Garden Update - Week 9

Today I have several pictures about the garden. First, we have some squash and tomatoes that we fixed for dinner last night. It was such a great feeling to have fresh vegetables that you grew yourself and that tasted so great. I remember our store bought squash was good but it was always a challenge to find any that were not all banged up from handling.



Our tomatoes are finally turning a bit but we'll have to make a trip to Home Depot tomorrow to find some netting that will keep out some critter that's been chomping on a few of ours as they ripen. Mark pointed out that we still need to make the plants accessible for pollination so I show you what we end up doing in next Sunday's post.



Our sunflowers are in bloom and it's fun to see the bees on them. There's a lot to be had I would say. However, after I snapped this yesterday, we noticed today after church that something has bent and broken another of our big sunflowers. Might be the squirrels. We are over-run with them here and they get into EVERYTHING. :(

Finally, can anyone help us identify this mystery plant?? We had bought a package of okra seeds and this is what grew. Obviously NOT okra but no one seems to know what it is. We are just going to let it grow and see what happens. Mark's been researching it and can't figure it out. He's eliminated any kind of root plant (carrots, etc.) since there's no action down there. But there are no flowers up top. As for the other okra plants...no luck this year. We only have 3 that are showing any progress and they're in a little pot and are no taller than 10 or 11 inches. Too bad, because we were really looking forward to some okra this year.

A-frame #4

Mark helped me find the 4th a-frame home in town. This one is on Jefferson.

You can check out the other homes here: #3, #2 and #1.

Sky Watch over Hay Field

This is my Sky Watch photo for Friday. Check out other cool skies at Wiggers World.

This is the same field I posted about on May 5. It's right out front as we enter and exit CMC Steel Texas where I work. Time to store or sell the hay I guess since many of the fields look this way. Mark and I miss seeing the fields of cotton. I wonder when that crop will be rotated into the fields. It's got it's own beauty as well.

It's so good to be home. I spent most of today catching up on sleep and haven't even unpacked yet so that means I certainly haven't cruised around town to see what's new while I've been away. It's a small town but you never know. While we were away in FL, our area (Seguin plus some of the close by little communities) got some more bad press but I won't go into it all here.

Green Birdy

This little guy is so, so adorable! I am always amazed that I can see so many different birds just standing in the kitchen.....gazing out the window...watching...waiting for the birds. I don't know what this is but it's my all-time favorite color! And the little guy scratching melted my heart.



This made me think about my teen years when my parents bought me two cute little finches. Beaky & Tweety. I haven't thought of them in a while. Nice memory.

Pollinating the Squash

Finally the bees have discovered the flowers on the squash plants. Mark still helps them using the q-tips but they seem okay on their own now. You know what's really cool about these plants? I don't believe I ever realized that these flowers become the actual squash! Did you know that?? After the bloom peaks, it starts shriveling until at a certain point, it becomes a tiny little squash. And then that little squash grows into a big, beautiful, healthy squash that we enjoy for dinner. I think it's fascinating to watch this process.

Meanwhile, we have one more day in SC and then we go home tomorrow evening. I love it here but I'm pretty tired with all the travel. Looking forward to some kind of routine at home for a while.

Curly Q

One of my favorite things about climbing plants is the swirling, curly twine. Is that what they are called? My friend and I can't think of the word nor could I find it on the web. I know there's a specific word for it.

Back in Columbia, I'm having a great time with my fellow coworkers. Despite logistical issues, this week is a much better start than last week when a slow network really slowed training down for us. We also moved the class up an hour so it runs 7a-5p though we managed to finish at 4:17p today. It made us all very happy. The weather is fantastic, food superb and companionship awesome!

Garden Update - Week 8

Our tomato plant finally showed progress this week! I got home from the trip and Mark told me to take a look at the plants and I was treated to this shot. It was really exciting! The cucumbers are also coming along and I eagerly await my cucumber/tomato salad.

I'm in Columbia, SC again this week so I'll try and post when I can. I anticipate long days during our training.

Bees Update

This morning Mark checked on the bees and I watched and snapped photos...close-up if possible and from a safe distance when they got a little too curious with me, which was only twice and then they left me alone.

