Deck Gardens - July 10, 2009

Word of the Day

Rockter scale, The - A scale from 1 to 10 measuring the seismic force of a particular gig. 10 on the Rockter scale would be a gig that caused localised geological upheaval. 1 would be Culture Club.

Woodtick Count of the Day - 40

I have no viable excuse for not blogging yesterday. I just never got around to it. HTP and I are going to an Italian family reunion tomorrow and we're supposed to bring something to share. HTP and I decided to share some Italian Pizzelle. Italian Pizzelle are waffle cookies which, of course, require a special pizzelle waffle iron. HTP bought me one this spring. So...I spent the morning making Italian Pizzelle. Nine dozen. This doesn't sound like much but each waffle cookie is approximately five inches in diameter and you can only make two at a time. It takes a while. Actually, I won't be bringing all the pizzelle to the reunion. I'm going to keep some here to enjoy. I love nibbling on one with my first morning cup of coffee...or tea.

I'm starting to cut down on my coffee intake. Actually, I've only had one cup of coffee so far this week. Of course, I'm still getting my daily dose of caffeine because I've switched to tea. Hot tea, cold tea, iced tea. The tea will be kinder on my stomach. I'm also trying to wean myself off of Prilosec, Tums, and Pepcid. I found a place online where I can buy some real tea. You can't buy real, loose-leaf tea at the stores near here. I know I can buy some in the big city, or at the oriental grocery store in Arizona, but...not here. I'm looking forward to having some real tea. In the meantime, I did find some fairly decent black tea from Lipton and there are some more expensive tea bag teas from Bigalow but...I'm eager to try the Lapsang Souchong and Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao), as well as enjoying a nice Oolong. I'm getting some Earl Grey and some Black teas but...it's fun to experiment. However, caffeine is a must. I hear that they're saying that it's good for you now.

Since HTP and I will be in the big city on Saturday, we decided to bring Gypsy to a PetSmart there for grooming. She can have a day at the spa (hair and nails) while HTP and I are at the family reunion.

Murphyism of the Day

Gibb's Law

Infinity is one lawyer waiting for another.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

In answer to the question of why it happened, I offer the modest proposal that our Universe is simply one of those things which happen from time to time.

Edward P. Tryon

Word of the Day

Rizzle - Real; true; no kidding.

Woodtick Count of the Day - 40

There's nothing like stumbling into a nest of mites to liven up one's day. Mites crawling all over my hands and arms. What is it about me and bugs this summer?! First woodticks and then mites? To make it was only after I stumbled into it for the second time that I discovered the source. The source was near the hosebib...which I'd been using for days. Expletive deleted! I've been itching for days...since the start of my sprinkler dancing. Mite bites. Everywhere! I didn't realize the extent of the infestation until after supper last night. Time for a thorough bath and shampoo (I hate shampooing my hair at night), and that was just the beginning. When I saw a mite crawling on my pillow....it was time to wash all the sheets, the blanket, the comforter and spray the mattress. I'm nothing if not thorough. The bites still itch (at this rate I'll have to buy stock in meat-tenderizer) but I haven't seen any more mites. It's a good thing that I have great eye-sight when it comes to close up because these guys were TINY!!!!!! Masters of looking like a fleck of dust on your skin until you nudge them and then off they trot only to freeze and try to look like a piece of dust again. Scary stuff! I sprayed the couch and I even gave Gypsy a bath. Oh...and I treated all the bushes surrounding the hosebib so....how the mites have fallen? One can only hope.

Murphyism of the Day

Mishlove's Law

Never trust a lawyer who says he just slapped something together.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Self-importance is our greatest enemy. Think about it - what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellowmen. Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone.

- Carlos Castaneda

Word of the Day

Rippleshot - The ripple marks left on one's skin, usually the face, after waking up from sleeping on wrinkled sheets or pillowcase. Can also come from sleeping on one's watch or anything else that will leave an imprint.

