Young Girls Coming To Our Organic Garden In The Middle Of The City

From Rhode Island yet, sweet young things with plump breasts and very, very fertile. I only hope the older girls won't pick on them too much because of their youth and inexperience, after all they're here to lay eggs and not be just another pretty face.

We lost two hens, I think to poison. A squirrel, at the time of two hens sudden death, was acting funny as well. Lethargic squirrels aren't usual and he didn't want to leave the pond near the hens where water was available, a sign of a toxic blood poisoning used on rats. I think it was the asshole that lives across the alley that did it but I'm not sure since the hen house is located next to the alley anybody could have done the evil deed.

That's the price you pay when living in a city of many different types. You have your share of assholes that's for sure. But you have good people too, somewhere I think, although they seem to be in hiding at the moment. The young hens arrived, and they are real young, I think about five weeks old from the way their feathers have developed. Too young to be with the older hens as yet. I'm a bit miffed about it. Led to to believe they will be fine with the older hens, when right off, I could see my money going into dead chicks from being pecked to death if I left them in the coop with the other girls. They are in a wash tub at the moment with a piece of chicken wire over the top to keep Millie from finding them.

It's going to take a couple of more weeks before they're big enough to fend for themselves. Lucky we have the warm weather for them and I'll have the time to watch them. It's won't be until they are about seventeen weeks old that they will be able to lay eggs though. That means a few more months.

One thing for sure, I feel more like a farmer than I did when I bought pullets matured enough that they laid eggs right out of the box. In fact, my first hens had two eggs in their shipping box when I got them. Live and learn, or is it, adapt or die. I forget, but either one is a good lesson on life.   

Delicious Cactus fruit In Our Organic Garden In The Middle Of The City

We have a Peruvian cactus( the tallest of all cactus) next to the garage entry. It came as a potted plant years ago that flowered that year in its pot. Hardy and tolerant of many conditions(I think that because the above ground root ball, exposed, makes it tolerable to our watered clay soil). It quickly grew in its oak barrel and from there, rooted into the soil. The plant is easy to propagate, cut anywhere on its stock, plant the down side, and then wait. The wait isn't long before you get flowers and possibly fruit.

In the summer it flowers as in the photo, only at night, closing by mid morning, they will open and close for a few days before turning black and falling from the cactus.  Beautiful, even more so a day ago because of a fortunate alignment that occurred at the same time. The full moon was at its closest orbit to earth, clear skies with the cactus in full bloom. Incredible to see towering overhead that night in the garden with cream white blooms a foot long and almost as wide catching moonbeams on clear summer night. 

  I wished I could take photos like the pros. My night shot really didn't show how wonderful the blooms looked like. They glowed in a gold-tinged white. The color of butter dripping from pancakes. But this shot was on the morning after, with bees busy deep in the stamens. The pollination that occurs brings a football shaped bright red fruit. The birds love them and get most of the fruit. I get what I can reach and allow pods to ripen a nice red when I see them begin to turn from green to pink.

The rind is cut off easily, once one side is slit leaving a  flawless white flesh specked with black seeds similar to banana seeds. They are slightly sweet with a refreshing crisp when eaten. The way the birds go after them, they have to be good.

Nice addition to a breakfast meal, once the fruit appears, I'll show photos of the flesh inside.

Germany won the world cut. I have polka music going in the patio in celebration of their title. It was a good game.

Growing Marijuana In Our Organic Garden In The Middle Of The City

 
Our crop of Mary Jane grows organically using our homemade compost and natural sunlight. Shit weed to some of my dope smoking friends because I'm not interested in high potency. This line of weed in the photo has been grown since the seventies by me. Each year I use seeds from the previous year to start a small patch of marijuana. For myself, I don't use much. What I do is make brownies using the homegrown. I take a brownie now and then when I have time to enjoy it. Every year I have left over weed.

Now, our caregiver, Stan smokes grass from the time he gets up until he goes to bed. The moment he wakes, he puts his pipe to his mouth and inhales high quality marijuana that he buys legally at one of the shops nearby. I don't have to worry about him smoking mine because he can smoke and smoke mine and still not get the high he needs from my homegrown. That's why constant smokers of grass call mine, shit-weed.

Stan takes very good care of Wally. He is gentle and observant to his needs, but he is stoned all day long and Wally only needs some basic care of fluids, walking, and using the bathroom, which Stan is very capable of, but for anything technical I doubt Stan could do the job. We gave him a computer for his birthday, a laptop. He loves it and has been trying to use it but he can't remember things, like passwords. A simple password has him baffled so that he needs to reenter new passwords over and over. And I'm talking about the simple passwords you make up. Stan isn't stupid either, but the constant grass smoking makes it appear he is. You have to tell him a number of times or explain things over and over to him. His girlfriend is the same.

The girlfriend, Maggie is looking for work. Good luck with that. She cleans the floor in Stan's room well but that's about it. I can't see her landing a job at anything that requires some sort of physical effort, she sleeps in until ten or eleven and eats while in bed. She is Stan's girlfriend, so if he can put up with it--fine. I don't care but she has no desires whatever other than to get stoned, watch cartoons, fuck and eat. Which works for Stan.

