Food, Farming & Critters

Mother Nature sort of cooperated with my plans yesterday.  She whisked away all the clouds before watering my new grass seed so I had to go out with the hose and water it myself but it did stay rain-free for grilling out.  Hallelujah.  See how beautifully my pork tenderloin turned out?  I almost devoured my plate of supper before taking a picture.  The zucchini (yellow squash, in this case) pie was excellent.  I think I might saute the onions next time I make it just to add another layer of flavor but it was deeeelicious just the way it was--and my homemade Bisquick worked just fine.  I think my days of "buying the smallest box and then throwing away most of it when the baking powder goes flat" are over.  I can make about 2 cups of the homemade mix, keep it in the fridge, and use it way before the death date of the ingredients.  Besides I love making things like that if I can, it makes me feel, I don't know, self-satisfied maybe?  Healthier, I suppose, since my homemade stuff's made with fewer preservatives (none if I can manage it) and less salt.



The tomatoes are getting bigger.  No reddening yet, but it's early.




The celery top kind of stalled out when I put it into a pot with soil but I expect it to start growing again soon.



We've got a little action on the avocado pit front.  The second one has split on the bottom and it looks like a root might be working its way out.  Nothing happening on the top yet, and no visible change on the bottom or top of the other one.  I keep changing the water and keeping them out of direct sunlight like the book says.  I put the pineapple tops out on the patio table this morning and opened the umbrella so they won't get blasted with the midday sun but I was thinking that they grow in Hawaii where it's hot and sunny and wet.  Right now it's hot and sunny and humid (which is like wet, right?) so I thought they'd enjoy some time out in nature.  Durwood's afraid that the squirrels and chipmunks will vandalize them.  I'll keep an eye on them.  The plants, I mean.

 


That oriole keeps coming to visit the jelly dish and the goldfinches are enjoying the seed.  










 

A little bunny comes in the evening to nibble on seed that the birds fling out of the feeder.  I have to say that we haven't seen the hawk lately and the chipmunk population's getting large.


July 18--Daniel Forster, #8.  That moment when the vast white canvas sail caught the wind was what Sue lived for.  It was as if sound got turned way down so that all she heard was the hull slicing through the water and the creak of the lines.  Before that moment, canvas flapped and the motor chugged, there were shouts from the helmsman to those manning the sails but as soon as their angle was right it felt like a giant hand smoothed the world into harmony.  She knew this was a slow way to travel but she thought it must be how it felt to be an arrow flying through the air.

I didn't do much but sit around reading yesterday (a Kindle book, I'm working up to the paper one) and ripping a couple books from CDs onto my iPod.  I did knit about an inch onto the latest preemie hat but it's too little to waste a picture on.  I'm running a few errands today but mostly I think I'll loll about again.  I kind of liked having a quiet day.
--Barbara