Update

Yes they're still in my garden. No I don't know what to do about it.


But on a happier note, I'm thankful for nice bus drivers who are willing to run you down a block away in order to give you your phone that you left on the bus.

garden frusterations

We have truly loved having a garden. It's a great feeling to be able to eat something you've grown. But of course gardening doesn't come without its frustrations.

Our tomatoes have been under attack. Our back yard must be a paradise for grackles ( very ugly loud obnoxious bird). Sometimes we come home and the back tree is full of them squawking and screeching. They never bothered me so much until I found out how persistent they would be to eat my tomatoes. It was an exciting day when we noticed our first tomato just beginning to turn a rosy color. It was quite depressing to go out the next day and find it half eaten.






So we set out trying to protect out endangered fruit. At home, farmers drape tinsel all over their vineyards to scare away the bird. The flashing metallic strands blow in the wind and scare the birds off. I thought i'd give it try. I picked up cheap pie tins and the dollar store around the corner and tied them to my tomato stakes. Not only did they blow and flash in the wind, they were also noisy and clanky!!!




Just to add a little bit more pizazz to it all, we built a scare crow. It's what they do in the movies, so it must be fool proof.




Obviously there would be no post if this all worked. Sure enough, the grackles got into our tomatoes again. They really are brave little buggers! We had to resort to what I had been avoiding since the beginning.... netting the plants. I didn't want to net the plants since it would make it harder to pick the tomatoes. Plus it was another ten dollars I didn't want to spend if I didn't have to.

So the net worked to keep the birds out. Thankfully. This morning I went out to pick our precious tomatoes. I had a couple huge tomatoes and a couple smaller ones I'd been keeping an eye on. After crawling under the nets, I was met again with disappointment. The nets did a fantastic job at keeping the birds out. But there was another little pest getting my tomatoes. And while I didn't see the pest myself, I saw the evidence and know exactly what it was. Last fall we had this ivy weed growing up the side of our house. One day I noticed it, and the next day it was gone. But on the remaining vines were HUGE caterpillar things. Bright green, longer than my longest finger, and as big around as a quarter. They dropped little black pellets all over the ground underneath. A few months later, I found the same huge caterpillars demolishing my pretty flowers in the front of my house. The plant just simply disappears. This morning, the first thing I noticed after crawling under the net was the black pellets on the ground around my plants. The sight of these brought a sinking feeling to my stomach. I examined further and found leafless branches on the plants as well. And last but not least, my huge tomatoes were half eaten!! I searched all over the plants and could not find a single caterpillar though. So this is my hope (crossing fingers). I'm hoping that somehow they died from eating my plants. This is why I think this isn't completely unreasonable: Russell noticed a few days ago one tomato that looked like it had been chomped on by some critter. If the caterpillars were eating my plants a few days ago, the plants would have been completely eaten up by now. They really eat that fast!! But since my plants are still around, (still crossing fingers) i'm hoping that tomatoes are poisonous to these nasty beasts. I'm going to be keeping a keen eye on things though for the next few days......

Enchiladas

Russ and I tried a new enchilada sauce this week. And it was delicious! So I thought I would share it. I found it on allrecipes.com. I like this site because you can search for recipes, but at the bottom people can leave comments, corrections, or additions.

For the meat, we just cooked it with taco seasoning, onions, and garlic. You just wrap that up with cheese inside a tortilla and then pour this delicious sauce over the top.


INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 to 5 teaspoons of chili powder depending on how hot you want the sauce
  
• 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high high heat. Saute onion until tender. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin and cinnamon; saute for a few minutes.
2. Stir in flour and chili powder, stirring until sauce thickens. Slowly whisk in chicken broth; reduce until sauce reaches desired consistency. Stir in chocolate until melted and well blended.

help wanted

I have a project due for school this weened. It's a choice between writing a 10 page paper, or doing some other project ( my teacher keeps suggesting a poster but I can't see how a poster is logically equal to a 10 page paper). She told me for my topic, I need to do a website. WHAT??? I have no clue how to create a website. And I'm unsure how much of it needs to be my own creation. I don't know if it can be as simple as using blogger in a fancy way, or actually creating some kind of site. Also, I have no idea how to do the whole html stuff. I'm good at copying the codes and pasting them where I want, but designing my own page? no clue. Plus, she said she would email me by yesterday after looking over my topic proposal to give me more direction on my topic and information on creating a web page. has she? no. It's due Friday. I've got 4 days.

Something to blog about finally

I've been trying to get this post out since the day we got back, but Blogger was being weird. But thats ok cuz it's working fine now. So here goes.

Russ and I went camping this past weekend. It was a really quick but really fun trip. AND!! I remembered to take the camera, and even better, take pictures. This was a long needed break for the both of us. After the last year of school, we were both feeling the need to just take off and chill and enjoy ourselves. What better way to do that than at the beach! I grew up going to the beach pretty often. It's one of my favorite things to do. I love the feeling of the sand underneath my feet while walking around barefoot, I love playing in the waves, collecting sea shells, and gathering around a fire. Since living in Texas, the opportunities for going to the beach have been few and far between. So when Russ and I had a chance to plan a weekend trip, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Plus it was my birthday, so I would win out anyway.