Woodtick Count of the Day - 40

In the News? Michael Jackson's memorial service. Actually, I think it was a fitting way to say goodbye. A three-ringed media circus. Michael Jackson did love the circus. I couldn't watch the entire thing. Sharpton tends to make me gag...and after all...I'm still recovering.

Making up for the time I lost the other day while lolling around on my death bed, I'm trying to get caught up on all the stuff that I should have done as well as trying to keep up with all the stuff that is on the current work log. Doing the laundry was on the agenda for today. I'm still working on that. Watering the container gardens is a daily task. I took care of that before breakfast. I really wish I had some sort of drip system rigged up with a timer but one does what one can. However, I did get the blueberries covered with netting and I picked the ripe currants. Since I only ended up with 4 cups of currants, I don't have enough to make jelly. So, I froze them and will probably add them to some blackberries for some blackberry/currant jelly later in the season. There still are currants out there getting ripe but I'm thinking of adding those and the black currants to the gooseberries when Sis and I make our Gooseberry Wine. Next week? In the meantime, I did some weeding in the front flower beds and found that some bug is nibbling away at all my violas! *sigh* It's a good thing that they're fairly prolific. I don't think I'll need to spray for bugs/worms, but, WOW!, whatever it is munched exclusively on the violas and left the weeds alone. Doesn't seem fair.

My sprinkler dance continued today. I wasn't going to water the lawn but...what the heck! It's just a matter of remembering to the set the timer and move the sprinkler. Besides, one of my sprinklers is a little lawn tracker that moves on its own. Love it! Well...sometimes it leaps the track and gets a bit lost but for the most part it saves me a lot of dancing.

I need to pick lettuce! If it isn't too wilty, I'll work on that project next....after I check on the laundry and finish this blog.

Murphyism of the Day

Rooney's Rule

Nothing in fine print is ever good news.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

We are all here for a spell; get all the good laughs you can.

- Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)

Word of the Day

Rignition - The embarrassing action of trying to start one's car with the engine already running.

Woodtick Count of the Day - 40

I honestly have an excuse for not blogging yesterday. I did blog on the 4th but....blogger decided....never mind. I don't understand it myself so... Anyway, I was so sick yesterday, that I didn't blog. Somehow, I'm not sure how, everyone except HTP ended up with a case of food poisoning....either that...or we all ended up with the flu on the same day. I think it was the corn bread. I can't be exactly sure but that's the only thing I served that HTP didn't sample. To be on the safe side, I'm throwing out all the food that I served on the night of the 4th. *shudder* Throwing out is preferable to throwing up. At this point, BBQ ribs doesn't sound all that great and it just isn't worth another bout of what I had yesterday. Needless to say, the only person that had any breakfast yesterday was HTP. I limited myself to sips of water and ice chips for the entire day. #1 Son ended up with some tea and crackers...in the afternoon. I think his friend had some soup. HTP told me that they were both feeling lots better than me by the time they headed on home. Me? Not so much. I only got up out of my death bed for a brief time to water the plants that were drooping on my deck...Hey! They looked sicker than I was feeling and I thought getting up for a while would help...it didn't.

I am feeling a better today but I've been limiting myself to crackers, salted pretzels and tea. However, it is encouraging to note that I'm feeling better and my stomach is rumbling...in a good way this time. In other words, I'm hungry. But, I'm still sticking to tea and crackers.

We need rain. The plants on my deck need watering on a daily basis. I've been doing the sprinkler dance (which is about all I can do today). I still have two more zones to water before it gets dark. I'm limiting my dance to the vegetable garden, Blueberry Hill, currant bushes, the rhubarb, and the raspberry bushes. I removed all the dead blooms from my peonies this morning but I still haven't covered the blueberry bushes and it looks like some of the currants should be harvested. *sigh* Tomorrow?

Murphyism of the Day

Green's Rule

What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.

- F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 - 1940)

Happy 4th of July!

Word of the Day

Riceroach - 1. The burnt krispie in every bowl of Rice Krispies. 2. Any grain of rice in a package of rice that still has its husk.

