Saturday Gardening and Puttering Thread, December 5, 2020 [KT]

Hi, everybody! Isn't the shot above amazing?

I thought I'd send in this snap I got of a Bald Eagle. The eagle was perched at the top of a fir tree, and I cropped this image from that shot. Lizabth

Thanks!

I love it, Lizabth. I think others will, too!

Today, we have some American Farm History and a Vegetable Profile with some recipes. And some special composting directions to help you grow some great veggies (or other plants).

It's still catalog season. You may be able to get some gift ideas. If you're not out in the Great Outdoors like Lizabth, take a little time to dream.

American Farm History

Why is there a statue honoring the boll weevil in Enterprise, Alabama?

"I cannot think of another insect that's displaced so many people, changed the economy of rural America, and was so environmentally injurious that everybody clearly rallied around and said we have to get rid of it," says Dominic Reisig, a professor of entomology at North Carolina State University.

The havoc the boll weevil wrought on the Southern economy was so disruptive that some scholars argue it was one of the factors that spurred the Great Migration--the movement of 6 million African-Americans from the South to urban areas in the North. As the weevil destroyed cotton farms, many farmworkers moved elsewhere for employment, including urban centers.

So why would any town want to honor such a pest with an expensive statue, let alone call it a herald of prosperity? To understand that requires jumping back over 100 years in history, to when the insect first invaded American farmland.

What happened in Enterprise:

H.M. Sessions, a man who lived in town and acted as a seed broker to farmers in need, saw the devastation and knew he needed to act.

Farmers could switch to other crops that wouldn't support the boll weevil, but cotton generated the highest profits and grew on marginal land--"sandy, well-drained land that not a lot of crops can tolerate," Reisig explains. One of the few crops that could tolerate those conditions: peanuts. After visiting North Carolina and Virginia, where he saw peanuts being grown, Sessions came back with peanut seeds and sold them to area farmer C. W. Baston.

"In 1916, Mr. Baston planted his entire crop in peanuts. That year, he earned $8,000 from his new crop, and paid off his prior years of debt and still had money left over," Bradley says.

Since peanuts replaced cotton in Enterprise, the boll weevil has been brought under control in many places through the use of pheromone traps.

Heard of Pima cotton? Cotton was grown by the Pima Indians in the olden days, then cultivation was dropped. Six seeds remained, and the strain was revived. But that is not the strain we call "Pima cotton" today. It came from a USDA station near the Pima reservation. Unrelated. Interesting.

Around here, Acala (upland) cotton is grown. Here's a comparison of Pima and Upland cotton. It's against the law to grow other kinds of cotton locally, say, in gardens.

Cotton for Gardeners

There is a related species, black cotton. The leaves are dark. The cotton is white. Quality of the cotton is probably not as high as that of Pima cotton. The opening flowers are the most attractive thing about the plant, I think.

Putterers might be able to use the dried pods and cotton for crafts, something like the ones below, made with regular white cotton (burrs as ears) and dried okra pods as hats. The genomes of five species of cotton have recently been sequenced. Cotton is big business.

One of several cotton pests that is still with us is the Red Cotton Bug. Also known as the Cotton Stainer or Okra Bug. Nymph seen here on Okra. This bug also attacks Hibiscus. I've never seen one.

Vegetable Profile - Okra

That black cotton above kind of reminds me of the red varieties of okra, like Burgundy. If that little fuzz on the pods bothers you, rub it off just before you wash the pods. And wear gloves and long sleeves when harvesting okra.

I'm a little surprised that this variety does well in Vermont. Some varieties of okra are day length sensitive. Check before choosing if you live in the North. You can start Okra indoors if you live in a short-season climate.

Try picking this variety smaller than shown above, pan-frying whole, "aggressively", until crisp and dressing with roasted tomatoes and garlic.

Usually this kind of dish is a celebration of a single vegetable.

Tired of potato chips? How about some Crispy Oven Baked Okra Chips? Plain dehydrated okra rounds and Cajun-seasoned dehydrated okra snack.

If you don't want to eat okra, you can plant it for the flowers in the garden, then use it for decoration in the house. Below, a variety of pod forms. All edible when picked young, woody when allowed to mature.