Mark noted they were noticeably less irritable than before he put in the new queens and the second package and that's a great thing.

Now we're off to mow the lawn and work on the bamboo. I have been neglecting my yard work with all the travel and it's showing. I have two flowerbeds calling for mulch before the hard heat of a Texas summer hits. I heard on the forecast that there may be two days of 100F degree weather this week. YIKES! I'm glad I will be in SC. :)

Sky Watch & Water Tower

Happy Friday to everyone. Here's my shot for Sky Watch Friday. I snapped this a couple of weeks ago and have saved it for a Friday post. Looks like another tower's getting a facelift in town. Here's a far-off shot on the same day before the clouds blew away. I liked them both.



You can also check out other Sky Watchers to see some pretty cool photographs of the beautiful skies across the world. There are over 167 blogs participating!

My Welcome Home

It is so, so good to be home. It was a really rough week of travel and training although everyone we met was so wonderful to us at our company site in FL. Here's what I saw when I walked into the house. This week I had a birthday and edged a bit closer to 40. :) Mark and I will celebrate before I leave for SC on Sunday. (Exciting garden news to be posted on Sunday despite my having to travel that day.)

Blue Fountain

Greetings from Gainesville, FL. I have really missed posting and while I am pretty exhausted, I am trying to catch at least the first half of Spurs/Hornets Game 5 and post this before calling it a night.

We're doing some training and today was a rough day. Technical issues, training manual issues, blah. Everyone's great though but we didn't even finish everything so that's not a great feeling. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

This is a shot of the water fountain on the square downtown from the stroll we took last week. I zoomed in and shot several close-ups of as the lights changed colors. I chose this one today because we are close to the coast and we wish we had time to see the Atlantic if only for a little while. I love the Atlantic - it's where I grew up and spent each summer with the family. Great memories.

Garden update - week 7

We harvested our first couple of yellow squash today and we sauteed them to go with a spinach quiche Mark made. The squash was beautiful and tasted delicious. The tomatoes are still doing well and we still await some ripening.

Happy Mother's Day everyone! Hope you have all had a great day. Mark has treated me wonderfully and did cooking and clean-up all day. I felt so spoiled! I'm off to finish packing for FL for the week. I'll try to post when I can. Have a great week!

Voting Day

Today we held elections in Seguin. The highlights are the mayoral race, city council seat, city secretary, school bonds and other propositions. I love voting in Seguin because we don't have the really long lines like when I live in bigger cities. Today we came in right after a crowd had cleared.

Whipping Oak & Sky Watch

We have some very old (estimated 500+ years old) and very beautiful oaks in town. Some are also very famous! This is a shot of the Whipping Oak on the north side of Central Park (our downtown square). The ring you see here is about 3 inches and was driven into the oak about 5 feet up from the ground. During the mid-1800's, prisoners were tied to the ring and receive their punishment in the form of lashes. Mark showed me these after he learned about them during some research this week. He found two of them on the square. I thought it was very intriguing to think of the justice dispensed there on the square.

You can Google "whipping oak seguin" for more information or check out these links: Texas A&M or Seguin Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Other famous oaks include: the Civil War Oak (Seventh block of West Baker Street), the Coffin Oak (Corner of South Camp and West Donegan Streets), the Ranger Oak (Gonzales and Camp Streets), the Goodrich Oak (South end of Goodrich Street), and the Sam Houston (Sixth block of East Nolte Street). No longer standing are the Hanging Oak (Corner of South River and East Nolte Streets) and the John Ireland Oak (Middle of North Travis)

And for Friday, here is my Sky Watch. You can check out other Sky Watchers as well. Have a great weekend everyone!

Fountain on the Square

Sorry we got home from Kennedale (TX) too late to post but we did have a great trip. The mystery will have to wait one more day. I want to post this before heading to bed. We just got back from the Spurs game so it's pretty late.

The water fountain received a makeover recently and now it displays beautiful colors throughout the evening. I got several shots I like and wanted to share this with you. You should stroll around down there in the evenings...before it gets to hot! :)

Mystery on the square post tomorrow; I promise.

