Growing Stuff & Birds

Look!  There's a big root on Avocado Pit #2 and a root bump on the bottom of Avocado Pit #1.  Pretty soon a stalk and a pair of leaves will poke out of the top.  Pretty soon.






I put the pineapple tops out on the patio table for the summer.  I'm keeping the umbrella open so they don't get fried by the midday sun but they seem like they're enjoying it out there.  I don't think there are any new leaves coming--yet, but none are dying either.

 

We still have high hopes for tomato success.  There's another one of the Health Kick cherry ones turning orange and I only found one of the green ones with a smudge of rot on its bottom.  I picked it and tossed it.  On the Celebrity tomato plant a cluster of nice, sandwich size tomatoes are starting to redden too.  So far no blossom end rot on any other plant.  Whew.













There's a pretty cluster of Purple Coneflowers blooming in the garden plot and there was a bee posing nicely when I was out there.




I saw a shape in the platform feeder this morning and after looking at it a while realized that it was a baby Cardinal hunkered down morosely pecking at the safflower seed.  It just looked so sorry for itself I had to take its picture.  A Hairy Woodpecker was on the suet and this picture shows how to tell a Hairy from a Downy--a Hairy has a long pointed bill and the Downy's is much shorter.








I didn't knit much last night because I was teaching someone to knit, well, to purl actually and then to knit in the round on double-point needles, so I had to work deliberately, explaining every motion, and backing her up and fixing stitches when she got confused.  It's not so easy to keep all the movements of the stitches in mind when you're just learning, besides it just feels awkward especially when it seems like you're wrestling a porcupine when getting started on DPNs.  But I got half of the cuff of another Advent Garland mitten knitted; I skipped doing the I-cord for the hanger so I didn't have that dangling to confuse the new knitter.

But then HH came staggering in to say that her car had conked out not too far away and did anyone have a gas can?  I said I do and, since I live closest, I packed up my knitting and we went off to grab some gas to see if that's what was wrong.  See, her gas gauge has been broken for a while and she says it's too expensive to replace so she tries to put gas in frequently enough to prevent such mishaps.  (personally, I'd spend the money to fix it but maybe that's just me)  As we pulled into the gas station to fill the can she asked if I'd ever filled a gas can because she never had (she's got an electric lawn mower) and I assured that I had, many times.  I poured a couple gallons into her tank, she turned the key, and it started, ran rough for a bit but then settled down after she held the accelerator down for a minute.  I still followed her back to knitting and then to Festival because by then it was full dark and I didn't want her breaking down and needing to rely on some random passerby.  I did encourage her to investigate a AAA membership.  I have to say, I kind of felt like Mighty Mouse saving the day with my gas can and knowledge of gasoline and cars.  I need a cape.

I didn't write last night.  I'm off to Aldi while Durwood snoozes to get some fruit and check on their cheese prices.  I've got a long grocery list for later (I've been paging through our new WW cookbooks) so I'm hoping to get a jump on it and save a few bucks.  Toodles.
--Barbara