-12T16:26:00.000-08:00

The mid-January early February timeline around here has made for very little worth sharing.
The hills have an occasional frosting, but for Southern Oregon standards, the weather is gray. Medford seems to love to share its fog. We divide our time between the office, and generally feeling like we constantly need a nap.
The normally moderate YMCA is busy with persons you have never seen before, and will probably not see again after the middle of March. Although we did see a new phenomenon this year. It seems January was a little unrealistic to begin your resolutions, so February 1st seemed a collective "get in shape" date.
The garden has changed location this Spring. It's moving from the raised bed digs of the Scenic community gardens, to the established plots of Hersey community gardens.
I stopped by the old bed to make sure everything was in order for the next person.
I was rewarded with a brussely gift.

A New Year, and Celebrations

2010-01-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

December 31st found us on the freeway in a Chevy Tahoe upgrade, driving our thirsty sofa up to Portland to see Sirena, and celebrate Scott's sister Kasi's wedding.
We checked into the Embassy Suites downtown, and were greeted to a very geometric view from our room.

Scott and I were rewarded for our journey that night by a very fortuitous cab. (They're hard to get on New Years in downtown Portland.)It whisked us up to the Pearl District, where Silk Restaurant had a table waiting for us. (Harder to get than a cab on New Years in Portland.) We enjoyed some much needed pho noodle soup, and cocktails. The cab back to the hotel was a little harder to land. The celebrations downtown were in full swing. After about four blocks, we managed to muscle our way into one in the middle of a busy street. We were back in time to ring in the new year with family, and get a much needed night's sleep.
New Years day was quiet, and filled with breakfast at the Bijou, and family and friends.

The wedding was a ceremony joining Kasi and Dan and the family. We then joined the cheesy DJ, and much merriment was made on the dance floor. I think Sirena found the gelato bar most enjoyable. We lost count on her fourth scoop of toffee chocolate banana.

Sirena returned to Ashland with us, after a quiet, nice night spent at Eagle Crest with Mom and Marion. We enjoyed great food and even better company.
Once home in Ashland we balanced work with play. The Wii got a workout, as did Sirena's new ipod Touch. Movies were seen, crispy tofu and burritos were eaten.
We extended Christmas in the house and left the decorations up so we could continue to enjoy the holiday feeling as a family. It was hard to say good-bye. If you look close in this picture, there are the beginnings of tears.

Ranger is waiting for his snuggle friend to return.

A Merry Little Christmas

2009-12-27T18:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas eve was quiet and lovely.

We stuffed our stockings and curled up contentedly. Except for Ranger, who was immediately transfixed and would not give up his sentinel in the family room...
We finally had to put the stocking in the garage so the excited little guy could get some sleep.

In the morning he woke us early, and eagerly tore into it with gusto.
Scott and I opened our stockings at a more leisurely pace.

Our tree was a fond pleasure this year. We had not put one up for quiet a few years.

In between mimosas we made a wonderful lamb stew, a couple of loaves of bread, had some fantastic Texas grapefruit, and baked a lovely pineapple upside down cake.

Scenes From Our Tree...

2009-12-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

Holiday Rush...

2009-12-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

Ranger was a tremendous help when it came to the wrapping and packaging. He's pretty sure we couldn't have done it without him.

Happy Thanksgiving...

2009-11-26T14:59:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving morning started with a lovely sunrise.

This is the thin layer of icing on our view in the mornings. We're awestruck and appreciative every day.

Scott and I agreed that if we were going to have our first ever restaurant Thanksgiving dinner, (at an establishment that is questionable on non-holidays) we'd better fortify ourselves with a good brunch.

This was the potato pancake benedict with spinach and avocado.
What dinner?

A Week of Happies...

2009-11-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

We're having a lovely week. When the sun did break through, it did not disappoint.

Ranger has sought out each spot of warmth he could find.

I found this little guy in a warm blanket of dirt beneath a tomato canopy. He did not seem so happy to be roused from his slumber. Since the tomatoes were going away today, I tried to tuck him back in amid the lettuces. I have a feeling it was a poor substitute.

There's some radish,onion, lettuce, and a couple of hardy broccoli and brussel sprouts lingering. My thoughts are already on Spring. I'm mapping it out daily.

This is the newest addition to our household. We needed iphones for work of course. Scott's previous windows based smartphone got sick, so he opted for one of these. Luckily he made a pledge to me long ago that if one of us got an iphone, we both got an iphone. I've given her lots of attention and love, and I'm so smitten, I'm tempted to start sewing her little dresses and outfits.

