Saturday In The Gardens

 A carefully placed Purslane in my circles garden.  The scarlet color is stunning.  Even my old stone toad looks happy!

 My Primary colors planer box is also a joy!

YELLOW = Lysimachia congestflora (Walkabout Sunset)
RED = Acalupha hispida (Chenille)
BLUE = Evolvulus hyb. (Blue My Mind)

And my hanging baskets on either side of the back door are doing very well, too.

 The combination of Petunia, Verbena, and Asparagus Fern have turned out to be quite brilliant.

Traveling The World From Home!

I discovered this guy's blog and it was love!  Danut Ivanesçcu of Ploiesti, Romania has this wonderful blog World, Come To My Home! where he posts postcards from all of the world and includes an explanation of the place from which the postcard was sent.  So I send him this one.

 With is message!

Star Trek Wisdom!

I've been watching some of the episodes of the original Star Trek series from the beginning of the 3rd and final season (1968-1969) and the smaltz is just so overwhelming at times! But you gotta love it anyways. And then there are the little gems that just come out of nowhere:

MIRANDA: I understand, Mr. Spock. The glory of creation is in its infinite diversity.

SPOCK: And ways our differences combine to create meaning and beauty.

Pride Birthdays and Memorials for the Week ~ August 10th to August 16th

Roméo Photo shoot!

 Romeo, stage left!

 Romeo, stage Right!

Where Have All The Deer Gone?

Been months since I actually saw any of the deer in my neighborhood.  There was in September a Harem of 7 does and a buck.  In December, I found the buck wounded and presume he died.  His left rear flank was mangled by what I assume was an encounter with a vehicle.

Then this morning I saw this doe with her fawn while walking Roméo.

And later in the afternoon, Roméo and I took a second walk with a camera and encountered a second doe with twin fawns!  So the harem is now a herd of at least 10 and I think potentially 16 or 17.

Early August = Choleus

Here are four of the ten different species of Choleus I have in my gardens.

More Canning!

After the sweet Bread & Butter pickles, I've done some savory canning.

 Mixed dill veggies: Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Carrots, Red Peppers, Celery and Pearl Onions.

Garlic Dill Spears: Cucumbers with some carrot.

More Work To Be Done

Like Finding E.M.E.!  But also removing the vandalism from the community Basketball Courts and teaching young men how to resolve their conflicts without vandalism or violence.

Awesome Result!

In less than a week, through my contacts with my City Councilperson and the police, gang graffiti was removed from my park.

Pretty Pentunias

Roast Beef Sandwich

Is there anything better than really good Alfalfa Sprouts?

Making some Bread & Butter Pickles

Made more "Bread & Butter" pickles tonight. 15 little fruit jar pints from the cukes from my trellising vines! They will make nice gifts in the autumn! And you know I've spent the majority of my adult life in the state of "Orphan". My Father died when I was 25, my mother when I was 31. But never a week goes by that I am not grateful to have been their son for the ways in which they loved me and things that they taught me. Like canning! It's really a skill better taught in the presence of someone who already knows what it is they are doing.

Pride Birthdays and Memorials for the Week ~ August 3rd to August 9th

How Democracy Works

You Do YOUR Part, People--or you don't get to bitch about it!


Roméo and I were appalled this morning to discover vandalism in the park! I took a picture and when I got home I sent this email out (to 1) the Takoma Park Police, 2) my friend Takako, and 3) my city council rep, Fred Schultz with a copy of the image:


Takoma Park Police Dept.

I wanted to make you aware of an act of vandalism that occurred last evening to the map placard in the park at the base of the Hillwood Manor neighborhood. I realize that the jurisdiction for the park land may belong to another agency, but the threat is to people of the neighborhood. I sincerely hope that something can be done to repair this damage soon.


Sincerely,Randuwa 
Some-teenth Avenue

Takako,

You may be able to share this with the community association's Yahoo group?

Ed,

What can we do to fix this ASAP?

Thank you ALL. ~ r

The Police were the first to replied: 

Mr. Randuwa:

Can you please report through our dispatcher 301.270.1100. If it is Park, they can connect it. Thanks.

Catherine E. Plevy
Assistant to the Chief of Police
Public Information Officer (PIO)
Office of the Chief of Police
_____________________________

Which I did. And a police officer was at the park with the hour making a record of the incident.
_____________________________

I also got a response from Fred:

Randuwa:

I have just forwarded this to Russell Arrington, the maintenance supervisor for this area of the Parks Division. No doubt our police department will connect with the M-NCPPC police.