And pods dolled up.

Seed Catalogs

Several people mentioned catalogs last week. We can add a few details as people comment on their favorite veggies or other plants from the catalogs.

Lizzy likes Hudson Valley Seed, for the seed packet art. Which is very interesting.

They have a Goth Garden seed packet this year. Hmmmm. It includes Dracula Celosia.

Sal likes the Whole Seed Catalog "just for fun reading materiel. I may actually buy from them for 2021."

I am not familiar with this one. Though I am familiar with Baker Creek, which puts it out. They have a LOT of fascinating stuff. Anybody have a favorite from them?

Sal also notes Southern Exposure Seed Exchange for the Southeast. They're based in Virginia, specialize in heritage plants. They sell some cotton for gardeners. Including a light brown variety.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange has a nice "All About Okra" page. It includes history, cultivation tips and recipes. There's one for Pickled Okra. Ever thought about making "coffee" from roasted okra seeds? They say it tastes just like caffeine-free coffee. Maybe that impression has sometimes been affected by necessity - interruptions in supply of coffee, etc.

Okra has beautiful flowers. You can see the resemblance to Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon and Hollyhocks.

They also sell 21 kinds of okra and a book about okra.

Twilley's may sell 51 kinds of pumpkins, but Southern Exposure sells 66 varieties of greens! Garden huckleberries. And some flowers. Eight kinds of marigolds. They seem to like French marigolds best.

You might recall that I said last week that 'Dainty Marietta' (Crosman Seed Co.) was hard to find. This is 'Naughty Marietta'.

Old fashioned marigold. Golden-yellow single flowers with splashes of mahogany. 10-in. plants. (Similar to "Dainty Marietta," but somehow "Naughty Marietta" gets more attention...)

Tashkent:

[Found outside an old Muslim school in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1992. A favorite of flower seed collector Bob Bell. Introduced 1999 by SESE.] 78 days. 24-30 in. tall plants with a sweet marigold fragrance. Lacks the common astringent odor of other marigolds. The plants are so fragrant they sweeten the air on a hot summer day. Bears numerous 1 1/2 -2 in. single petalled flowers that have yellow centers and velvet mahogany petals, with a fine orange border. Petals change from mahogany-red to orange-red as they mature. One of our favorites.

Ronster remembers Gurneys. I remember them as having a slightly tabloid vibe in the past. They seem a little more corporate now. They have started offering a few interspecies stone fruit trees. Some of them still seem like a bit of a gamble to me, depending on your climate. This is the Honey Pearls Nectacot:

Flyover got a catalog from the socialists at Fedco. They are less annoying than some socialists. Catalog is aimed at market growers and shipping costs are high for small orders. You may be tempted to by large packets of seeds.

One advantage of the Fedco catalog is that they give you good information on how long it takes to get its varieties to maturity. They are in New Englands, in a short-season area.

I have been tempted by the Rose de Berne tomato. The "Brandywine of continental Europe". I have grown some 'Cosmonaut Volkov' tomatoes from their seed that were so good they made your eyes roll back in your head. Didn't last all season in our heat, though.

Pat* recommends Territorial Seed Company. It is very informative, especially if you live in the PNW.

Here's something different: A little hardy kiwi that doesn't need a pollinator, on a vine that isn't too rampant. Doesn't say if it attracts cats. Prolific is its name.

Special Tutorial on Making Compost

How to Make (Lots of) Compost: the Very Basic Version
-by The Famous Pat* and Pat*'s Hubby

This recipe is meant for larger properties, it's not for just dealing with kitchen waste. We recommend having the following items available:

Grass
Leaves
Water
Wire cages
Pitchfork
A good amount of room
Patience

First, find spots where you can put two different series of wire cages, one for leaves and one for compost. The compost cages should be located where you can get water to them if you live in dry country. Our cages are 3 feet tall, 4 to 5 feet across or so, made from fence wire (holes are 2 inches by 4 inches), wired into a circle. Some stuff will fall out the sides - just pick it up and throw it back in later.