A stroll on the square

I am once again traveling and missing my honey so I want to post this shot from one of our walks around the square last week. Mark was very patient as I snapped away. He had something interesting to show me based on some research he is doing with documents at the courthouse. I will share some of my photos from our stroll, along with the mysterious bit of history he learned.

Fields of gold

For the past several weeks, I have really enjoyed seeing these beautiful fields right out front of our plant entrance. On the evening I snapped this, there was quite a breeze coming through town and as I took pictures, I noticed that the field was making a really, really cool sound. I don't even know how to best describe it. It made me think of my bamboo windchimes in our yard. It was such a nice sound that it mesmerized me. I could have sat there for a long time just listening to it. I was so glad that I stopped that day or else I would not have experienced that special sound. Very cool.

Seguin Photo Blog turns 3!

Today is the Seguin Photo Blog's 3rd birthday and for my 250th post, I would like to provide an update on the garden with a few pictures. Smokey has found a new snoozing spot in the garden. He really seems to enjoy hanging out in the tub and the real garden.

Our tomatoes are abundant and we await the first ripe one so we can cut into it. They still smell wonderful. Our squash is also starting to produce but Mark noticed that one of the little squash was shriveling up so he researched it and read that it was due to the plants not getting polinated. So funny our bees did not seem to notice the squash yet I guess. So Mark used a q-tip to cross pollinate himself and at that time, he did see a bee so between the bee and Mark, the squash should be okay. :)

Ducky #5

To make up for yesterday, I have one more shot to share of one of the ducks sitting in the big, old oak tree in the yard behind Second Baptist. His partner was on one of the lower branches.

Added comment: A coworker thought they might be whistling tree ducks and I think she is right b/c I Googled images of that type of duck and these do match up to a couple listed. There are other names for this type of duck, depending on who you ask and where they are from in TX, apparently. Other names might be: Fulvous Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (official name), Mexican Squeaker or Mexican Squealer.

It's a gorgeous, gorgeous day outside and we're keeping busy cleaning, baking (bake sale at church tomorrow morning), reading my David Baldacci, visiting with a friend, enjoying the yard and garden, and waiting for tonight's Game 1 against the Hornets. Go Spurs!

Sky Watch Friday

I was going to post one more ducky shot but at the request of a new blog buddy, I decided to post a shot from the sky for Sky Watch Friday. This is something that many other bloggers participate in so we can share photos of the sky. :) You can check out other Sky Watchers.

Technically, I am pretty certain this is not in "Seguin air" but I shot it from the plane on my way back to Seguin. I always love sitting in the window seat because the sky is never the same and each trip I take, I see such beautiful clouds and they make me feel good.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Duck #4

I like the feathers on top of his head, very cute. They have a nice way of tilting their head to check me out as I snap their photos. I guess they are wondering why I keep pointing that silver thing at them.

Update on the tomatoes -- they're doing super! I guessed they would grow about 5-6 inches while I was away but they actually look like they grew more than that. Also, there are tons of tomatoes everywhere. I was thinking I'd post updates on them each Sunday since so many of you ask about them. Still waiting on the first red one but it's fun to check on their progress each day. Still smell wonderful.

Ducks #3

If you don't like ducks, tune back in next week because I think I'm going to do a duck series this week. They're so cool and I couldn't decide which shots I loved best so I will share some this week.

This is the same pair I photographed in the first photo -- that's the oak tree they seem to like to hang out in at Second Baptist Church. Here are two observations and wonderings:

1. How in the world do the ducks not slip off the trees and the tip of the church roof? I notice their webbed feet do not form and cling to the surfaces. Interesting.
2. That cool hole in the tree that one of the ducks is standing in has also been home to an opossum, a snake (unconfirmed but that's the story) and who knows what else. I am curious to see how deep that thing goes down. But I'd need a ladder in order to get to it.

I want to share with you all how much I have enjoyed being a part of this photo blogging community. I learn so much photograpy, blogging and other cities. Thank you for all your support, visits and comments!

Ducky

I got some nice shots of the ducks so I decided to dedicate this week to them since they are so active around town it seems. I think they are very handsome birds. Anyone know what they are?

This was shot last Saturday, same batch as yesterday's post. The ducks were standing on the roof of Second Baptist Church on Guadalupe.

