Yet Another Birthday

Five Years Old

Full of Beans

Yup, here we are in October, just full of beans. Totally full of beans. So full of beans our eyes were beginning to turn green. (Nah, somehow that doesn't have the same impact as the one about brown eyes...)

These beans are Fortex pole beans, and they were truly sweet and delicious, even when they grew really long. As in, ten to twelve inches long. And we estimated around sixty to seventy pounds of long beans, over a season of three months.

(Yes, that's correct. You can see in the photo that the beans were planted right along the front sidewalk. They caused a small sensation as they grew from seeds to over eight feet tall.)

Last year we got a lot of beans, but nothing quite like this. I'm not saying that the neighbors ran away when they saw me, but everyone did keep their car doors locked.

I will be growing more Fortex beans next year, but I plan on planting a much shorter row. That way I'll have room for a zucchini or two. It's good to keep your neighbors on their toes.

Breakfast of Champions?

We went to Spain last month. And most people agree that Spanish food is amazing. And it was, without a doubt. But for me, one of the most unexpected food items I encountered on that trip was at breakfast at El Jardín del Convento in Hervás.

El Jardin del Convento

On the table was this little dish of orange-gold nuggets. I did not recognize it as a food item, so I asked in my broken Spanish, and was answered in slightly less fractured English, "bee pullen."

OK, I gotta try this. Because of it's appearance - almost like fenugreek seeds - I was expecting something substantial. But, literally, it melted in my mouth. I just let it rest on my tongue and it was gone. With a somewhat sweet and floral flavor, but not at all overpowering.

There are many, many, many claims about the health and nutritional benefits of bee pollen. As yet, none has been scientifically verified. But for me, it really doesn't matter. Just that delicate flavor and texture are enough of an excuse to keep on sampling.

Cram for the Exam

Yup, it's that time once again to pick your leadership. And goodness, but lots of people are using stacks and stacks of dead tree debris to help convince us how to do it.

Oakland has ranked-choice voting, which means that many of those lots of people are also trying to game the system. But with 15 mayoral candidates in the running, that may be difficult.

Got questions about ranked-choice voting? Who doesn't? Then read this from the Alameda Registrar of Voters, explaining how it works.

Me? Aside from those pesky state propositions, I have more questions about Measure BB which wants one full percentage point in sales tax revenues for thirty (yes, three-zero) years. Much of that dough goes to BART to expand further into the hinterlands. An East Bay Express article details the short-sighted ways of funding BART.

Only eight percent of Measure BB is dedicated to bicyclists and pedestrians. Meaning, if you have problems with bumpy streets and potholes large enough to host a flock of ducks, you are on your own. A good friend of me who is far more savvy about this kind of stuff claims that "they are truly reaching."

So start early - my ballot is three pages long, both sides - 'cause the deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 4th.

Sources:
Oakland North
SFGATE

Mosaic Project #1

When people asked me what I was going to do once I retired, I said that I was going to "do" mosaics. Now, a little more than a year later, I have at least one thing to show that I am not a complete shiner-of-on, only a little slow.

I covered this terra-cotta planter (13" cube) with glass tiles in a very simple pattern. Yeah I know, it's really more of a tiling job than a mosaic. But at least it's done. And really, it's the cuphea that completes the effect. 

You Say Tomatoes, I Say...

Bummer!

You are looking at pretty much the entire haul of San Marzanos for the season. So sad. It seems barely worthwhile turning on the oven for that small amount of roasted tomatoes. 

Of course my sister had to call right then, allegedly asking for my Roasted Tomato recipe. But I'm pretty sure that she was gloating over her "bucket full of San Marzanos." And here I thought she liked me. 

A New Garden Visitor

With a face only a mother could love. Or a father, in most cases. Because the belief that Mr. Mantis always loses his head when mating is apparently true less than thirty percent of the time. (Although, it also seems that he is a better lover without his head. Apparently, all his inhibitions go away.)

On the other hand, all those brothers and sisters better watch out - if there isn't enough food around, the new generation will begin to snack on each other.

Camouflaged Mantis

Katydid

This praying mantis was discovered in the Aristea inaequalis, planted out in the parking strip (the purple flowers are from the adjacent verbena). The stupid Aristea is supposed to be "bloomiferous" but it hasn't done pooh-pooh). Completely camouflaged, the mantis must have been stalking its next meal.

There are a number of mantis species found in northern California. Until I spotted this one, I had never seen a mantis in this garden. Somehow I had imagined that sharing space with the local katydids just wasn't cool. Strange though, I haven't heard the katydids calling much since the mantis showed up....

Sources:

About education

Digital Insect Collection

Updates: #5

Once again, holiday cheer arrived here in early September. Yup, the amaryllis decided to bloom. I'm happy, but I'm pretty sure that it's tired and cranky and ready for a good snooze in a dark corner somewhere. Next week I'll put it down for a quiet nap.

And if you're thinking of getting some holiday shopping in early, Kathy Kenny will be showing her collection of jewelry at Artistry in Fashion, Cañada College's annual fashion event. 

At home, my favorite watercolorist has been busy lately with painting and stuff. What stuff? Not shopping, but writing a book on how to watercolor, to be published by North Light Books in early 2016. (The only surprise would have been if it were a book on shopping, or at least how to remember to bring home all the items on the grocery list...)

The sunflowers out front were fabulous this year. They kept the bees - the new hive is next door and everyone is delighted - really busy.

And to protect those valuable seeds from the squirrelly predators? Nothing beats an old paper bag.

When Friends Give You...

Extra, unwanted tiles, make stepping stones.

And lucky me, the materials were all on hand, except for the pair of 98¢ cement squares. Yup, concrete sealer, thin-set, usable grout - I had it all. Perhaps I should open a little local building supply center in the garage? No doubt it would still take years to clean out this mess.

My benefactor? Jack Miller, architect, now engaged in re-doing his own home space (or so I assume, since I haven't seen him around much). Or perhaps he got a better idea and slipped off to Paris...

Cat? What Cat? I Don't See Any Cat...#4

Ever feel like you're being watched? And you can't quite figure out exactly whose eyes are on you? And it's still early, so you're not really awake enough to bother with finding out?

But Princess the cat has already been up for hours and is dying for a game of purple sock...

So we play "Find the Cat" instead. Which involves a silly song whose lyrics consist mostly of the phrase "Where is Princess?" sung to the tune of Frère Jacques. Something that I can manage in bed while reading a book and drinking coffee. Sure my lips move while I read, but who's really listening, anyway?