That's what I mean about being stoned all the time. There is no ambition in anyone I see that is. They are happy doing shit jobs for shit pay as long as they can stay stoned. And now that it is legal, they plan, (and by they, I mean everyone I know that gets high on a daily basis from morning to night) to stay that way.

Kind of sad really but hey, it's their life. I too like the feel of being stoned but for me it's for recreation. When there is a moment of opportunity to relax, listen to a concert and not worry about driving or what ifs that can come along. Life is good, live it to the fullest but live it, not stone it.

Soccer On The Fourth Of July, What's More American Than That In Our Organic Garden In The Middle Of The City

We have put on a fourth of July Party since before we were married. We were also married on the forth. A kind of stick in you eye to the Right Wing nut jobs. You know, call one up and say thanks for celebrating our same sex marriage today with fireworks and a party.

A flame of color shot upward over thirty feet from a cracker Stan set off. It was pretty cool. We had a great salad from our garden made from fresh tender crookneck squash with the flower bud still attached. Pasta with Gorgonzola cheese, fresh basil and cream. Watermelon sweet and cold and New York steaks, thick and barbecued to perfection. Yep a pretty good American Forth of July. Our anniversary, we've been together now for twenty years. That's pretty special for me on a very special day. 

Our Organic Garden In The MIddle Of The City

Well, I learned something about when to spray for fungus on grapes. It's one of the things I love about gardening--a laboratory to play in. There isn't a year that goes by where I don't learn at least a thing or two.

I know to spray the copper/ sulfur solution early but I didn't do it often enough. I should have sprayed while fruit was continuing to form for it's the grape clusters that are the most effected this year.

Not all the grapes were effected by the fungus but some clusters had a sever amount of fungus, and I noticed that they were from later formed clusters. We had a very dry period when the grape clusters first appeared, it wasn't until later that our damp mornings of June Gloom appeared, May Grey never happened. The photo above shows a cloudy, somewhat weak red grape cluster, some of the grapes are withered, as if left on the vine until November.

I spayed them now in hope that the fungus won't infect other, healthy clusters. The Thompsons and Concords didn't have the problem and are right on target.

These are developing very well, a bit sour right now but that's to be expected. The reds are beginning to sweeten up and already have a much sweeter taste than the Concord and Thompson.

We are nearing the time of more dry heat unless the forming El Nino changes things. Well see what develops in our laboratory in the backyard. 

Republicans Demand A Christain Theocracy With Slavery Re-Installed

The GOP's intent on their constant negative views toward healthcare and global warming are based on extreme views of biblical text. The belief is based on a Christian god being all powerful. If the god wanted to change the climate, he would. It is therefore fitting and right to continue to rape the planet for profit. And the quest for more profit goes further, making slaves of others.

They have the Koch brothers with their plutocratic view of right and wrong pushing an agenda that only the wealthy are suited to govern all others. They are willing to force our country to war in order to make themselves even richer.

In the South, Christian beliefs are fueled with hatred of anything deemed liberal. They would rather go without medical coverage for the poor than to go against the Southern White GOP insistence they should die for the wealthy and their belief that riches belong only to them. The South is one great pit of poverty steeped in poor education and forced religious attendance to far right extremists. 

We are at war people. At war with the most diabolical, hate-filled extremist this planet has ever produced. They will stop at nothing, murder, coups, insurrection, to get what they want. I'm naming a few here that are part of this conspiracy and should be judged as traitors to all Freedom Loving Americans.
Republican  Greg Brannon of North Carolina----Traitor.
Republican Lee Bright of South Carolina-----Traitor.
White Supremest American Freedom Party Angelo John Gage of New Jersey-----Traitor
Constitution White Supremest  Party Phil Hudok of West Virginia----Traitor.
Independent White Racist Victoria Jackson of Tennessee------Traitor.
Independent White Racist Scott Lively of Massachusetts-----Traitor.
Republican Jason 'Molotov'  Mitchell of  North Carolina----Traitor.
Republican Bill Parks of Wisconsin---Traitor.
Republican Michael Peroutka of Maryland----Traitor.
White Supremest Libertine Party Karen Schoen of Florida----Traitor. 
Republican Tom Tancredo of Colorado-------Traitor.
Avowed Christain extremist David Whitney of Maryland----Traitor.

Look them up folks. All these people are dangerous and do carry weapons so be very careful before approaching them. Especially if you're of color, gay or a free woman.  

World Cup Soccer

The house is packed with soccer fans. We placed the television outside for the crowd and are watching every game with carne asada tacos and vegetables from the garden that we wash down with a lot of beer. It's been great too. Surprising amount of goals, picked favorites winning and today's victory of the U.S. It's been fun so far and amazing how many soccer fans are around.

Mom is watching in between caring for her sick cat and boyfriend, Mexican Monkey of course is watching and jumping around at each goal. Wally is too with a baseball game thrown in here and there on top of it. We are all glued to the TV for futball fever has struck with a vengeance.

For myself, Germany and the U.S. wins today were well fought that kept you right on the edge of your seat. We jumped and yelled with each goal they made, it was almost like being there except way less expensive.

I'm hoping to see all the games and wouldn't it be something if the U.S made it to the last round? Now that would be a game to watch. Of course we would switch to hot dogs at that point but the beer would still be here.