Ducks at Second Baptist

We were at church over the weekend and these pretty ducks kept flying by us. They come back by the church every year I am told. It's so funny because I have never seen them on land. They are either flying or they are perched on a building or tree. I'll find a close-up shot so you all can help me identify them.

These two hung out all morning Saturday. They stuck together even though there were several other ducks hanging out across the street behind the church. Walnut Creek runs behind there and it seemed the majority of the ducks were by the creek. I shot this standing on the ground, looking up at the church roof. I liked the sky a lot that day.

The Tractor

Got in late last night but still had enough left in the tank to watch the Spurs go up 3-0 in the series with the Suns. It makes for a nice welcome home. We also had a good storm with lightening and thunder. I love a good storm. The yard looks amazing and I enjoyed checking on things today. The garden is coming along fine; the tomatoes grew about 5-6 inches in my absence, it seems. They look wonderful.

The lawn also looks great; Mark had gotten the mower out. When it's dry, we like to use this sprinkler. You put it on a long, long hose and it does a great job pulling itself along the hose and it covers a pretty big area without you having to go out and move it here and there. Who needs an expensive sprinkler system. This classic, heavy-duty (and plain ol' heavy in general) tractor costs about $50 and will last for a very, very long time.

Redbud, Mark & the Bees

I love technology. I can sit in SC but online chat with Mark who is back in Seguin. It makes traveling not as bad as when you couldn't keep in constant contact. :) He was on his way out to the yard to check on the bees this morning. Last week he got a second package of bees and new queens. He wants to make sure the new queens are doing well. I'll do a post of the beautiful golden bees we got recently. They're still getting settled in.

We're almost done here and will catch a flight home this evening. Woo hoo!

Tomatoes - Week 3

Here are the plants at about 3 weeks. We have been very pleased with their progress. :)

A note from SC: We have had a blast but we're tired and missing home for sure. Looking forward to our trip home tomorrow!

Fiesty Bluejays

The bluejays have been flying all over the neighborhood lately. I know they are not so friendly and often swoop down on poor little Smokey, but they sure are pretty to look at.

Cranking up the grill

Since Mark is home more now, we are back to doing some things we really enjoy...like grilling! He makes great ribs and the barbeque chicken is pretty yummy.

We put in the Crepe Myrtle you see in the picture a few years ago and we've been amazed how fast it has grown! I love the arching branches of this particular white myrtle (don't know the official name) and the way it partly shields the grill. I wanted to provide a bit of shade since the summer sun is so strong here. And yes, it has been warm enough for lots of grilling.

Mega-Moth

Bees are not the only flying creatures in our backyard. Last week I ran across this little guy on our step up to the deck. He was very big in my book of moths. I didn't take a measurement and I wish I had put my hand up there so you can see the scale but trust me, he was B-I-G. Stopped me in my tracks. And reminds me of that Richard Gere movie. The name escapes me and I'm tired so I won't Google it right now.

Note from SC:
We actually had no delay in Atlanta this time, unlike the last 4 times I went through there a few weeks ago. I am really enjoying traveling with 3 other ladies from work. I do fine going solo but when you are sharing laughs with friends, it's even nicer. The weather is great and after a great dinner (I love eating in Columbia, SC) and some prepping for training tomorrow, we got in a workout and now it's time to relax. I'm off to my David Baldacci book. Good night everyone.

State Chili Championship

Bet you thought you'd see a bowl of chili here! Before we drove to San Antonio yesterday (Spurs game, it was amazing!), I asked Mark if we could cruise by the Pecan Bottom at Max Starcke Park in order to see what the crowd was like this weekend. Seguin was the site of the 38th Annual Ladies State Chili Championship and there were a lot of fancy campers out there. We did not have time to walk around and watch the action this year, but maybe next time.

Several other people like ourselves cruised by. I was snapping some shots when this very nice car passed by and I liked it so I decided to include it here. The only thing about unplanned shots is that it's not always exactly as you would like. It would have been nice to get the entire car length in. :)

I'm off traveling again all week but I'll try and post from out of state. Have a great week everyone!