We started in the fall, by collecting compostable leaves - leaves that don't have waxy coatings, that are generally smaller, or easy to shred. In our experience, maple, linden, sweet gum, apple, and crabapple work well. Oak (waxy coating) and sycamore (just won't shred) do not work. You may have to experiment to find out what leaves on your property will work best. If you have a shredder, shred the leaves before putting them into the leaf cages - they'll take up less room and break down faster.

Pile the leaves into the leaf cages. Wait for the grass to grow.

When you mow the grass, collect the excess clippings, either with a bagger, or using a sweeper after mowing (we use a Brinley model for that, and for gathering some of the leaves). Throw some saved leaves at the bottom of your first compost cage, then some grass. Alternate. Mix things up with the pitchfork - and don't let the grass clump up, mix it in while it's freshly cut if you possibly can. You can also throw in fruit and veggie waste from the kitchen and garden, crushed eggshells, and paper coffee filters with grounds. We avoid meat scraps, sticks, weeds, fibrous plant stems or rinds, and any plant material that has had a disease or pest problem. Continue adding material until a cage is full.

The pile will need some water in order to turn into compost. You don't want the pile to be dry, or no breakdown will happen. But you don't want it sopping wet, either. If you are in an area with regular rainfall, just try it and see what happens. If you are in arid country, like the southwest or the intermountain West (where we live), you'll need to help it out. We use mini-sprayers attached to drip irrigation tubing to dampen the pile - they're wired onto the top of each compost cage, and they run whenever the garden drippers run.

Once cage 1 is full, use the pitchfork to turn the material from cage 1 into cage 2. Start filling cage 1 again.

When cage 1 is full once again, cage 2 is turned over into cage 3 - and cage 1 is turned over into cage 2 - and cage 1 starts filling again. Continue this process with as many cages as you like. The turning process is how we aerate our compost. As we get closer to finished compost, I try to break up any clumps as I go. I have a pair of garden gloves that I wear just for working with compost, so I can do the breaking-up by hand.

Our yard has a series of 4 compost cages. It takes 2 years or more for the starting material to become good compost. We're using our compost to turn a chunk of paddock (originally made of just clay and sand) into a good corn-growing bed. I dump the final, fully composted material into the expanding corn bed, and Husband tills it in, each spring.

One lesson I learned the hard way: you may get plants growing in the compost. One year we had a huge number of tomato plants growing out of the top of a cage. I let them grow, though Husband told me not to. But I regretted not listening to him! When I tried to turn the compost later, the roots were everywhere, and made the work much harder than it needed to be. So if plants grow in the compost, either transplant them, or pull them out! (Pull weeds out ASAP - don't let weed seeds get in the compost.)

If you don't have a lot of room - or if you don't have a lot of need for compost for soil improvement - you could create just one leaf cage and one compost cage. Fill the leaf cage half full. If you mix grass and leaves in the compost cage, until the compost cage is full, the leaf cage should be empty. You can then turn the compost from one cage to the other - I'd say about twice a year, in spring and fall - until you have compost that looks like soil.
*****

Thanks, Pat* and Hubby! We are impressed!

If you would like to send information and/or photos for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden
at that g mail dot com place

Include your nic unless you want to remain a lurker.

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Wow, Lizabth! Great shot!

Posted by: m at December 05, 2020 01:11 PM (HDhso)

2 Great photo.

Posted by: Forheremenaremen at December 05, 2020 01:12 PM (GMR0L)

3 Thank you KT, love the gardening thread!

Posted by: AZ deplorably isolated at December 05, 2020 01:13 PM (gtatv)

4 The bird looks very serious.

Posted by: Jimco Industries at December 05, 2020 01:14 PM (buTO7)

5 Awesome bald eagle shot! It never fails if I'm shooting an amazing bird, the sun is directly behind it. You get to guess from the silhouette what it is.

Posted by: clutch cargo Now 100% Lubricant Free at December 05, 2020 01:14 PM (L8ADy)

6 I like plants.

Posted by: DB- just DB. at December 05, 2020 01:15 PM (iTXRQ)

7 I sense that the bald eagle is a little shocked at what's going on.

Posted by: t-bird at December 05, 2020 01:16 PM (fFtVH)

8 War Eagle!

Posted by: President-Elect Boots at December 05, 2020 01:18 PM (oGBso)

9 Ok, lived in CA my whole life, and I have to say, of all the stuff that comes out of the ground, okra is the one I don't get.

