Notes from my patio

[hollydolly]

Bright sunshine this morning. But, another storm is due in a couple days, so I'll be stuck inside for a while. Only a couple sparrows and a crow today, but the oats I put out earlier are all gone. The crows crack me up. My neighbor has a spindly cypress in her back yard and for some reason the crows like to perch right on top of it. But, it's too weak to support them and it's funny watching them try to keep their balance. Sometimes two of them will fight over the top spot.

One of my wind chimes has a wooden paddle hanging down to catch the breeze. The sun was behind it this morning and I could see a bunch of tiny straight webs hanging from it. There must have been about a dozen. And there was a spec of something at the end of each web. I thought they might be baby spiders. I couldn’t make out what they were with my naked eye, so I got one on my hand and looked at it with a magnifier.

It was a tiny amber inch worm with a round black head. I watched it inch its way across my hand. The webs originated in a blob of mud on the paddle and there were tiny holes in it where they had come out. As I watched, one by one they blew away in the breeze, web and all. Inch worms turn into moths, so mama moth must have laid her eggs on my wind chime.

Last night I tried some McVities Digestives vanilla cream sandwiches from Ireland. Very tasty, not too sweet. I don’t know why they are called digestives though. They’re just a cookie.

they're not irish, they're originally from Scotland but factories in both Scotland England make these bisucits for McVities... they're called digestives because the best selling bisucit ( cookie)in the UK is a dry biscuit called Digestive..it's made for dunking into hot tea or coffee...

so the Vanilla cream added makes them Vanilla cream digestives...

Nowadays McVities digestives come in many flavours including dark and milk chocolate.....christmas pudding flavour, caramel, and loads more

 

[Grampa Don]

they're not irish, they're originally from Scotland but factories in both Scotland England make these bisucits for McVities... they're called digestives because the best selling bisucit ( cookie)in the UK is a dry biscuit called Digestive..it's made for dunking into hot tea or coffee...

so the Vanilla cream added makes them Vanilla cream digestives...

Nowadays McVities digestives come in many flavours including dark and milk chocolate.....christmas pudding flavour, caramel, and loads more

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I learned something new. Anyway, they taste good. The cookie has a strange crumbly texture. I don't know how they do that.

 

[Grampa Don]

Grey sky and warm Santa Ana breeze this morning. It looks like a rainy week ahead and I'll be staying pretty much indoors. The worst is predicted for right during the rose parade.

I went out to put some oatmeal down for the birds and saw this new bud on my old rose bush by the kitchen door. I thought I would share it with you.



One of my Christmas treats is a bag of Walker's mini shortbread fingers. I know they are from Scotland. The bag even has a tartan design. They're delicious. I made shortbread cookies once and they were good too. The only hard part was creaming the sugar and butter together, and that went OK.

Today I'll finish up my little jar of sprats for lunch. Maybe I'll eat one of those apple strudels too. They aren't really bad, just not great.

 

[Kika]

what a beautiful Rose...and it's a beautiful color! Walker's shortbread cookies were always one of my favorites. Haven't had them for a while, but I just added them to my grocery list.

Just think, you will really appreciate your next GREAT apply strudel.

 

[Grampa Don]

It's nice on the patio today, so I loaded up one of my corn cobs with some Half & Half tobacco and sat out there for a while. I know; smoking is a dirty habit. But, it's one of my vices. Another is that I take a sip of brandy at bed time.

Half & Half is what pipe smokers call a codger tobacco. That means it was once commonly available in markets and drug stores and smoked by old guys in cheap pipes. That pretty much describes me. I'm not a pipe hobbyist. I don't collect pipes or tobaccos.

A pipe kind of forces relaxation. To get the best from it you have to barely sip and smoke slowly. If you don't, the smoke is nasty and burns your tongue. And, nicotine is a mild narcotic that you don't have to inhale to absorb. I can feel its effects after just a few minutes. And, the aroma is pleasant.

So, call me an old idiot or whatever label seems to fit. I'm out in the fresh air and the smoke dissipates before it can harm anyone else. And, I think the odds are good that something else will do me in before the tobacco has a chance.

I sat and rocked for a while and watched a couple airliners circle on approach to John Wayne airport to the south. If I looked to the north, in the distance I could see them on approach to LA international.

 

[MarkD]

A warm dry Santa Ana wind today. Kind of gusty to sit on the patio. I did my grocery shopping this morning. I usually do it on Tuesday or Wednesday but it's suppose to rain the rest of the week and I wanted to beat that. So did a bunch of other people. The market parking lot is within walking distance of the university. It's funny how when school's out there's plenty of parking. Usually it's fairly full.

Universities make poor neighbors. They tend to spread and change the city. Transient population soars. Our old downtown had a variety of shopping. Now it's mostly bars and restaurants. We have an nice little arboretum that sits on school property. Now they are talking about replacing it with more student housing.

My jade plant is blooming but the flowers aren't much to look at. They are really tiny. There must be tiny bugs that pollinate them.