Pink Primrose

Primroses in the backyard. The lack of rain meant a not so great wildflower spring. :(

Ladybug

Hello everyone. What a busy week. Went to work early and worked late so I could enjoy the weekend with Mark before another business trip takes me back to SC. Tomorrow's a big day! We got a date to the Spurs Game 1 against the Suns. Should be a nasty one since they are still sore about losing last year. :)

The latest count on our tomatoes in the tub: 25! Mark and I check on the bees and the garden every day and I really enjoy it. Today, as we checked on the the tomatoes, I realized how wonderfully fragrant the plants are. It's been a while since we kept a garden so I had forgotten about the scent. Very nice...I could feel my stress from the week melt off.

Made a trip to the library to pick up a novel for the plane ride. That reminds me I have been meaning to snap a photo of the library. I will do that soon. Now I am off to find some knitting to take with me before movie time. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Where's that lotto ticket?

This past week, we got some very exciting news! Apparently one of two winning lottery tickets was sold here in our very own little City of Seguin. No word yet on who it was that bought one of the winning tickets. I believe their share is about $3 million, according to news reports. Very exciting stuff!

Back in September 2006, I posted a shot of the fuel price sign in front of Frankie's. It's sad our gas price has gone up so much since that time. It's not $3.39 in town (average).

Moon over Seguin

This was shot late afternoon this past weekend. I love the moon and enjoy looking at it when it's out, esp. during daylight. It's beautiful to me.

I'm about to head to work and it's been hectic so sorry about no post yesterday. Hope everyone has a super Thursday!

Perched and watchful

The mockingbirds are active and though they are often harrassing poor Smokey, they haven't really minded us too much. This one has the nest in our front yard, as I posted the other day. How can you tell if it is a male or female, by the way?

More signs of spring

Another gorgeous day and another sign of our spring. The pecan trees are starting to put out their leaves and these catkins (I believe that's what these are called). After work, we went outside to water the garden, watch the hawks soaring way up high in the big, clear, blue sky and, of course, to collect pollen from the hive. It's a nice way to wind down from a busy day. I wish this weather would stay for a long while.

Celebrate with $2 bills

A couple of Thursdays ago, employees at CMC Steel Texas received part of our pay in these cool $2 bills. For years, the company has chosen to celebrate Texas Business & Industry Week during the first week of every April. This occasion highlights the role businesses and industries have in our local economy.

We are encouraged to use our bills locally as "visible reminders of the importance CMC Steel Texas and industry have to Seguin economy." Pretty neat and I think it's funny when people do a double take when you give them a $2 bill. It's not easy to find these bills, especially around Lunar New Year time, when I want something cool to stuff in the little red envelopes.

Perfect day to be outside

Today was so beautiful that we just had to spend as much time outside as possible! I wish we could enjoy days like this all the way through May but that's wishful thinking. :) It was in the 70s today with low humidity and nothing but sunshine. Gorgeous.

We did some gardening today -- check on tomatoes, thin out some green beans and cumcumbers and put in some more okra to replace the ones that never came up. We think the first packet we bought sprouted plants that don't look like okra at all. It was very odd. Also got more seeds to replace yellow squash that some pesky bugs keep eating up. So far, we have counted about seven little tomatoes on our plants so we're excited to see some progress.

Also had time to have a lovely picnic with Mark at Landa Park in nearby New Braunfels. It was so nice and we had such a wonderful and relaxing time. Hope everyone had a great Saturday today!

Mockingbird Nest

Hi everyone, I'm back. It's been a blur since Monday and I didn't get a chance to post much this week. Traveling is great because you get to meet interesting people and see different parts of the country. Unfortunately, my coworker and I spent more time in airports and on airplanes than in one location. It was pretty tiring so I'm glad to be home and to have the weekend to catch my breathe!

Here's a shot of the new nest that the mockingbirds have rebuilt in our crepe myrtle this year and I'm so happy to see them back! Typically, when they are done for the year and their little babies have flown off, the nest remains. Last year, however, a wild wind storm blew the crepe myrtle way over and there was nothing left of their nest. They are back now and have been busy getting their home ready. We see them regularly and they watch us every time we get in the car, which is parked rather near to them. They seem pretty use to us and don't seem to mind us too much.

