Pic Today 7/31/16

 

 

GIANTS OF THE LILY WORLD

These hybrid lilies (Scheherazade)

reach 7-feet in height

and can handle the heat of our

July-August weather.

Magnificent towering majesty!

Pic Today 7/30/16

 

 

 

 

THE JOYS OF

A SUMMER GARDEN

This is why we page through

seed catalogs . . . add compost

to our garden soil each winter . . .

turn it over each spring . . .

keeping it organic all the way.

This is why we start seeds inside,

giving them a headstart waiting

for warm days to transplant outside.

This is why we weed and water.

Enjoying healthy harvests everyday.

Perfect, healthy food,

and sooo delicious.

Pic Today 7/29/16

 

FLOATING

ON THE MERAMEC

Beautiful digital conversion

of my recent Meramec River

float trip photo.

(Experimenting with new aps

and conversion software.

This one I like.)

Jury's still out, however.

Pic Today 7/28/16

 

 

 

FLOATING BEAUTY

The water mimosa is like its

land tree cousin, except it grows

and floats on top of the water.

And like the mimosa tree,

its leaves curl closed

when touched. 

What a beauty.

 

Pic Today 7/27/16

 

 

'55 LAFITE

1955, a legendary vintage ...

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild,

the wine of kings ...

I wonder how wonderful

it must taste.

Can you imagine?

Pic Today 7/26/16

 

 

 

 

Ripe, fresh picked,

home grown tomatoes.

Still warm from the vine.

There's nothing like the taste

of a real tomato.

(HINT:  Not sold in stores.)

In all their beautiful shapes,

sizes and colors,

especially the heart shaped 'maters,

it's like they're talking to us!

Pic Today 7/25/16

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNDER THE DOME

Like the outerspace bio-dome in the

1972 sci-fi film "Silent Running",

the Climatron is an earth-based version of

a climate controlled geodesic dome,

containing a year-round tropical jungle

of exotic palms and plants.

Interestingly, it felt cool to enter

the Climatron's usual tropical climate,

compared with St. Louis' 100+˚(F)

outdoor temperature.

Cubanola trumpet blossoms

cascaded down from the central waterfall,

with many rare tropical flowers

in bloom.

What a gorgeous treasure!

Pic Today 7/24/16

 

 

 

 

 

TOMATO BOTTOMS

Now that heirloom tomatoes

are being grown and sold

by gardeners and farmers worldwide,

we're seeing some unique and irregular

varieties and colors for these summertime beauties.

When you see them, and try new varieties,

be sure to check out their bottoms!

Heirloom tomatoes, especially the

"german striped" rainbow giants,

have beautiful bottoms.

(see above pics)

By the way,

they taste fantastic!

Pic Today 7/23/16

 

VINTAGE COWBOYS

 (Recently rescued family photo.

I actually remember when this photo was taken.)

This is famed TV cowboy star

Hopalong Cassidy, with his horse _______,

alongside  his "best buckaroos"

on a show tour to St. Louis.

On the left is Buckaroo Danny, my brother,

and to the right, cute Buckaroo Ricky (me).

Bonus Factoid

Hopalong Cassidy was the

king of Saturday morning TV

when I was growing up . . .

dressed in black, his buckles,

those boots, and

his companion horse.

Can you name Hoppy's horse?

(Interestingly, this is one of the

most notorious questions

in the adult version of Trivial Pursuit.)

(HINT:  It's not Trigger.)

Pic Today 7/22/16

 

 

 

SUNFLOWERS

are named perfectly,

   not because they look like the sun, 

  but because they follow the sun.

From morning to evening,

sunflowers are as tall as they can be

and faithfully turn to the sun.

A satellite dish for sunshine!

Pic Today 7/21/16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FILIPINO CULINARY 

ROGUE DINNER

The Rogue Underground Dining Society

had a special dinner guest chef,

Yana Gilbuena,

who led the Rogue chefs and staff

in a special "pop up" dinner

early this week.

Yana has made news headlines recently,

having conducted gourmet Filipino dinners

in all 50 U.S. states, provinces in Canada,

and several dinners in Mexico City and Tulum.

She is self-described at the

"Filipino Culinary Nomad.

Crowd favorites at the Rogue event

were pancit palabok and kare kare,

featuring soft shell crabs, prawns

and century eggs,

  in a crisp tapioca shell . . . 

braised oxtails, black rice,

  peanut molé on a fresh banana leaf . . .

almond gazpacho with

  floating fruits and flowers . . .

and scallop nicoise with

cauliflower couscous.

(Yana helped select a selection

of world wines to go with each course.) 

Thank you, Yana.

(Filipino PopUp Dinners @saloseries)

 

Pic Today 7/20/16

 

 

 

 

 

 

USING SCULPTURE

IN MEDITATION

Sculpture and art

can be powerful focal points

for meditation.

Buddhas, eggs, obelisks,

even giant eye balls.

(Whatever works.)