A Quiet Start to Fall

2009-10-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a quiet week around here. There seems to be a higher than average level of H1N1 Virus in the Rogue Valley, and we know several acquaintances that have succumb. I began to get the creepy scalp, sore throat and hot eye socket feeling on Tuesday. I promptly went home and downed vast quantities of tea, chicken broth, and immune defense fizzy, with some cheesy television show DVDs that shall remain unnamed.
I would say I have been successful thus far.
Scott seems to have won the battle as well, he just does it by pretending that he feels fine.

We've had some welcome cloudy mornings with rain. I'm not around the garden has much these days. The broccoli and lettuce seem pretty self-sufficient.
I used my vast quantity of green tomatoes for a fantastic enchilada sauce. I may make another batch for some chili verde before I take them out for good.
The peppers seem to be making their last fall push. It's as if they get panicked with the cool weather and make all the fruit they can. If you know anyone who needs some habeneros...

I Brake for ... Snakes

2009-10-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

This morning was reported to be "the last beautiful day" by local weather authorities. We figured we had better take advantage. Scott and I set out from the house at a brisk clip, and headed down the Bear Creek Greenway for a late morning leisurely peddle, headed for tacos.
The bike corridor has some lovely areas, and the light was textbook early October.
Our chicken tacos and ceviche tostada were much loved after the thirteen mile trek.
In the back of our minds, we knew it was all uphill after lunch.

On the way home, somewhere around Talent, I passed chilly snake lounging in the middle of the bike path. Not wanting it to be run over, felt I should intervene.

I was much warmer than the shaded pavement, so we had a bonding moment while I tried to raise his body temperature. He was released safely on the side of the path and twitched his tail in thanks as he headed toward the shelter of the creek.

When stopping to fulfill my reptile good samaritanship, I rather forgot that I was physically attached to by bike via my toe clips.

I guess every good story needs a tumble.

Where There's Smoke...

2009-09-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

This week has been all about the smoke. Monday the 21st began with a large plume that seemed close to home, only to find it was about 1500 feet from our backyard.We'd have taken pictures, but hosing down the house and shoving prized possessions in the cars took precedence. The winds were at about 20 mph that day, and we were asked to evacuate. Residents were allowed home around 8:00 pm. We smelled as if we had been on the firelines ourselves, and the neighborhood smelled like a wet campfire. Shaky, but relieved, we were definitely feeling blessed with the best case scenario. Unpacking your favorite things never felt so good.
Thursday brought us the smoke from Oakridge and Douglas County. The air quality can only be described as poor.

The garden is in its 20th week. The broccoli is beginning to mature.

It looks like I will get exactly two ears of baby cornichons. Watching their frousy little silky heads has been fulfilling enough.

When I was buying the happy chickens from the chicken people at Rogue Valley Brambles farm, where the chickens eat "mostly bugs and grass", I was asked if I would like a complimentary bag of chicken feet with my purchase. (They had quite a few). I responded with my typical culinary enthusiasm. "Of course! I'll make stock." It seems I was a little nonchalant about this. Somehow the bag of chicken feet was much less disconcerting than they were bubbling away on the stove.

Ranger has been feeling the approach of fall most acutely, he's not sure why his sunny spots just aren't as warm as they used to be.

"Try to remember the kind of September..."

2009-09-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

The light is changing so quickly. Thoughts of canning change to ideas about sewing. Afternoon naps sound cozier. It's easier to let yourself be distracted by the current good read.

We have another burst of warm weather on the way. We'll make sure we grill and enjoy it. Hopefully it will help those reluctant green tomatoes ripen. We unearthed the American Harvest food dehydrator, it has been purring away on the counter making raisins out of our over-abundance of cherry tomatoes.

We made an bang-up Virgo dinner with friends this week. We were too modest to take pictures of the food while we had company, but the menu was a killer.

Roasted figs stuffed with black pepper goat cheese, drizzled with a balsamic reduction for an appetizer. For dinner, a saute of golden beets and haricot verts, green herbed risotto, roasted rosemary and garlic pork chops with an onion marmaletta on top. Mmmm....

The garden is in it's 18th week. I love the subtle changes. The corn's going to try. It's starting to tassle. The eggplant is just about done. Little lettuces are springing up from seed here and there. Kombucha squash got it's second wind and is insuring we'll be blessing my garden neighbors with squash gifts soon.

Of Naps and Omlettes

2009-09-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

A visit to the garden on a cool Sunday morning.

I was greeted by little brussel sprouts enjoying the morning chill.

The view from the garden...

We braved the holiday crowds for a rock shrimp and bacon omlette at Morning Glory, and were rewarded with a table for two. The people who had been waiting an hour looked on with envy. We added a mimosa, a bloody mary, and the Sunday paper to make a perfect morning.
We ventured home for naps and some play with Ranger.

He was ready.

Late August Happies...

2009-09-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

In the blur of everything that must be done...we're finding the little happies.

