Friday, 31 July 2009
I hereby rename our front walk Tomato Lane.* Just for the duration of this season, mind you.
* This is a side benefit of the self-removal of the tree last year—we now have enough sunlight to make the ’mater plants happy and productive.
Thursday, 30 July 2009
PDC here stands for Piedmont Driving Club*. Apparently it was founded in 1887, for driving about the grounds, particularly the racetrack that is now Piedmont Park’s Active Oval (foreground). This year there’s been lots of construction going on there to upgrade the social and athletic facilities, especially along the Park margins, where I could keep tabs on it as I walk—well, on the exterior walls.
Perhaps more pertinent in this photo is the swirling grey sky. Soon after I took this, the drizzle began, which was fine until it became rain—that’s a personal perspective, though, because the plants and water table are probably in better shape because of the precip.
* PDC also stands for, variously, primary domain controller, Portland Development Commission, Professional Developers Conference, Public Disclosure Commission, and Pacific Disaster Center—and that’s just from the first few Google search finds.
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
We dodged raindrops when we left (late) on our walk. We saw the Royalty hunting out in the lake, apparently with success. Fortunately, after that the rain held off, and so did the sun, or we’d have had to push our way through the intensified humidity, much like a nebulous sponge-cloud. Or something.
In short, we got lucky!
BTW, I loved this: Krugman on Billow (O’Reilly). I second the motion for a drink….
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
At first, this green heron (?*) flew away, but then s/he looped back, and seemed overwhelmed with curiosity. Perhaps s/he’d never seen a camera before?
* Thought it might have been a least bittern for a moment, but upon reflection, I think not. It may be a subadult, with some juvenile plumage. I’m the wrong person to address this….
Monday, 27 July 2009
Hands down, this is the oddest tomato we’ve seen this year. It’s from a healthy plant that produces yellow pear-shaped tomatoes, about the size of a cherry or grape tomato.
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Sticking with the critter theme of the last few days, meet Kong, as in King Kong. My temporary charge.
I’m told he’s a Dalmatian dwarf hamster, but you can’t prove it by me.
Saturday, 25 July 2009
What’s with the wildlife the last few days? I swear this cardinal was posing!
Friday, 24 July 2009
I basked in warm fuzziness toward wild critters all day—until I saw this!
Friday, 24 July 2009
Whatta day! Glad I saw this gal/guy, and so close!
Kinda counteracted the off-leash dogs in the on-leash park—three, count ’em, three, each with a different owner/tender. Note that the nice off-leash area is a twelve-minute walk away.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
The half-dozen Rutgers tomatoes I planted are on the edge of kicking into production (the ones we’ve picked so far are down to about $2 each, haha), and I think we’ll have plenty if the Baddies don’t get into them. So far so good. The little pear-shaped yellow tomatoes are like tomato candies—just a great treat. The patio tomato looks nice, but is only beginning to set; it must not have liked the replanting process or something.
I’ve been watching for late blight, but so far I think we’re clear (perhaps it’s just a bit too dry for it to flourish). Funny that this is the same “fungus-like oomycete pathogen” as caused the Irish potato famine.
* AKA water mold; they are “a group of filamentous, unicellular heterokonts, physically resembling fungi” and related to diatoms. AND, heterokonts, or stramenopiles, are “chromists with chloroplasts…”—heck, read it yourself.