Woodtick Count of the Day - 39

OK...I meant to blog yesterday but ran out of time because we've got company.

The boys took me to see the new Transformer movie. Wonderful! Loved it! Suspend ye all belief but I enjoyed it. Afterwards we ran over to Walmart to pick up brat buns and some vanilla ice cream for our strawberry sundaes...which we never made because we were so full from the brats. But, I get ahead of myself.

I sent #1 Son and his friend out on a hike...armed with Deep Woods Off and hats. I really should have taken a picture. They looked great and so debonair in those hats I picked up in Little Italy last summer. I was a bit concerned that they might not make it back alive. Only kidding. It really isn't all that dangerous to hike in our woods...well...there are black bears...and someone sighted a cougar in one of the nearby cities but....then there's the coyotes and that wolf pack that has moved into the area....

This is where the brats on the grill part came in...when they got back from their hike. I really did plan on making strawberry sundaes but we decided to hold off until after the movie. Movie? We couldn't resist re-visiting the first Transformers movie. "No,no,no,no...." Our human hero didn't punctuate the second movie with this line but after it was pointed out to me....he did use this line a heck of a lot during the first movie.

After looking nervously at the weather radar online, we bravely sallied forth to watch fireworks at Tagalong. There was rain but things cleared off in time to enjoy the first fireworks. Too bad the smoke got so thick that by the time the finale arrived we could only enjoy the sound and fury. Otherwise, we had perfect seats, parked right next to one of the golf course greens. There's supposed to be fireworks again tonight at one or more of the nearby towns but I think we plan to stay home and enjoy the display the boys have planned.

Today? I'm not sure. I haven't even decided on what I'll make for breakfast. Maybe HTP will make pancakes and I can fry up some bacon. We'll see.

Murphyism of the Day

The Lawyer's Maxim

Where there's a will, there's a lawsuit.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing.

- Dave Barry (1947 - )

Happy Anniversary DD Daughter and GI Joe!

Word of the Day

Riceburner - 1. Cars that are made to appear fast but are actually slow. Often describing small foreign cars that people have spruced up in an effort to be laughed at by everyone they pass on the main streets of cities. 2. A vehicle, often a motorcycle, manufactured in Asia. These vehicles are often misrepresented as inferior or underpowered, but in reality often have great performance and quality — especially motorcycles. Not always the case in sedans, as many owners don't actually know how to boost their horsepower.


Happy


4th Anniversary


DD Daughter and


GI Joe!


I didn't forget! I just failed to send them a card because that's the part I forgot. Happy Anniversary DD Daughter and GI Joe! I hope you've had a wonderful day and night. Hugs!


Jam! I spent the entire day making strawberry jam and....I also made a couple of loaves of bread. I was shocked to see how the time flew right on by lunch. In other words, I worked right on through lunch and when I finally looked up I offered to make HTP a PB&J sandwich using some of the newly made jam but...., we're going to just skip it altogether and go right on to supper. I ended up making three batches of sugar-free strawberry jam (one less than last year) and one batch of the regular stuff. I've got enough strawberries remaining to make strawberry shortcake and/or strawberry sundaes. However, I'm not so sure that I have enough vanilla ice cream left for the later and I don't have any whipped cream so.... Oh well...maybe #1 Son will call me from the city to ask if I need anything at that store.

Actually...I didn't spend the entire day making jam. Before breakfast, I smashed the strawberries in the fermentation buckets and added the yeast which will turn plain old strawberry juice into strawberry wine...eventually. At least, it won't actually ever end up as strawberry wine because Sis and I plan to do some blending but until then....

#1 Son should be coming for a visit this weekend. He told me that he was going to be bringing along at least one of his friends. Grocery shopping becomes an adventure when you don't have a clue when it comes to who you need to cook for or not. I'm not even sure if he and his friend will be here for supper. HTP assured me that we probably won't see them until around 9 PM or later....or even tomorrow. So...I've got a pot of water on the stove and plan to make some spaghetti for HTP and me. I can always throw in some more pasta should it become necessary.