Don't tell me to deep fry it, cat poop would probably be decent deep fried with enough Crystal hot sauce on it.

Any recipes ideas where it's not slimy gunk? Oh, I have had it chopped up in gumbos and it's tolerable, but hiding it is sort of cheating as well.

Posted by: clutch cargo Now 100% Lubricant Free at December 05, 2020 01:18 PM (L8ADy)

10 The bright colors on this post are almost shocking to my eyes. We've been using Andrew Wyeth's color palette here for a while, and are just waiting to add some white for variety.

Posted by: t-bird at December 05, 2020 01:20 PM (JioHo)

11 Why exactly didn't the eagles just pick up Frodo IN Hobbiton and take him there?

Posted by: Jimco Industries at December 05, 2020 01:21 PM (buTO7)

12 The beautiful bald eagle needs to have a photoshopped teardrop rolling down its face... then it would be perfect.

Posted by: redridinghood at December 05, 2020 01:23 PM (NpAcC)

13 12 The beautiful bald eagle needs to have a photoshopped teardrop rolling down its face... then it would be perfect.
Posted by: redridinghood at December 05, 2020 01:23 PM (NpAcC)
----
Or holding Bidens head (by the plugs) in its beak. One of those two things...

Posted by: Jimco Industries at December 05, 2020 01:25 PM (buTO7)

14 Beautiful shot of the bald eagle, Lizzy. I wish I had photography skills like that!

Posted by: squeakywheel at December 05, 2020 01:27 PM (/Pc8P)

15 None of the online DIY re: replacing the rubber blades on single stage snow throwers tells you what a PITA the nuts are with no finger clearance. Easy once I took the whole rotor out. Will see if I make ONT genius Indiana man this afternoon when I'm done and try starting it.

Posted by: DaveA at December 05, 2020 01:31 PM (FhXTo)

16 Lots of tree branches down here, Monday had probably straight line winds taking out most pine tree and have a hung up maple branch about 8 inches in diameter so waiting to see if it comes down on it's own.

Posted by: Skip at December 05, 2020 01:33 PM (9sWOw)

17 Just had my winter flower beds done.
Red dianthus mixed with red cyclamen.
White alyssum for the border.
Great flowers for Texas that should last till April.

Posted by: redridinghood at December 05, 2020 01:34 PM (NpAcC)

18 Boll Weevils, kill them, kill them all.

Posted by: Skip at December 05, 2020 01:34 PM (9sWOw)

19 how do the eagle's feathers stay so white?

Posted by: kallisto at December 05, 2020 01:34 PM (DJFLF)

20 Jesus is great.

Posted by: Finkling at December 05, 2020 01:35 PM (ojJ9i)

21 Or holding Bidens head (by the plugs) in its beak. One of those two things...
Posted by: Jimco Industries at December 05, 2020 01:25 PM (buTO7)

Or an animation of what would happen if he pulled its tail, getting out of the shower naked.

Posted by: clutch cargo Now 100% Lubricant Free at December 05, 2020 01:35 PM (L8ADy)

22 Ummm. isn't shooting bald eagles illeagal anymore?

Posted by: Central Scrutinizer at December 05, 2020 01:36 PM (+U5Yr)

23 Steve Solomon has a book on Gutenberg.org called Organic Gardener's composting.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4342

He has an updated book on it by the way, but for general work this is a very good book for a first entry into composting. He also discusses soil amendments.

I personally adore compost squash but I also tend to dump it and till it under very early in the Spring to let the roots and such break down.

My compost heap gets my dishwater since I want to keep it wet but I don't want to pay the city for irrigation water

Posted by: Kindltot at December 05, 2020 01:36 PM (WyVLE)

24 Okra is good slowly stewed in tomatoes. But again, cheating.

Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at December 05, 2020 01:36 PM (zI9dG)

25 Wow, amazing picture, Lizabth !

Posted by: sock_rat_eez, we are being gaslighted 24/365 TRUMP WON! at December 05, 2020 01:36 PM (/On2j)

26 Noood? Is it too early? this thread is a draggin.

Posted by: Finkling at December 05, 2020 01:36 PM (ojJ9i)

27 Getting quite a bit of snow here now, so probably no more gardening for the year. Funny how wrong the weather forecast has been, though. We were supposed to get about an inch of rain throughout the day, then it was supposed to turn to snow this afternoon. It turned to snow about 8am and we have a winter wonderland outside.

