What are you planting, growing, harvesting right now?

[Perelandra]

Huckleberries, spider webs, and otter sightings. Today is the third time in a couple of weeks that I've seen otters in my yard and close by. My elderly neighbor across the street is tearing up his property in preparation for adding on to an existing structure that has been unlived-in for years. He has a small spring-fed pond behind it where I believe an otter family has a den. It appears they are disturbed and may be in search of a new home. Shit is fucked up and bullshit in my neighborhood right now.

I don't know what to do with all the huckleberries, they're a pain to pick, but it annoys me not to use them. Maybe this year I'll figure it out (probably not).

[Project Willow]

Huckleberry jam! I should have figured some way to bribe you out of some sour cherry jam when I had the chance!

[Hammer of Los]

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Huckleberry Jam sounds just perfect!

I haven't started carving my staff yet.

It's still a little warped.

I need to straighten it out first.

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[Hammer of Los]

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I like to look out into my garden.

I see magpies, crows, ravens, thrushes, robins, pigeons, doves, woodpeckers, parakeets and other birds. Noisy bunch.

I also see foxes, cats, hedgehogs and of course, the grey squirrels.

And all sorts of invertebrates: spiders, flies, beetles, ants, wasps, bees, butterflies, moths and so on and so forth.

All manner of creatures in fact.

But I'm no gardener.

Jiddu enjoyed gardening.

But I don't think its for me.

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[Perelandra]

Parakeets, really? I hear my neighbors' parrots, but they're indoors (very loud). I'd love to see a fox or a hedgehog, myself. Of course, we don't have the latter and here I'm in the city, but the wildlife is still around in many ways.

I'm not really much of a gardener, I'm quite lazy, but what I do manage is great fun for me. In case you couldn't tell from my previous post, I'm periodically in very bad moods about the ongoing development around me. You folks commenting makes it a little better, thanky.

Ms Willow, there are cherries in the freezer and more jam to be made. You will receive some one day when I visit again.

It's a lovely day, off to dig a little.

[Hammer of Los]

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Yes.

Rose ringed parakeets.

It's like a bleedin' menagerie out there.

The magpies are my favourites.

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[Perelandra]

It's a menagerie here, too. The other day my lethal feline killed a CROW! I could hardly believe it and the flock that descended into the tree above were very upset. Next day he had a mouse. He walks out the door poised to kill anything he can.

Some peppers and basil and the lemon tree have been put away in the new greenhouse setup, yay. Also planted some lettuce in there which came up in just a couple of days. Have been eating a number of small, but very flavorful grapes. When I ripped out the tomato plants a week or so ago, I made tomato sauce that's almost too sweet.

It has been a very warm, dry fall. Maybe next year we'll get a real summer now that La Nina conditions have passed.

[Perelandra]

There was a brief sunny break yesterday in between the chilly showers that finally arrived, so I planted onions and carrots and generally cleaned up. Picked two lemons and a green pepper from the greenhouse, and picked more grapes. Must do more weeding of the herb garden before planting the garlic, soon I hope.

[Perelandra]

I was throwing together chicken stock and out of onions, so it was nice to be able to go out and pick some green ones, along with herbs, instead of running to the store.

In the midst of so doing, I see my cat doing a Wild Kingdom act in the neighbors' backyard. He was after a baby squirrel in the apple tree and the only thing that saved it was its size, enabling it to climb high on a slim vertical branch. I think it's still up there petrified, although I lured the cat indoors. I scared away a pheasant earlier, for the same reason. Sigh.

Am thinking of purchasing a Chilean Guava. A description says, "it likes partial shade, small, compact and the most delicious berries you ever had. It isn't a real Guava. Advantage of being drought tolerant." Also will probably get some cranberries, their juice is very beneficial.

[Hammer of Los]

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Not bloody squirrels again.

Never mind.

I have begun cutting my large staff to size.

It should be good for the tai chi exercises, its quite large and heavy.

Hornbeam, doncha know.

From Marvel's wood.

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[Perelandra]

Not that bloody staff again.

Just kidding, friend Los. It sounds good for cleansing. I've been noticing the wheels a lot lately, myself, so I get it. I think.


Also, I like your new avatar.

[Hammer of Los]

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You like the new avatar?

Hermes!

Yes?

Er.

You probably mean black hole rainbow.

The true new avatar can be found on my blog.

Harvesting?

I am seeking to harvest the perfect flowering of the tree of life.

It can't be rushed.

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[Perelandra]

...Hermes!

Yes?

Of course.

I am seeking to harvest the perfect flowering of the tree of life.

It can't be rushed.

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The body of truth bears no mark. Patience is our best virtue.

[Hammer of Los]

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Yes!

Patience!

The Tathagata Buddha doth all ways counsel patients!

Dearest Patience!

She has a soft spot for poets.

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[Perelandra]

Me too, dear fellow. I enjoy your verses.

We had a cold snap for awhile, but today was warmer with a sunny afternoon. Some of the lettuce was wiped out, but not all. It's growing ever so slowly and will take off in a month or two. Must get more shallow containers for lettuce so as to have a more continuous crop. The lemon tree looks a little the worse for the cold, but I have some small yellow lemons. That will take off too, once we get longer days. Pulled some small weeds where I planted carrots and onions and see nice growth.

It's been a fair winter so far and I'm just seeing the first leaves of spring bulbs. It's almost time to order some seeds for more experiments, yay.