Ice, Ice Baby

Here in Texas there are free standing ice vendors, and since we don't have an ice maker, we visit this one frequently.

On Veterans Day, I went to purchase ice and the owner of the vending machine had set the machine to give free ice in honor of what the day means to him. I was taken back and humbled by his financial sacrifice, so I called the owner to say thank you for my ice. I wasn't a veteran, as I'm sure many other potential customers weren't either. It made me wonder what can I do to let our military know I'm grateful too.

Onion Breath

Onions and garlic raised, square-foot-garden-bed.

 The onion, garlic harvest.

Baby onions in a sweet brine. First time we've (meaning Lorne) canned them. 

Fruits of Our (Lorne's) Labor

Amazingly, the fifteen inches of rain that us Dallas Texans have endured during the month of May, hasn't drowned out our little garden. Our cucumber plants produced enough to can two jars of dill pickles.




Cucumbers are growing up the trellis.
Jalapeno, habanero, and ghost peppers in front.

Dill Pickles 

Sweet and Spicy made special for Lorne's Uncle Doug's birthday.

Eat Crow

On one of the few rain free days last month, I ran to the store for some groceries. On my way out, I picked up a hungry hitchhiker. Look to the left side of the cart. 

The bird is a Grackle. The whistle sound they make is alarming and annoying, but I got used to it. I wasn't expecting one to hop in my grocery cart and start pecking at my grocery bags. 

  Grackle whistle courtesy of YouTube.

Moving to the Country, Gonna Eat Me A Lot of Peaches

I know that's not what the Presidents of the United States meant in the lyrics of their song Peaches, but it's relevant in my case.

For an early Mother's Day present, Lorne bought me a peach tree. Unfortunately, our little tree looks a little sad.

At first, we blamed all the rain we had last month. 

HA! Upon further inspection we found this:

Buggs & Co. have been snacking.

 My tree doctor skills. 

Hope it helps.  If not... relocation is the key. 

 

We've caught and released seven so far. We would have released eight, but the little bugger tried to escape and lost his head. I decided it better not to add that photo after the Armadillo blog incident of 2014.

LGBTQ

I saw this report on PBS. It supports what so many LGBT individuals have been saying for the past forever. That homosexuality is not a choice.

Over the years bipolar disorder has been studied and given legitimacy as a proven mental struggle and brain dysfunction. How lucky I am to be able to live in a more excepting society than had I been born fifty years earlier. Before mood swings were blamed on PMS, or nationality stereotypes, or whatever. I hope gender-identity continues to be studied, understood, and given the respect and acceptance it deserves.

I'm not saying LGBTQ's are mentally ill. I'm saying their feelings and behaviors are biological, and studies like these are important for everyone.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/biology-gender-identity-children/

The Decomposer Part One: Fallow

I just finished a book sci-fi novel titled Fallow by C. Sonberg Larson.

It is the first book in The Decomposer series. Here is a brief summary: 

Jonathan Thornton Flynn owns a billion-dollar diamond corporation, has a strong marriage, and two children. He's at the top of the proverbial 'food chain' of human society. A backfired scheme costs Johnny the person he loves most, and he decides to end things once and for all. His plan goes off without a hitch... until Auster finds him. Now Johnny has a new body, a new life, and a new purpose, whether he likes it or not. Johnny struggles to discover who, or what, he is now, and why Auster brought him back. 

If you are a fan of the supernatural, dark humor, an a great story line, I would recommend this book.