Makes it feel like Christmas.

Posted by: squeakywheel at December 05, 2020 01:38 PM (/Pc8P)

28 dead, dead, dead. We need a new nood.

Posted by: Finkling at December 05, 2020 01:39 PM (ojJ9i)

29 Lizabth--if you're here: Are you a professional photographer?

Posted by: m at December 05, 2020 01:39 PM (HDhso)

30 Ha!I saw the picture and read 'genomes' as gnomes.

Posted by: FrodoB-
cause I am at December 05, 2020 01:40 PM (dQF3z)

31 24 Okra is good slowly stewed in tomatoes. But again, cheating.
Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at December 05, 2020 01:36 PM (zI9dG)

And you could add corn kernels and rice and a tomato sauce of some sort and make a gumbo. (FYI: I am a horrible cook.)

Posted by: m at December 05, 2020 01:40 PM (HDhso)

32 I meant to mention last week that I recently found a book written by Sharon Lovejoy called A Blessing of Toads.

It is a collection of Lovejoy's articles which were published in the Country Living magazine in the 90s, I believe. It is a charming collection of garden observations over the course of about a decade. The illustrations are beautiful, too.

Posted by: squeakywheel at December 05, 2020 01:42 PM (/Pc8P)

33 Why exactly didn't the eagles just pick up Frodo IN Hobbiton and take him there?

--That's what I said...

Posted by: FrodoB-
cause I am at December 05, 2020 01:42 PM (dQF3z)

34 Great eagle pic.
Out fishing in Voyageurs BrotherA got into a screech contest with a young one.

Posted by: DaveA at December 05, 2020 01:43 PM (FhXTo)

35 Love the eagle photo. I've only seen 3 in the wild. I removed my cap on each occasion.

Posted by: TwentytwoLR at December 05, 2020 01:45 PM (cnMr3)

36 Thank you, KT, for the garden thread.

Posted by: m at December 05, 2020 01:47 PM (HDhso)

37 Rumor has it that Biden is replacing the bald eagle with the peacock.

Posted by: redridinghood at December 05, 2020 01:47 PM (NpAcC)

38 I have roving from several naturally colored cottons. It's interesting stuff. Most are variations of green or brown. There is a mauve one but that's in short supply. The color gets darker when you wash it. It is light sensitive until washed and will fade. Sally Pfox started raising it in the US and had to move her farm as commercial cotton growers claimed it would cross pollnate and ruin their crop.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at December 05, 2020 01:48 PM (YynYJ)

39 Too long a carry.
Sauron would have seen them coming.
The Witch King was still unEomered and flying.

Posted by: DaveA at December 05, 2020 01:48 PM (FhXTo)

40 There is a pair of bald eagles who have a nest out by the lake behind our house. They've been sitting in the trees together for the last couple of weeks, side by side, bonding. It's so cute. This year they successfully fledged two babies. Beautiful picture.

Posted by: Nan at December 05, 2020 01:51 PM (tXYtV)

41 " I have grown some 'Cosmonaut Volkov' tomatoes from their seed that were so good they made your eyes roll back in your head."
---
You screamed and fell to the ground?

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at December 05, 2020 01:51 PM (Dc2NZ)

42 12 The beautiful bald eagle needs to have a photoshopped teardrop rolling down its face... then it would be perfect.
Posted by: redridinghood at December 05, 2020 01:23 PM (NpAcC)

---

Nah.

The serious, "Imma bout to stomp a mudhole in so many asses" vibe is so much better.

Posted by: SMH at December 05, 2020 01:53 PM (RU4sa)

43 Awesome eagle Lizabeth!!
Nicely done!!

Posted by: Wyoming lurker at December 05, 2020 01:54 PM (fT38Y)

44 37 Rumor has it that Biden is replacing the bald eagle with the peacock.
Posted by: redridinghood at December 05, 2020 01:47 PM (NpAcC)

With the thieving crow.

