Berries, beagles, beans, and bathrooms
Well, the heat wave I mentioned in my last post did a real number on my blackberries. Anywhere that the berries were exposed to the sun, they burnt to a crisp right on the vine. The ones on lower branches, in the shade of the foliage, managed to survive...but those are the ones the beagle can reach... I will still get some to harvest (I've picked a little over a pint so far), but not nearly as much as I had anticipated.
The plums are just about done for the year. A couple are still hanging on, but between the beagle and the birds, I'm not likely to get my hands on them. I did get a fair number, which depended on picking them about 1-2 days early and letting them ripen in the middle of the dining table where Benny couldn't reach them, but he still nabbed quite a few.
The corn, beans, and squash are all shaping up well. I should be able to start harvesting beans in about two more weeks. The sunflower that I planted earlier this spring is blooming now, with about four flowers open and a few more buds. I'm hoping to get seeds from it, but I imagine the birds are going to be tough competition.
I've been peeking through the window in my hive, and it looks like the bees are starting to fill the Flow comb with nectar. Once it's clearly visible, I'll try taking a picture to post.
I set up a wi-fi repeater this past week, which means I can now get a good signal in my bedroom. That will make it a lot easier and more convenient to use the computer in there, which is the one with my good Adobe software. Once I get through the game design I'm working on for a contest, I'll be able to go back and finish editing all the pictures for my Munich trip report.
I had the city inspector come to do the final inspection on my bathroom, and it passed easily. Yay!
Last Tuesday, I did a demonstration with Brooke as part of the rollout of a big "Don't Pack a Pest" campaign designed to teach people not to bring prohibited items from other countries. A number of media outlets were invited, but I've only managed to find video from a local Chinese language station. Brooke is featured toward the end of the video. Also, several of the meat items on the display table (which I helped set up) were found by Brooke and Benny.
The plums are just about done for the year. A couple are still hanging on, but between the beagle and the birds, I'm not likely to get my hands on them. I did get a fair number, which depended on picking them about 1-2 days early and letting them ripen in the middle of the dining table where Benny couldn't reach them, but he still nabbed quite a few.
The corn, beans, and squash are all shaping up well. I should be able to start harvesting beans in about two more weeks. The sunflower that I planted earlier this spring is blooming now, with about four flowers open and a few more buds. I'm hoping to get seeds from it, but I imagine the birds are going to be tough competition.
I've been peeking through the window in my hive, and it looks like the bees are starting to fill the Flow comb with nectar. Once it's clearly visible, I'll try taking a picture to post.
I set up a wi-fi repeater this past week, which means I can now get a good signal in my bedroom. That will make it a lot easier and more convenient to use the computer in there, which is the one with my good Adobe software. Once I get through the game design I'm working on for a contest, I'll be able to go back and finish editing all the pictures for my Munich trip report.
I had the city inspector come to do the final inspection on my bathroom, and it passed easily. Yay!
Last Tuesday, I did a demonstration with Brooke as part of the rollout of a big "Don't Pack a Pest" campaign designed to teach people not to bring prohibited items from other countries. A number of media outlets were invited, but I've only managed to find video from a local Chinese language station. Brooke is featured toward the end of the video. Also, several of the meat items on the display table (which I helped set up) were found by Brooke and Benny.