We had originally planned to leave around 4 after I got home from school, and Russell got home from doing his research. However, like all trips, this did not happen. Russell unexpectedly had to stay about 2 hours later. And while I had most things ready to go once he got home, talking on the phone with my mom while waiting for him made it hard to get everything done. So we got out around 6 instead. It took us pretty close to 3 hours to drive out to North Padre National Sea Shore, but with good music, company, excitement, and pretty scenery, the drive passed pretty quickly. We drove right out on the sand, found a spot of beach we liked, and parked the truck (driving on sand feels a lot like driving on snow). Needless to say we got there after dark. Which means we had to set up our tent in the dark (with flashlights of course), and cook our dinner in the dark. Luckily, when we purchased out tent a week earlier, we set it up in our excitement in our front room, so we already knew how the pieces and joints all fit together. While we cooked out dinner, Athena had a great time digging holes underneath our table we had her tied to (worked out great the next morning for starting our charcoal in).
With full bellies, we went to bed. The storms the past week really worked well to cool down the air, the only thing making sleeping outside a possibility. We got a reasonably good sized tent (not huge though) which made it so that we could stick Athena on one side, and we'd sleep on the other. The logic of having her in the tent was so that, since there are other critters like coyotes and crabs and such running around, she wouldn't be barking at them all night. And when she does on occasion sleep inside the house, she just stays in one spot the whole night. So we really didn't think it would be a problem. But it was. Half way through the night, we was up wandering around the tent, stepping on us, as she jumped from window to window trying to see out. Then she started trying to actually jump out the windows, which was obviously impossible since they are made out of mesh. But for some reason, she couldn't quite grasp that, and kept trying regardless. Tired of being stepped on and having his sleeping space invaded by a dirty hairy dog, Russ finally tied her in the back of the truck for the rest of the night. Surprisingly enough, she didn't make a noise!!! Every once in a while I'd look out the window and she would be all perked up, listening to the night.
Morning came, and we realized we forgot lighter fluid for starting our charcoal for our delicious dutch oven breakfast. So we walked down to the visitors center/ lodge that had a little camp store to purchase the needed product. After getting there, we found that the store didn't open until nine. We had left around 7 to walk down there, but we didn't bring any kind of clock, and so we had no idea what time it was. So we walked about. We got back at 8:50, so Russell decided to just drive down while I got breakfast ready to be cooked. I spent all last week seasoning my new dutch oven by cooking anything with fat in it. But once we got there, I decided to put down tin foil inside it anyway just to be safe. I wasn't sure if it was seasoned enough for the sugar to not ruin all the seasoning I had done. Our apple crisp breakfast came out perfect and very delicious. The best part about using the tin foil, is that it made clean up super easy.
The rest of the day was spent playing on the beach. The storms brought in a lot of sea weed (which Athena loved rolling in). But it didn't really bother us since it didn't really stink and wasn't rotting yet. We made a cool sand castle with our dishes. In the center is a pyramid, surrounded by a wall, surrounded by a seaweed filled moat, which even had a bridge over it. It was quite fun. We planned to make more sand sculptury stuff too, but didn't get around to it. After the sand castle, we got in the water. It was nice and warm. Not uncomfortable in any way. I thought that it was cool that when the waves wash away from your feet, it exposes all these teeny tiny clam thingies that then scurry to rebury themselves. At first glance I thought they were just really colorful rocks. The last of cool shells at the beach was a bit disappointing however, since I am a collector. But thats ok since the water was so nice. Athena was a little timid... ok a lot timid at first, and wouldn't even go near the water. But after seeing us run through it, she quickly followed. I'm not sure who had more fun running through the waves, Russ or Athena. She swallowed a lot of air and water throughout the whole thing, which made her look really bloated and pregnant when we were done. She could hardly move she was so uncomfortable. On our way out of camp, we stopped again at the lodge just to rinse off. We were also a little concerned about Athena throwing up in the back on our stuff. So we devised a plan. Have Athena drink lots of water and then run laps around the parking lot until she threw up. It only took about 10 steps, and the plan worked. She still looked bloated, but she was able to hold it in on the trip home. And by the time we got home, she didn't look bad. Thanks everyone for all the happy birthday messages that I got once I had reception again on my phone.
We got into San Antonio about 5pm. About 5 minutes from our house, we decided that we wanted to go to Sea World. We called up Phil and Lindsey, and went to ride roller coasters at Sea World after a quick dump of gear at the house. This quick dump, of course, has left our house a disaster zone.
After Sea World, Russ and I went to Jason's deli (only thing open) for dinner, then came home and he gave me my birthday presents--the move Emma and a popcorn popper. (I had been craving this popper since every time Ann-Marie makes pop corn while we're there, I can't stop eating it. From my mom, I got a really really nice set of about 15 different kinds of Ginger scissors (really nice sewing scissors). They're in a nice wooden box which my mom got my named inscribed on.