Posted by: m at December 05, 2020 01:55 PM (HDhso)

45 Awesome shot, Lizzy.

I feel so blessed to live in an area where I can see bald eagles regularly.

Always a thrill.

Posted by: SMH at December 05, 2020 01:56 PM (RU4sa)

46 NOT safe for work/kids - the real reason you don't ride giant eagles for any length of time:
https://www.oglaf.com/ornithology/

Posted by: Pat* at December 05, 2020 01:57 PM (2pX/F)

47 Only saw a Bald Eagle back in summer once about a mile down the road, looked in same area when ever I go that way and a bike ride once.

Posted by: Skip at December 05, 2020 01:57 PM (9sWOw)

48 Jesus's works are amazing.

Posted by: Finkling at December 05, 2020 01:58 PM (ojJ9i)

49 KT says: I remember them as having a slightly tabloid vibe in the past.


You are right.I used to buy a lot of bare root bushes and some trees from them. Had pretty good luck with them.

Posted by: Ronster at December 05, 2020 02:00 PM (P148V)

50 48 Jesus's works are amazing.
Posted by: Finkling at December 05, 2020 01:58 PM (ojJ9i)

---

He is the ultimate artist.

Yet, this world is but a mere shadow of what's to come.

Posted by: SMH at December 05, 2020 02:00 PM (RU4sa)

51 Thanks for the kind words! Eagles are always thrilling, and I loved getting a shot of that magnificent mug.

I shot it last weekend on a birding jaunt with hubby.

The real thrill of our weekend was observing THREE Whooping Cranes not too far from where we live, on their journey to Texas.

Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:01 PM (L3Rsz)

52 My bad, Lizabeth.

Too many Lizzies here.

Posted by: SMH at December 05, 2020 02:02 PM (RU4sa)

53 Wow. I can actually say something gardening thread related.

In my mom's village in South Eastern Nigeria, when we used to visit as kids, there were cotton plants growing randomly around. It was cool to see the bolls. I don't think they were ever harvested.

Also, okra is very popular in Nigeria,where it is called okro. Okro soup is one of my favorites, and I love the consistency. We don't call it slimy. We say it "draws". There's another food called ogbono (don't know the English equivalent) that also "draws", and okro is sometimes added to ogbono, double drawing.

I would never offer okro soup or ogbono soup to someone who did not grow up eating them unless they are very adventurous with food. They are 2 of my favorites but I can see why others may be put off by the consistency.

Oh, it seems I segued into a food thread topic. Sorry!

Posted by: chique l'African Viking Math Queen King of Greenland (Your/Majesty/yes) at December 05, 2020 02:04 PM (9hauA)

54 Yet, this world is but a mere shadow of what's to come.

Posted by: SMH

I ponder that sometimes and am blown away by the implication. So much beauty right here, right now. How will we handle more. God is good.

Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:05 PM (L3Rsz)

55 I wonder how the red okra tastes.

Probably like chicken.

Posted by: chique l'African Viking Math Queen King of Greenland (Your/Majesty/yes) at December 05, 2020 02:06 PM (9hauA)

56 'Murica! Fuck yeah!

Terrorists your game is through!

Posted by: Insomniac at December 05, 2020 02:07 PM (ywNoU)

57 Oh, it seems I segued into a food thread topic. Sorry!
Posted by: chique l'African Viking Math Queen King of Greenland (Your/Majesty/yes

Just don't segue into a math thread !

Posted by: JT at December 05, 2020 02:08 PM (arJlL)

58 57 Oh, it seems I segued into a food thread topic. Sorry!
Posted by: chique l'African Viking Math Queen King of Greenland (Your/Majesty/yes

Just don't segue into a math thread !
Posted by: JT at December 05, 2020 02:08 PM (arJlL)

Think I'll sine on with JT here.

Posted by: Insomniac at December 05, 2020 02:09 PM (ywNoU)

59 The real thrill of our weekend was observing THREE Whooping Cranes not too far from where we live, on their journey to Texas.
Posted by: lizabth

Were they whooping it up ?

A whooping crane MoMee ?