Murphyism of the Day

Gualtieri's Law of Inertia

When there's a will, there's a won't

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.

- Robert Frost (1874 - 1963)

Different Scene, Same Action, Same Costume, Different Date.

Word of the Day

Revertebrate - A creature that has evolved a vertebrae, then evolved into something without a vertebrae, and finally back once more.

Woodtick Count of the Day - 39

"A watched pot never boils." I picked 50-pounds of strawberries today. I'm not exactly sure why I decided to risk killing my back like this but I figured that as long as I was going to pick strawberries, I'd darn well pick ALL the strawberries that I needed for various projects...even if Sis couldn't help. So...there I was this morning in a wet field of strawberries (it rained, it drizzled), picking strawberries at around 7:30 AM. Normally, I don't pick this many strawberries...especially when it's just me doing the picking but, I figured, what the heck, why not? After picking the first two 5-pound baskets of berries, my back and upper thighs let me know that they were NOT happy. So, despite the wet ground, I decided to kneel instead of bend at the waist or perch in a crouched position. By the time I'd filled three more 5-pound baskets, my jeans were saturated at the knees and my toes were starting to cramp up. I was really beginning to wonder if I'd even be able to actually stand up...or if I'd have to crawl back down the row when it came to getting back to the berry bus. *moan* I prevailed. I had just started filling my eighth basket when I heard someone ask me if I wouldn't mind if he picked on MY row. I glanced up and was ready to kindly tell this someone to move on to his own row when...it was HTP. He'd come to rescue me! Hey! He only picked and filled one basket but that was one basket that I didn't have to fill. Rescue. I felt invigorated. Plus...and this was a BIG PLUS, I knew that he was there to help me stand up after filling the eighth and ninth 5-pound baskets of strawberries. Actually, this invigorated me enough so I didn't actually need his help to stand up.

So...what does one do with 50 pounds of strawberries? Sis and I cleaned 30 pounds of them and started making strawberry wine...which...we'll blend with the rhubarb wine that we've already got started. Our eleven gallons of strawberry wine will blend with our eleven gallons of rhubarb wine to make 22 gallons of spectacular Rhubarb/Strawberry Wine.

What about the rest of the 50 pounds? Well...there never was exactly 50 pounds of berries. I ended up picking enough berries to fill ten baskets. I was told that each basket held approximately five pounds of berries. Well...not quite. Close...but not quite. After Sis and I prepped thirty pounds of strawberries for the wine, and after Sis measured out a quart (two pounds) of strawberries for strawberry shortcake, I've got about three and a half baskets of berries left to make strawberry jam AND strawberry shortcake....maybe twelve pounds? If you want to do the math, I paid $1.49/lb. and totalled out at $64.60. Digging out the calculator, I actually picked a total of 43.3557047 pounds of berries....but who's counting?

Jam? I'll start on that project tomorrow...after breakfast. I took my remaining three and a half baskets of berries to the cooler temperatures of my basement. HTP will have to settle for sugar-free raspberry jam tomorrow morning. He finished up the last of the sugar-free strawberry jam on Monday. In the meantime, while HTP and I enjoyed a wonderful meal of Venison French Dip (Thanks, Sis), I tried very hard not to watch while I was attempting to bring 25 quarts of water up to a boil. Hey! It worked. I've got all the fermentation buckets set and cooling. All I have to do now is add the wine yeast....tomorrow, stirring daily for a week...and then I'll have to see if Sis can help me with the next step. Those fermentation buckets sure do get heavy once you're talking about 4-5 gallons of wine. We may have to see if T-Square can design something for us for when we have to carry those buckets.

And...for the rest of the night? I'm planning on soaking my aching back and muscles in a nice hot jacuzzi. It's Miller Time....well...substitute a nice glass of Merlot for that Miller thing.

Murphyism of the Day

Drew's Law of Professional Practice

The client who pays the least complains the most.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us.

- Jerry Garcia, (of the Grateful Dead)