After learning how to use macro mode on my camera, I went pretty bonkers about it. I was clicking at everything in closeup. Actually, even before I realized how wonderful macro was, I had unknowingly been using it all along. There’s a feature called “Best Shot,” where you tell the camera what you’re photographing and it adjusts accordingly. For example, one of the options is “food” and that automagically turns the macro mode on. I love cameras for dummies! Anyway, last month, I started taking pictures of my cereus as the flowers were just starting to develop and two nights ago, they bloomed. But the development of the flower is just as interesting. It’s pretty delicate and I started out counting about 10 or so buds. By the end of last week, there were 5 left and it looks like 2 more won’t make it, so that’s 3 out of 10. I suspect the cooler temps and shorter days had something to do with it.

October 18, 2007

October 21, 2007

October 27, 2007

November 4, 2007

November 11, 2007 (The one of the left didn’t make it, and neither did the bud on the right.)

November 17, 2007 (The shriveled bud on the right obviously wasn’t up to snuff either. Eventually the left bud petered out too. Something about being by the window - maybe too drafty and cold.)

November 22, 2007

November 24, 2007

November 26, 2007 (bloomed a few hours later)

The great thing about indoor plants is they bring a piece of the outdoors inside.  We try to keep our houseplants inside for the most part, but some, like orchids really flourish if you take them outside and keep them somewhere shady in the Summer. The thing is, once they go outside, there are certain things that get all over them. I’m talking about a certain slimy invertebrate. Ok, I’ll just say it, I’m talking about a s***. I couldn’t. That’s as close as I’m going to say that awful awful word. This past Friday, we brought in the orchid sitting under the deck because evening temperatures were hitting 30s (F).

This morning I see two creepies inside our kitchen/dining area. TWO!!! As if one weren’t bad enough, I saw two. Fortunately, they weren’t spotted at the same time. I may very well have passed out. That is one piece of the outdoors that needs to stay outside.

This is a disturbing and depressing movie. Michelle Pfeiffer offs some guy who totally scorned her in a bad way. I mean, he sleeps with her then tells her to leave his house because he has a date that night. What the!? He totally asked for it. She goes to jail and her daughter goes from foster home to youth centers to more foster homes. Yuck. I don’t even remember why I put this thing on my queue. Must’ve been some review or maybe I thought it was about gardening. Geez the last time I got what I thought to be a gardening movie (The Constant Gardener), that was a total disaster. I should stick to non-gardening movies.

Storyline aside, the actors did a good job.

After weeks of planning and not going and finally going but they were closed when we got there, I finally made it to the farm yesterday to pick apples. Oh they had tomatoes too so picked some of those. And butternut squash, that’s good. I lurve acorn squash, may as well. Oooh broccoli and spinach, yum.

Hehe… it’s hard to stop once you start. If you are what you eat, I’m turning into an apple after I’m through with this year’s harvest. Not sure yet what to do with the squash. I just like eating them but in terms of how to cook them, I’m never quite sure. Last time I got butternut squash, I tossed it in the chicken soup. And I made acorn squash last Thanksgiving but the sea salt was so coarse-grained it didn’t turn out as good as I’d imagined. I was thinking of making pumpkin soup with them originally but they’d run out of sugar or pie pumpkins so that’s kind of out. Anyway, maybe I’ll browse around for some ideas. There’s always the roasting it in the oven idea to fall back on.

Since the weather suddenly chilled out this past week, I’ve had a hankering for chili. So I made a big batch this weekend and tossed in some of the fresh tomatoes that didn’t quite make it in the back of the car. I figured, if they’re gonna be cooked to oblivion anyway in the pot of chili, who cares if they’re bruised. This is what Fall is all about. FOOD!! I can’t believe it took me this long to figure out which season is my favorite.

The first time blooming since we got it so it’s a bigger deal. There’s another bud right above it but it’ll be a while before that one will be ready to open.

September 15, 2007 4:07 PM

September 15, 2007 6:38 PM

September 15, 2007 8:38 PM

September 16, 2007 3:22 PM

September 17, 2007 2:38 PM

In’it just so gosh darn purty?

Three are blooming tonight.  There’s a light, pleasant fragrance and the flowers come and go in one night. Catch it while it lasts!
4:18 PM

8:30 PM

9:56 PM

10:17 PM

10:33 PM

11:11 PM

7:40 AM (7-9-07)

Well am I ever pleasantly surprised. Came home from work and as I’m watering my babies, looky what I find.

I can almost taste the strawberry…

Last Friday, I officially started my gardening (I know! I said I was going to do it the week before, but I didn’t.). By gardening, I don’t mean actual working the earth that’s on the ground. We have too many vermin (Bambis and Thumpers) wandering around for that kinda’ gardening. I could try soap, hair, or fencing but I don’t mess with that. Instead, I have potted gardens. So the seeds I planted on Friday have started to sprout already. Being the lazy gardener that I am, I deliberately chose a day when they forecasted rain for the next two days. Today, I saw some signs of sproutlings. And here they are:

This is a cilantro sprout.

These are portulacas (which I didn’t need to seed, they do that themselves when their flowers wither and dry).

It won’t be long before the soil is completely covered with colorful flowers! That’s why I love portulacas.

Oh by the way, tonight is going to be a beautiful full moon. Try and catch it if you can! It’s actually been looking pretty full these past few nights but today’s officially full moon day.

Well, it’s that time again. The weather’s done acting fickle about being freezing cold or warm which means, it’s time to break out the seeds! I still have coriander seeds from two years ago. I think they’re still okay. And I have chives seeds too. The portulacas have sprouted on their own from the seeds that fell last year and they’re about 3 to 5 mm tall. Barely visible really. The strawberry plants (a.k.a. bambi salad) are still green and healthy. It won’t be long til the deer find them again so I’ll be very surprised if I see any blossoms let alone berries. Not sure what else I want to grow but I’m sure I’ll figure it out along the way.

On another note, I picked up my guitar again for the first time in months. It was so out of tune I could barely make out a G-chord. The thing about the guitar is, it’s like riding a bike. Of the stuff you learn, you don’t forget much even after leaving off for a while. In other words, four months ago, I couldn’t play anything and now, I still can’t! But seriously, it’s still bundles of fun. Ok, after four months you do lose your hard-earned callouses.