Pollen Trap

Hello folks. I don't even know which day it is anymore. We're on the South Carolina leg of our trip and we get to go home tomorrow. It's been lots of time spent in airports but it's been fun and definitely a great learning experience.

Here is a shot of some beekeeping activity. Mark put a pollen trap on the hive and I recall the bees were not too happy about being disturbed that day. They found a way under Mark's veil and he got 6 or 7 stings. Of course he dealt with it much better than I would have. I think I got one bee sting a few weeks ago and that really slowed me down. :) Guess that's why he the professional beekeeper of the family!

The pollen trap is what is sliding out of the bottom of the hive. I have never seen one in action so I enjoyed learning about this. As the bees enter the hive, the trap does its job and keeps some of the pollen. Poor busy bees. Some people take pollen treatments in order to help with local allergies. It's worth a try! You can buy these pollen pellets in stores but it can be pricey.

Tomato Update

Here is an update on our tomatoes. I took this before we started playing around with the stakes for them. AND we spotted our first baby tomato already. It's so cute and only about 3/4 of an inch now. Here's a shot of the plants the first day we put them in.

Other plants in the garden are also doing okay. We're going to have to do something about the pill bugs, some people call them rolly polly bugs. Whatever, they are eating up our squash plants I think. And the okra too. But my cucumbers are safe so far, as are the sunflowers.

This weekend has been gorgeous weather for the getting out and gardening and walking and (if you're in San Antonio) enjoying the NCAA Final Four tournament. SA is about 35 minutes from us and we are seeing high traffic on the roads and in our hotels. I guess we are accomodating the overflow.

Yesterday, Mark and I felt very industrious. Did errands, enjoyed the garden, filed our taxas (woo hoo!), relaxed from a crazy week, watched Oceans 13 and I started packing for a 3 day trip to the southeast for work. I hope you all have a great week. I will try and post during my trip.

Me & My Dandies

How can one gal be so lucky? Well, who knows but I sure am glad I am that gal. Yesterday was a blur with work as well as the banquet so I didn't even have time to post. Sorry about that.

I can't tell you what a great time we had listening to the stories Fergie and Mr. Marichal had for us. What a privilege to get to spend time one-on-one with each gentleman to get to hear their stories...and do they have a lot of fabulous stories, not just about baseball but also about life and the adventures they have had. Like the time Fergie was fishing in Alaska and came way too close to a bear, who was swimming towards their boat because he noticed the splashing of the fish on Fergie's line. Or how about when Mr. Marichal first learned how to pitch over-handed here in the states (he started out with a sidearm pitch). He told us he didn't even know if he could do it because he'd just never done that before and when he tried, the only way he could see doing the over-hand is to also kick his leg up *really* high. Mark just reminded me he said this is when his "high leg kicking" began. If only you could hear him tell it; it'd be much better. But I loved learning about him. You can visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame for more information about Juan Marichal and Fergie Jenkins.

This year's banquet ranks up there as one of my top three favorites (this is the 9th one we've had). The other two favorites are the years Monte Irvin and Buck O'Neal joined us. However, now that I think about it, we've just had so many great guests, it's really hard to not put them on the list as well.

Hall of Famers in Seguin

Well, we made it back to Seguin and hit the ground running at work nonstop. Until this evening. As I posted earlier, we are hosting two baseball Hall of Fame greats for the banquet tomorrow night -- Juan Marichal and Fergie Jenkins. By the way folks, tickets are still available if you want to meet these gentleman tomorrow evening. TIckets are $25 and are available at City Hall, KWED and the Seguin Daily News, and the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce. Or you can email me if you need more information.

This evening, Fergie and Juan Marichal visited with the kids and their families down at Starke Park. There was a great crowd and plenty of kids and some adults lined up for autographs. It was really nice to see them interacting with the kids. And of course some of the kids were so cute. Not all of them knew who the ballplayers were but they knew they should get an autograph. Very sweet. And both gentlemen are so great with the kids; I really enjoyed watching them.

Earlier today, Fergie and Mr. Marichal also visited the Burgess Alternative School and had a great time they said. They appreciated the attention the kids there paid to them and they said teachers had prepared the students for the visit by having them research the players and by having them think of questions they wanted to ask of the players. It was a very positive and fun interactive learning experience.