Happy End of 2011!

Dorothy says, "Ah, I'm sick of Christmas!" while Genever says, "But look! There's more presents!!"

Goodnight, Sun!

Sunset at Carlsbad, CA on 3 December 2011:

Tofurky Day!

My Tofurky Roast with veggies, before going into the oven:

And after coming out of the oven, ready to eat!



Mini Squash

I got a butternut squash from the garden!! It's a little small though. LOL

In fact, some of the buttercup squashes were tiny too. 2 normal ones and 2 midgetized ones.



Nosy Neighbor

Dorothy likes to keep an eye on the hood.

Dorothy had surgery!

She got her pesky skin tumor removed today, under local anesthetic and sedation. She's a bit wobbly but seems ok. The vet said she was such a good kitty, and super sweet! My girls always make me a proud catmom.

Her new haircut and stitches:

But she wasn't too groggy to join Genever and help me with my accounting project:

So serious...

Genever and Dorothy are Playing Together!

Well, kind of...

Vampire Kitty

Mutant Produce #8

Not sure what to call this one...

Morning Snooze

Patiently waiting for breakfast, which they usually snub anyway.

Mutant Produce #7

Butt lemon!

They're not fighting!!

But they're not thrilled to be so close to each other either...



Mutant Produce #6

Who can spot the mutant lemon?

Today's Harvest

Cherry tomatoes and spaghetti squash!

Mutant Produce #5

Scary horned demon lemon

After cutting the lemon, it looks like there are no seeds in it. I think that's a good thing. Imagine a whole tree growing from a seed from this lemon! Scary!



Mug Shot

Looking through the filing cabinet for some reason, I came across this photo which was stapled to Dorothy's information card at the SPCA. Yikes!! Had a good loud laugh over it though... ;)



Feel free to post any captions in the comments part below... There may be a prize in it for the best one!

Squash!

I found out by doing some internet searching that I am growing:

Spaghetti Squash

And Buttercup Squash! (also I have a rogue squash taking over my pea trellis)

Mutant Produce #4

The bird lemon flew out of the tree today.

Reusable Bag!

I started this project months ago, but decided I better finish it today since a plastic bag ban and paper bag tax is halfway passed into law here in the LBC. I made it from two pairs of corduroy pants. I should probably figure out how to sew a lining on the inside, but for now, this is it. I just hope it doesn't fall apart as soon as I put groceries in it...

MEE-OWWWWW!

4 Years!

Today is my 4th Anniversary of arriving in California from Pennsylvania. I'm still here!!

Cheap Beer, Slugs, and New Veggies

Thanks to the low low price of $2.99/6-pack at Trader Joe's, our garden slugs have a variety of beers to choose from for their night-time drowning pleasure.

I did taste these beers before pouring them for the slugs, just out of curiosity. Name Tag is really nasty, sweet and chemical tasting. Simpler Times Pilsner isn't so bad actually. It smells sweet but actually has a sort of decent pilsner taste. I still think I'll leave it for the slugs though. Next time I'll try Simpler Times Lager and Simpler Times Mexican Lager, also $2.99/6-pack. I like to give the slimy things a choice of beverages to drown in.





And since they're easily distracted by the beer, I now have broccoli!



And some lettuce!

And the peas are still going strong, and squashes are coming along nicely too.. Yum!

Squash and Mutant Produce #3

I have a squash starting!

And the latest mutant lemon. My friend Jess and I think it looks like an elephant head. Yes? No?



The results of the first night...

5 slugs in one of the three traps I set yesterday.

I plan to put in at least one more trap today, possibly two. I do feel bad about drowning them, but either they die, or my veggie plants die. Something has to die, so I suppose for now it will be the slugs.

Slugs

I decided if I want to have any broccoli and lettuce someday and continue to have peas, then I better make some slug traps. You know, small dishes in the ground filled with beer so the little alkies go for the beer instead of my veggies.. I don't really like the idea of drowning them, but, well, there ya go. I used Sierra Nevada Glissade, because I hate it and we have a bunch of bottles of it for some reason.

I put one on either side of the broccoli:

And one amidst the peas and squash:

And when I get a few more yogurt cups or 1/2 L lime mineral water bottles, I will put one or 2 by the lettuce.

So long, slugs!!

My first harvest! (Not mutant)

Snow peas!!

They are the tall mess of plants to the right of and as tall as the roses.

A pea pod before I picked it.

And 2 pea pods with a penny for size reference. They're so crisp and fresh and yummy!

Inside the Mutant Produce

By request, the insides of that mutant lemon. Notice the rotten looking areas... I decided it was not fit for human consumption. Oh well, we have lots more on the tree..

Happy Spring from the Desert!!

These were from Monday, and there was another rain system yesterday. Another one is expected to roll in tonight. Rain! Here! In late March! ????

Mutant Produce #2

Just off the lemon tree this morning.

I have a pea pod!

I can't wait until it's ripe and ready to eat- I never had fresh peas from the garden before. Hurry up peas!!