Changing light on the kite-shaped garden.

The dahlias in the squash.

The funny doe with the silly fawns that are literally milking her dry.

The dahlias from the growers market, picked out with our parents, that look like fireworks in a vase.
Texts and phone calls from Sirena.
The dried apples the neighbor shared for watering her garden...

A Quiet Weekend

2009-08-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Some of the squash foliage did the best it could, but despite all efforts, the powdery mildew was winning. The week of cool weather helped it along. It is a skeleton of its former self, waiting for the last few to mature. In its place, fledgling broccoli and brussel sprouts.

Vulnerable little melons peek out here and there.

A beautiful tart. I love it when my baking doesn't look like a second grade art project.

Early Squash, Punctual Eggplant

2009-08-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

This Sunday marked the first squash from the garden. An eager little Kabocha squash, that couldn't wait to grow up fast. It is being admired until a debut with roasted chicken from Willow Witt farms this weekend. The Japanese eggplant moved out of the garden and right into a batch of ratatouille.

And just to prove that no vegetable is safe...a round of jardiniere was in the works. Shown here with some very playful tomato jam. The kitchen smelled like vinegar and tequila.

Good Sunday

2009-08-02T21:48:00.001-07:00

The heat gave a small reprieve today. We woke to cloudy cool skies and a hint of a breeze through the screen. The garden was rinsed from the thundershowers. A perfect day for canning, and a farm dinner in Grant's Pass.

Heat Wave...

2009-07-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

It's week 11.
Eggplant and squash abound. Beans are fizzling like
bunk sparklers, here come the tomatoes.

Sometimes, You Just Want To Bottle July

2009-07-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

It was a fabulous week. We had joy, we had fun, we had young ones, Powell's, Baseball, and Pho.
We canned, we laughed, we made bees happy.

Now It Feel Like Summer...

2009-07-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

Will We Eat From Our Garden?

2009-07-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

Or will it eat us?

1500 Ladybugs - 10 Beans

2009-06-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

I bought some ladybugs that needed to be liberated.

A snack size portion of our first yellow wax beans.

And the kitty who keeps me company.

I Trimmed The Tomatoes...

2009-06-23T12:06:00.001-07:00

And found a cute little pepper.

Changing Every Day

2009-06-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

Now it's starting to get exciting. It's that time of year you remind yourself how quickly a plant can generate foliage. One moment it looks like everyone is keeping their hands to themselves, and the next, your coaxing the cucumber's death grip off the habenero. No spaghetti squash, Mr. Edaname is not for you, don't hold so tight. Even the okra, missing its necessary heat this last week has made a growth spurt. The tomatoes are all shoulder to shoulder, but in a happy sisterly way.
I think I even saw the tiny beginnings of a bean...

Go Squash Go...

2009-06-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

And the squash is in the lead, followed in a close second by the tomatoes. (Although they seem a bit more casual about their growth). There was a cucumber injury which slowed them down a bit, but they seem to be recovering and ready to compete. There's 110 earthworms down there quietly cheering them on.

I Stopped for Anchovy Paste...

2009-05-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

And found a butterfly. She was floundering on the pavement in front of the Shop-N-Cart in the path of an oncoming Prius. I gently scooped her up and we hung out for a bit. I think she was a bit stunned from the heat and the asphalt.
I bid her a gentle adieu on some marigolds in the plant section at Bi-Mart. I hope she's O.K. after some shade and a respite.

A Guest and Some Growth

2009-05-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

I found my first beneficial guest this week. She seemed to find the cilantro perfectly suited for catching her morning sun. The plants are starting to get established. A nice long stretch of sunshine hasn't hurt. Also new to the garden, five dozen nightcrawlers. I lovingly dug them holes and buried them to fulfill their wormy work.
The nasturtiums have just begun to poke up their heads. They seemed as if they would be a bit sparse, so I added some more seeds on Friday. We will all quietly sit back and watch this backfire as I am over-run with the serpentine little suckers. A soybean and Thai hot pepper also were stow-aways in my shopping cart. Oh yeah, and a few scarlet scallions...

In The Beginning...

2009-05-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

It looks so innocent now, my lovely kite-shaped patch of possibilities. I knew I wanted tomatoes, beans, and pickling cucumbers. The rest was left to my total lack of judgement. When given a blank expanse of dirt, I am the gardening equivalent of going to the grocery store hungry.
I'm certain I have created the monster, each vegetable looks so nicely spaced now...
Tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, obscure melons, and four varieties of beans.
Eggplant, okra, seven varieties of hot pepper, and lesser known squash. There are no provisions in the companion planting reference guide that address "when you show no self restraint". I hope they play nice together.

I made it home in time to enjoy the evening light in the new house...