View attachment 476424View attachment 476426

I picked up some apple strudel at the market. I figured it would be something to munch on during the parade. It looked good in the package. I tried it and sadly it's not as good as it looks. But, it's not nasty and it won't go to waste. I hate to waste food.

Hope you’re well clear of fire danger when those Santa Ana winds come through.

Here in the Bay Area we are cold but no rain expected until tomorrow night.

 

[Babs2u]

Grey sky and warm Santa Ana breeze this morning. It looks like a rainy week ahead and I'll be staying pretty much indoors. The worst is predicted for right during the rose parade.

I went out to put some oatmeal down for the birds and saw this new bud on my old rose bush by the kitchen door. I thought I would share it with you.

View attachment 476621

One of my Christmas treats is a bag of Walker's mini shortbread fingers. I know they are from Scotland. The bag even has a tartan design. They're delicious. I made shortbread cookies once and they were good too. The only hard part was creaming the sugar and butter together, and that went OK.

Today I'll finish up my little jar of sprats for lunch. Maybe I'll eat one of those apple strudels too. They aren't really bad, just not great.

Beautiful rose and good photography!

 

[Grampa Don]

Hope you’re well clear of fire danger when those Santa Ana winds come through.

Here in the Bay Area we are cold but no rain expected until tomorrow night.

Thanks. I think I'm in good shape. I'm pretty far from any of the scrub areas that usually burn and everything is damp now. I know you folks up north have been getting a lot more rain than we have. Stay safe.

 

[Medusa]

It's nice on the patio today, so I loaded up one of my corn cobs with some Half & Half tobacco and sat out there for a while. I know; smoking is a dirty habit. But, it's one of my vices. Another is that I take a sip of brandy at bed time.

Half & Half is what pipe smokers call a codger tobacco. That means it was once commonly available in markets and drug stores and smoked by old guys in cheap pipes. That pretty much describes me. I'm not a pipe hobbyist. I don't collect pipes or tobaccos.

A pipe kind of forces relaxation. To get the best from it you have to barely sip and smoke slowly. If you don't, the smoke is nasty and burns your tongue. And, nicotine is a mild narcotic that you don't have to inhale to absorb. I can feel its effects after just a few minutes. And, the aroma is pleasant.

So, call me an old idiot or whatever label seems to fit. I'm out in the fresh air and the smoke dissipates before it can harm anyone else. And, I think the odds are good that something else will do me in before the tobacco has a chance.

I sat and rocked for a while and watched a couple airliners circle on approach to John Wayne airport to the south. If I looked to the north, in the distance I could see them on approach to LA international.

I love the way you describe your environment. You are a pleasure to read.

 

[Grampa Don]

Kind of gloomy today. Rain coming soon.



So I'll just post some nonsense. My son with their new parakeet. It's pretty tame already.



I like bugs. Well, except for silverfish. I hate silverfish. Oh, and mosquitoes. I hate them too. But, I think most bugs are interesting and I always check out anything different that comes along.

We used to have a lot of paper wasps. They’d build their mud houses under the eaves and I would see them in the lawn looking for something to eat. My wife would have me knock down their nests. She was afraid they might sting the dog. But, generally if you leave them alone they will reciprocate. I have a shop vac with a big hose and I would suck them up nest and all.

I’ve only seen a couple wasps this year. Something must have changed. Maybe their food supply has dwindled. I kind of miss them. I mounted one on a piece of poster board. I think it makes a much nicer presentation than sticking it on a pin.



I shared this on an entomology forum and got some flak because it wasn’t mounted in the correct way on the right kind of needle with the correct labeling. Some people take things way too seriously.

And here’s a huge fly I came across one day. Maybe this is what they call a horse fly.

 

[hollydolly]

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I learned something new. Anyway, they taste good. The cookie has a strange crumbly texture. I don't know how they do that.

we use natural white sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup...which is used in the US...


The typical digestive biscuit contains coarse brown wheat flour (which gives it its distinctive texture and flavour), sugar, malt extract, vegetable oil, wholemeal, raising agents (usually sodium bicarbonate, tartaric acid and malic acid), and salt


Digestive biscuits famoulsy caused a rift between George Harrison,,, and Lennon and yoko Ono the below is an extract from a book written by The beatles sound recordist geoff Emerick

 

[MarkD]

Kind of gloomy today. Rain coming soon.

View attachment 476801

So I'll just post some nonsense. My son with their new parakeet. It's pretty tame already.

View attachment 476802

I like bugs. Well, except for silverfish. I hate silverfish. Oh, and mosquitoes. I hate them too. But, I think most bugs are interesting and I always check out anything different that comes along.

We used to have a lot of paper wasps. They’d build their mud houses under the eaves and I would see them in the lawn looking for something to eat. My wife would have me knock down their nests. She was afraid they might sting the dog. But, generally if you leave them alone they will reciprocate. I have a shop vac with a big hose and I would suck them up nest and all.