Thanks very much for informing me of this.

Fred
______________________________

And then a second response from Fred with a copy of Russell's response:

Randuwa (and everyone):

Here is Mr. Arrington's response, which I think will please you.

Fred

Begin forwarded message:

Russell:

I think you may interested in seeing what happened in HIllwood Manor Park, per the emails and picture below.

Can you please acknowledge receipt of this so that I know the Parks Division is aware.

Thanks,

Fred
Frederick Schultz
Councilmember, Ward 6
Takoma Park, Md

Begin Response:

[Fred]

Got it. We will fix asap next week. I’m aiming for Monday.

Russ
_________________________________

Yeah, my taxes are high, but so is the quality of the services that support my life.

Limes RULE!

I LOVE LIMES!  I just do.  They are uniquely flavored within the family of citrus.  They have a cinnamon-esque after taste.  I also love cinnamon.

Remember about a month ago when the world of limes was going to come to an end because the drug cartels were fucking with the lime farmers in Mexico? I guess they sorted it out. In the past week I've bought 8 for a dollar at one store and 10 for a dollar at another. And all the fresh squeezed Lime Ade I can stand! Here with raspberries.... Mmmm mmmm, delish!

What I'm Listening To #117

Sam Smith's latest CD "In The Lonely Hour" is a tour de force of heart enthralling love songs full of tender emotions.  The arrange- ments are varied and well suited to the mood and meaning of each song.  And his voice is brilliant.  He embodies that comfortably British take on American music genre from gospel to the blues, from Motown to techno pop.  A very evocative artist whose art settles well into the soul of this listener.

Cucumber Trellis

Inspired by Cucumber vines I saw growing on trellises in China.  I think it's been a successful experiment!

My Boy And I Walking In The Park

 It's hot, My Guy...

 Can we go down to the creek?

 Look!  There's another dog on the other side!

 I can make him disappear!

My Mowgli!  My Baby!  ¡Mi Roméo!

Stretching Out The Left-overs!

Smothered Chicken!

Dinner took me back to when I lived in Costa Rica (1984) and bought all my veggies in the market and cooked everything from scratch for myself and my housemate. We'd buy kilos of vegetables at the market on Saturday or Sunday and they would last us all week. Often something I made for dinner one day would be repurposed for the next. So a pot of spaghetti sauce on Monday could end up forming the foundation of sloppy Joe's on Thursday.

Thus it was with tonights smothered chicken. After browning the skinless fillet in a little olive and butter with diced scallions, I used some of the homemade cream of mushroom spinach soup from last night to smother and simmer it in. On low for over an hour...I didn't need the knife. 

This served over thin spaghetti with fresh blanched green beans.

More Soup!

This is a homemade Cream of Mushroom & Spinach soup.

Start with a package of cubes pancetta and get it frying in a nice soup pot.  Add a large onion finely diced with 4 table spoons of butter and let it all cook until the onions are bright golden translucent and your hole homes smells like heaven!  Then add a pound of sliced mushrooms (mixed button and baby portobellos) and 1/2 a cup of water with a pinch of salt.  Cover and let simmer so the mushrooms cook down.  Add a package of frozen chopped spinach thawed.  Next add 2 cups of half and half with about 1/3 cup of flour that you whisk in so it won't lump.  Once you add the milk, you want to lower the temps and keep it just to a boil and then drop it back.

I served it with a little piece of cheddar and some oven baked zucchini chips.

Red Soup!

Start with a broth made from beef stock concentrate (or veggie stock if you want non-meat version)

Add: Fresh cut, chopped or diced: Shallots, Beets, Carrots, Red Cabbage, Jalapeño Peppers.  Add a can of disced tomatoes with juice.  Season with salt, black pepper and a little oregano.  Simmer until the flavers reduce and enrich!  It goes in red and it .... well, it's RED!

More New Definitives:World Architecture

3¢ - Bational Congress - BRAZIL
4¢ - Grand Mosque of Djenne - MALI
6¢ - Falling Waters - UNITED STATES
7¢ - Casa Batllo - SPAIN
8¢ - National Cathedral - NICARAGUA
9¢ - National Arts Theater - NIGERIA
10¢ - Petronas Towers - MALAYSIA