pines and pining

i want to know what the pine tree knows

beans

red yard long bean

brother

brother,

my friend,

a father now

we spoke of you at dinner tonight

you're a fine person, little brother,

but you always were

i think, sometimes, of when we were kids

you were my best friend

i looked up to you, little brother,

my friend,

i still do

greens

i sowed a variety of seeds in the garden tuesday.  there is a lot happening out there this morning.  greens, beans, herbs, carrots, turnips and lots more.  it'll be nice having fresh greenies from the garden.

a variety of newly germinated greens

a trip to isleton

we took a drive up to isleton yesterday to pick up some nuts and bolts.
here are a few pictures from the trip:

lots of corn growing in the delta

sacramento river

stopped for breakfast in rio vista

i had steak and eggs

staal had bacon and eggs

isleton

i just like the sign

rear view of historic isleton

welcome to the jungle

fuyu persimmon

buddleia in bloom

lures and wood from the river---pretty

picked a few pears

hollyhock

more corn

fine example of portuguese american sculpture by j.m. souza

breakfast

sunday breakfast for two.  the staal special.

that man can cook

sight seeing

too hot to do much of anything so we took a little drive yesterday afternoon. 

we didn't stay and eat but i did go in and check out the menu---surprisingly large and varied for a little cafe in the middle of nowhere.  we'll have to try it out sometime.

spotted an interesting and mysterious mound not too far off the road.  looks like it has a door on one side and possibly a skylight.  neat.

 

garden

the irrigation is in and the bird net is going up.

home made mini sprinklers

scorpion

found this little guy creeping around in the light fixture in the bathroom this morning.  how did he get in there?

leaf

this leaf rode in on zane.  i thought it was pretty.  the structures at the stem end look like some kind of insect egg casings but not sure what kind of critter hangs out on manzanita.  lots to learn.

manzanita leaf

bamboo forest

finished building the last of the bamboo trellises for the new garden

made in china

nappy dog

he's so sweet...

 

zzzzz

                                                 
                                                      ... when he's unconscious

abundance, or, as the man says, "abbondanza"

   still working on getting a vegetable garden going but we're not wanting for fresh, ripe fruit

apricots---thank you, ben

some apricots i dried in propagation flats on the roof

 

picking blackberries

oh baby

worth every scratch and thorn prick

thank you, mama...

...we'll be giving you grapes soon

the plum tree's loaded

beautiful

             better get them before the birds do                         (beautiful)