Downtown Pictures of Indy

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine and I went to the canal in downtown  Indianapolis to take some pictures. We are both amateurs who are trying to improve our techniques. Here are a few of them that I took for your pleasure.

 

 

 

 

Blueberry Picker

We have several blueberry plants that we have had for years. Every early July my wife, Gloria, begins to pick the berries with a love that only a true aficionado has. She is the Juan Valdez of blueberry picking. She will pick no berry before its time. It has to be at perfect ripeness. I don't complain. The berries are always great.
We have to keep daughter number 3 away from them because she would eat them all at one time.

The berry patch

On a recent trip, G wanted to stop at a pick your own blueberry farm that we came across. So, we spent an hour picking berries. That's about a gallon of berries. They didn't last long.
The patch was about 100 yards long and 75 wide. The entire  patch was covered with bird netting to keep the critters out. There were plenty of berries to pick. I had to just about drag her out.

Blueberries are full of antioxidants, which are good for you, as well as other vitamins. I recommend blueberry cheese cake, blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes. You get the idea.
Some of the berries went in a berry cheese pie that she made for a family reunion. It was fantastic.

Ripe and unripe berries

Juan Valdez (aka Gloria the blueberry picker)

Poll

A number of years ago, a friend gave me a peony bush from her yard. I planted it in a flower bed, and it grew. However, I didn't like the color of the flower. But, I didn't do anything about it. However around five or six years ago, I did. I cut the thing down and dug up the root. Now, if you don't get all of the root, it will come back.
It came back the next year. I cut it down and dug up the root again. Two years later it came back. Now last year, I completely redid the bed. The major renovation involved raising the bed six inches. Before raising the bed, I dug out all the plants including the peony.
I redid the bed and it looked very nice last year even if I do say so myself.
HOWEVER, this spring guess who showed up? You guessed it.
 I'm incline to dig it up again but  because it has been is so stubborn, maybe I should let it grow.
What should I do? Keep digging it up, or live and let live.

I'm Baaaack!!

A loss

This last week has brought some sadness in to the family. The matriarch, an aunt, on my side of the family passed away. She was in her seventies and in failing health from cancer. I didn't get to see her a lot because she lived along way off, but talked to her on an occasion. She and my uncle (who has been gone for about 10 years) never had a lot but always seemed up beat and positive. You know - people that you liked being around.
Gloria and I had the fortune to visit her last Sunday for a short time. When we got up to leave, she said something that I'll never forget, "I'm glad that I married into the Paschal family."
Our family is probably a lot like yours. We love each other, but sometimes fuss, gripe, argue etc. with each other. But, through it all there is still love. If we don't watch out, we can let that negative stuff over influence our lives. The good things that we have with us, love, support, patience with each other, etc. FAR out weigh the other stuff.
Although there may never be a person of fame, power, or influence to the masses, in my family, we influence each other to be a little better than we would ever be if alone. So, I can say that I'm glad that I'm a Paschal too.
For those of you who are reading this, I encourage you to look at the good things in your family. Learn to forgive and forget, to over look a lot of those things that you think aren't right. They most likely won't be important in a week or so any way.

Enjoy your spring.

21st Century Power

Yesterday, as I was coming home, I passed a lot in our addition on which no one had ever built a house. However, I knew that the owner had sold the lot and had seen some activity on it last fall. Now, there was lots of activity. Trees were being felled and hauled off. How it was being done was very interesting and I thought that I would go and take some pictures. But, being a t.g.a.er, I didn't get around to it. However, as I was going into Mooresville this morning, they were at it again. I stopped and asked if I could come back and take some pictures and the man that I talked to said yes.

So, here are some pictures of how things are done in the 21st century.

Draft Horses

Waiting to be hitched up

Pulling a log

It didn't look as though they were making much effort

Some things have to be done more 20th century

Beautiful animals.

Peas lettuce spinach and pak choi

Today, a sunny and  mild Wednesday, I ventured into the garden to rake back some of the leaves in places where I plant peas and lettuce/spinach/ pak choi so that the ground can dry out a bit. It was good being outside.

Pussy Willow Song

Its that time of year again. This year I brought in some of the gang to sing a round of our favorite spring time song. (Even though its not spring yet.) (Sang March 14th)

 The Chorus (Minus One)

 Pussy Willow in Bloom

It's a fun song.  (Try it.)

I know a little pussy

Whose fur is soft and gray

She lives down in the meadow

Not very far away

She'll always be a pussy

SHE'LL NEVER BE A CAT

Cause she's a pussy willow

Now what do you think of that!

Let the spring begin!

Spring is coming - 2010

Today, we have sun. A very welcome sight, since we haven't had much sun in February. The snow is melting off and thoughts of starting flower and vegetable seeds are occupying a lot of my thinking.

A view from the front window in late January

I received an e-mail from Burpee that my order has been shipped. I have one other order that needs to arrive.
Last years tomatoes were a bust. I found out that they were a bust for everyone in Indiana. But, that never deters a gardener. We are the most optimistic group of people that you'll ever find.
Last year, I started my plants in early March. That was too early, as I found out. The plants were huge by the time I planted them in the gardens. This year, I'm waiting, very anxiously, until late March or vary early April.
Maybe in a couple of weeks I'll put out spinach and lettuce. A good salad is on the way.
If you read this and are a gardener, may all of your seeds germinate.