And that was our pleasant weekend. Here are a few more pictures from it.

Athena just chilling on the sand. She looked so comfortable.


Athena let me bury her. I was quite surprised.
































Us on the drive home. Hurray for beach hair.

back from the dead

I haven't posted for a while. It's mostly been a mix of being really busy this past month, and just not feeling up to it. But I thought maybe I would just make a quick list of a few things I am excited for, things that have been going on, and other things of that nature.

Russ and I finished finals last Friday. Russell has one year of four (in actual school) down. Hopefully by taking classes this summer, I will be able to graduate next may.

Last Saturday I got to hold my friend's new baby. He's still in that teeny tiny stage where they just seem so fragile. I've definitely become a lot better at holding little babies in the past year, starting last June in Puerto Rico with our nephew. I don't think I had ever held one so little before that. (Maybe my little sister but if I can't remember it, I don't think it counts).

Russell and I spent a little bit of our stimulus package from the government and bought a few things for our trip next weekend. We bought a tent, a camp stove, and a dutch oven. I spent yesterday trying to start seasoning the dutch oven to get it ready for yummy campfire cooking. I'm trying to convince Russell that we should dig a fire pit in our backyard all for the perfecting of Dutch Oven cooking. I found a website that has lots of dutch oven recipe ideas. I think my biggest problem will be trying to narrow it down to one for my first try.

The neighbor's dogs broke into our backyard yesterday. We have 3 neighbors that we share a fence with. Two have had their dogs break through. Now i'm just waiting for the third and I'll have met all my neighbors sad, dirty, and neglected dogs. The two that broke through today were really timid and just kept barking at first. One slipped back under the fence, but the other one I think had a harder time doing it. So after trying for a few minutes, we decided instead just to put them on a leash and walk them back. This took some time since the dogs would not come near us. But with a few treats, and some gentle talking, they eventually gave in. Luckily I had this leashy thingy from the vet that you just slip over the dog's head-- it made it a lot easier to catch. We walking over to the next court, but their owners weren't home. So we let them into their backyard, and then ran hoping to get back home before they slipped under the fence again. With an old fence board and a bazillion rocks dug up from our backyard when plowing our garden, we filling in the space where they were getting under. Hopefully it will hold them!

I pulled my sewing stuff out yesterday to finally finish my last curtain in a set of three that has been waiting to be finished since.... forever ago. Only to find that I had used up all that color thread to make Russell's laptop case a month ago. And since it was Sunday, I couldn't just make a quick trip to the store. So we'll see how many more months it will be until I finally pull it out again.

I start back into school today. I'm taking one class in three weeks. It's called a minimester. I have class every day for three hours. Hopefully the teacher is a little entertaining otherwise this is going to get old real quick! I really, really need to start exercising again-- So i'm going to set the goal to go to the UTSA rec center before class!

Can't think of anything else on my mind.

Spring is in the air...

and boy do I find it distracting!!! I just can't help it! I love working outside and I hate doing homework. So the procrastination is inevitable. Don't worry, I will pay for it with my precious sleep.

I have been having so much fun working in our garden and planting flowers and such around our house. It's so excited to see how nice it looks when things are blooming and growing and everything is so green! Here are some pictures of our front planter area. I wish the grass looked as good... but it doesn't. I'm excited about how many bulbs came up!! I can't remember what all the varieties were that I planted, but when they start to bloom they are going to be so beautiful!




































In the back, we finally moved all the dirt that was around our patio and flattened it out. We planted two Lillies of the Nile, two Orleans Jasmine, and a peach tree. Today I put down seeds for a variety of flowers to fill in the spaces. We also planted another tree in the middle of the backyard but I have no pictures of it.

Behind the grill I planted some thornless black berries. My mom was nice enough to pull me up some shoots from my Grandma's garden while she was in Utah last week . I got them in the mail yesterday. I sure hope they live!






Here is the dog proofed herb planter. Athena finally gave up trying to use it as a bed. It also has some strawberries that I will replant later in their own spot. The rocks are to stop the rain from digging a trench when the water falls off the roof. But I think they're pretty too.









The vegetable garden is doing spectacular too.


The zucchini are getting bigger everyday. I have four mounds of zucchini so i'm sure we'll have plenty to share!

Here are the bean. I planted both yellow wax as well as regular green beans. These are my FAVORITE garden goody. I love beans, and I find it rediculous to buy them at the store. Plus they never look as good.

The tomatoes are also doing spectacular. I have A LOT of tomato plants, and I don't even LIKE tomatoes. At least not fresh. But I do like them in things. And Russell loves vine ripened tomatoes.

I've also got squash, bell peppers, green onions, carrots, beets, cucumbers, and lettuce grow planted. I've been meaning to plant some watermelon, but I haven't decided where to put it yet. My school schedule is pretty busy and so I was concerned I wouldn't have enough time to take care of the garden. So I just planted as much as I could hoping that at least something will come of it.