I’ve only seen a couple wasps this year. Something must have changed. Maybe their food supply has dwindled. I kind of miss them. I mounted one on a piece of poster board. I think it makes a much nicer presentation than sticking it on a pin.

View attachment 476804

I shared this on an entomology forum and got some flak because it wasn’t mounted in the correct way on the right kind of needle with the correct labeling. Some people take things way too seriously.

And here’s a huge fly I came across one day. Maybe this is what they call a horse fly.

View attachment 476805

Too many people take to heart that there just is one way to do things when in fact there are only best practices which don't apply in all cases.

But I have one more insect to add to the hated list: yellow jackets. Twice I've disturbed hives my garden which were in the ground to my surprise and got tagged a few times on each occasion. They also mug us when we eat outside. I've also been bit by Carpenter Bees who were nesting in a plant which I was hurriedly weeding around at dusk. They actually hurt more than the yellow jackets but at least they don't try to take over outdoor meals.

 

[Grampa Don]

The only time I've been stung by a paper wasp was when I was trimming the honeysuckle and didn't realize they had a nest in there. They don't like you messing with their nest.

 

[RadishRose]

It's nice on the patio today, so I loaded up one of my corn cobs with some Half & Half tobacco and sat out there for a while. I know; smoking is a dirty habit. But, it's one of my vices. Another is that I take a sip of brandy at bed time.

Half & Half is what pipe smokers call a codger tobacco. That means it was once commonly available in markets and drug stores and smoked by old guys in cheap pipes. That pretty much describes me. I'm not a pipe hobbyist. I don't collect pipes or tobaccos.

A pipe kind of forces relaxation. To get the best from it you have to barely sip and smoke slowly. If you don't, the smoke is nasty and burns your tongue. And, nicotine is a mild narcotic that you don't have to inhale to absorb. I can feel its effects after just a few minutes. And, the aroma is pleasant.

So, call me an old idiot or whatever label seems to fit. I'm out in the fresh air and the smoke dissipates before it can harm anyone else. And, I think the odds are good that something else will do me in before the tobacco has a chance.

I sat and rocked for a while and watched a couple airliners circle on approach to John Wayne airport to the south. If I looked to the north, in the distance I could see them on approach to LA international.

What beautiful rose!

 

[MarciKS]

I’m back. I’ve had second thoughts and decided that since no one is forced to read this drivel, it’s pretty harmless. And, it’s something to do.

We’re between rain storms today. There’s bright sunshine and a slight breeze from the east. The air is cool and really fresh.

I put some crumbled up bread and some one minute oatmeal on the driveway for the sparrows and towhees. I figured they must be hungry after all the rain. I sat in the sun in the patio with my morning tea and watched for them. It took a while. At first all I had were the hummingbirds at the feeder and a couple crows flew by. But, eventually the gang showed up and went at it with gusto.

I got the oatmeal as part of my insurance plan over the counter drug allowance. I don’t need much in the way of drugs, so I ordered food items to make up the difference. The only type of oatmeal they offered was the one minute kind. I prefer regular old rolled oats, so I thought the birds might like it. They do.

I had a nice Christmas. My son, Susan, and my granddaughter came on Christmas Eve and brought me a big basket of goodies, mostly imported things I would never buy for myself. That’s what they usually give me. They know I like it and I don’t really need anything else.

For lunch I had Smoked Riga sprats in oil from Latvia. They came in a little jar that holds enough for two of my lunches. Apparently, sprats is another name for sardines, because that’s what they are. I had them with a BabyBel cheese, some pickled jalapenos, and Wheat Thins. They were good.

I’ve got a loaf of bread in the oven. Last week I made one with milk instead of water to see what difference it makes. The crumb was much softer, and the taste milder. But, I think I prefer it with water. I make a one pound loaf, cut it in half and freeze half while I use the other part, so it doesn’t go stale.

The Rose Parade might be rained on this year. That’s only happened a few times, and I feel sorry for the people marching in it when it does, especially the kids in out of state bands. I don’t really care much for the parade anymore. It’s really gotten commercial. Success ruins a lot of things.

I enjoy drivel.

 

[MarkD]

I enjoy drivel.

Likewise I used to have more drive. Now I'm mostly down to drivel.

 

[Grampa Don]

About 11:00 it started to sprinkle a little. But, the temperature is about 70 and there's no breeze at all. So I put on my jacket and took my coffee out and sat awhile. I had filled the hummingbird feeder and put some oatmeal out earlier. The hummingbirds were active but no other birds were to be seen. Eventually one towhee and one sparrow showed up, ate a little oatmeal and flew off. I guess the birds are hunkering down.

It was very quiet, just a pickering sound of drops hitting the patio roof. Finished my coffee and came in.

Here's what the pomegranate tree looks like now. It's lost almost all its leaves. Pretty soon it will be time to call the tree trimmers. I feel for the guy who does the pomegranate. It's covered with wicked thorns.