Crazy Green Thumbs

Ginger, two Granny Smith apples and a pear. Tamper link So have you ever really thought about the world of probiotics? Homegrown, like grandma (or great-grandma) whipped up every fall when the cabbages came in? Salt, cabbage and pounding the heck out of the cabbage with a tamper. I make a lot of probiotic ferments. I make refrigerator pickles, 36 hour yogurt, kimchi, wine and sourkraut. The…

Soil has been added to my vegetable beds. The bananas have been fertilized. Bird baths have been scrubbed. I added water crystals to the beds this year because the bags of composted manure have a ton of sand in them and water runs right out of the beds, without something to absorb it. Pvc marking an unplanted corner of the potato bed. And yes, I did all of this in my trusty flip flops. The…

Here’s a spring journey you can experience now. I don’t freeze until about Thanksgiving so I still have a little while until I shut down my garden: “Soooo, what have you been up to, you crazy little gardener?” Well. Actually, I’ve been very, very busy. Busy, busy, busy. Mainly, because I don’t know how not to be. I fill my free time with projects and experiments. Once I get these ideas for…

It’s hard to catch a still pond right now because there’s birds on it. Every time I notice the ponds are completely still, I start walking towards them and I spook the geese and I get ripples. This is the upper pond. There’s a Canadian geese couple up here and some malard ducks.  It’s still a beautiful picture even if the reflection isn’t perfect!

If you are a Doctor Who fan. I found some psychotic potato dwarf scat. I heard they can actually grow from it. Sorry. Inside joke.

Sun kissed waves. Closest thing to Water Sprites or Fairies. Sparkling and beautiful. I tell you what. Colorado is a healing place.

Bwahaha! That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw all of the hens scooting around with the shields on to keep the roosters off their backs. OK. Maybe only I see weird concepts like that. But I thought it was hilarious.

There’s an old cowboy saying: “You only get one good horse, one good dog and one good woman in your life. Don’t f’ it up.” Still waiting for my one good man. I’ve already checked the other boxes. Maybe it would be easier to understand these days to say an exceptional dog, and an exceptional horse since most of us have pets and not working animals. But even lowering the bar to a decent man… I…

I’m in San Antonio. I grow Asian persimmons and have done so for about twelve years. The first tree was a dud (that’s what the picture above is.) It was an astringent persimmon, a Saijo. It was fantastically sweet, but had the texture of a water balloon filled with snot. Varying degrees of ripeness from the Saijo. Saijo was always a big producer, even if it was hot and dry. I knew my problem…

When a filter is truly optional in a sunset photo, you know you are in the Rocky Mountains!

We went and picked up my mom’s ducks from the “fowl whisperer” who was caring for her chickens and ducks while she was down in Texas helping me. Duckies ready for their season on the pond. They have to share with Canadian geese. We’re hoping there’s no duck murdering by the wild birds. Ducks enjoying their first dip in the pond. Always enjoyable watching the stark white ducks float around on…

I love reflections on the pond on still days!

Beautiful texture and balance up here. Truly healing.

Georgeous day up here in the Rockies!

From one deeply Irish rooted family to the internet! Corned beef and potatoes.

My mom had her birthday party with the local ladies at one of the local fishing retreats. She’s 77 this year. Still has her natural hair color. Still lives in a cabin in Colorado on acreage in the mountains. Still builds her own fires, feeds her ducks on an island she rows out to, serves on a couple of boards of museums. She’s always armed, so probably not a good idea to sneak up on her. She’s…

A cliff face in Colorado.