Posted by: JT at December 05, 2020 02:09 PM (arJlL)

60 That's a good looking birdie !

Posted by: runner at December 05, 2020 02:10 PM (zr5Kq)

61 I ponder that sometimes and am blown away by the implication. So much beauty right here, right now. How will we handle more. God is good.
Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:05 PM (L3Rsz)

---

You should read Heaven by Randy Alcorn.

God is truly merciful and good.

Posted by: SMH at December 05, 2020 02:10 PM (RU4sa)

62 Were they whooping it up ?

A whooping crane MoMee ?
Posted by: JT

They did whoop a bit. Quite the racket, let me tell you!

Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:10 PM (L3Rsz)

63 My boll weevil experience: we lived in GA the year I was 8, brother was 10. My uncle was a farmer; raised cotton, peanuts and watermelons depending on the season. One day he told us he would give us a nickel for every one we got out of a small field near his house. Off we went with a mason jar. Got at least a hundred. Don't think we got the full amount owed though.
And okra is good however it's fixed. Yum!

Posted by: AlmostYuman at December 05, 2020 02:11 PM (ozjAF)

64 You should read Heaven by Randy Alcorn.

God is truly merciful and good.
Posted by: SMH

I actually have that book, but haven't looked at it for a long while. I'll have to dig it out. Glad you reminded me of it!

Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:12 PM (L3Rsz)

65 Have a friend who is an excellent "plain" cook; she can make anything taste good. Once she simply roasted cut-up okra, I guess tossed with veg oil and salt. It tasted great.

Posted by: skywch at December 05, 2020 02:13 PM (Y/Ps0)

66
Lovely pictures as always.

Got to
figure out what has been burrowing around my backyard deck at night. No
matter what I put up it has burrowed around it. It can't be too big
considering the space under the deck isn't much. I'm thinking of going
with barbed wire and landmines if it doesn't bugger off.

Posted by: TheQuietMan at December 05, 2020 02:14 PM (c5t4E)

67 Lizabth! Awesome shot. Thank you for sending it in.

Posted by: Flyover... at December 05, 2020 02:15 PM (Rbu5d)

68 58 57 Oh, it seems I segued into a food thread topic. Sorry!
Posted by: chique l'African Viking Math Queen King of Greenland (Your/Majesty/yes

Just don't segue into a math thread !
Posted by: JT at December 05, 2020 02:08 PM (arJlL)

Think I'll sine on with JT here.
Posted by: Insomniac at December 05, 2020 02:09 PM (ywNoU)

[narrow eyes directed at Insom]

Posted by: Flyover... at December 05, 2020 02:18 PM (Rbu5d)

69 I'm thinking of going
with barbed wire and landmines if it doesn't bugger off.
Posted by: TheQuietMan

We have something similar, but whatever it is is burrowed under a rotting pine stump. Away from the house, fortunately.

Our German shepherd Lena excavates the spot every chance she gets. She knows something's down there. Man, can that old girl make the dirt fly.

Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:18 PM (L3Rsz)

70 Lizabth! Awesome shot. Thank you for sending it in.
Posted by: Flyover

Aww, thanks! My pleasure entirely!

Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:18 PM (L3Rsz)

71 *waves to chique and Insom*

Posted by: SMH at December 05, 2020 02:20 PM (RU4sa)

72 Oh, it seems I segued into a food thread topic. Sorry!
Posted by: chique l'African Viking Math Queen King of Greenland (Your/Majesty/yes

Just don't segue into a math thread !
Posted by: JT at December 05, 2020 02:08 PM (arJlL)

Think I'll sine on with JT here.
Posted by: Insomniac at December 05, 2020 02:09 PM (ywNoU)
------

Stop going off on tangents.

Posted by: bluebell at December 05, 2020 02:20 PM (/669Q)

73 Lizabth, that eagle picture is just amazing. Wow. You're a good photographer with a good camera!

Posted by: bluebell at December 05, 2020 02:21 PM (/669Q)

74 Beautiful picture, lizabth. Looks professional.

Posted by: AlmostYuman at December 05, 2020 02:22 PM (ozjAF)

75 chique l'African Viking Math Queen King of Greenland (Your/Majesty/yes) at December 05, 2020

Well, the red okra turns green when you cook it. So, it doesn't taste too much like chicken.

Posted by: KT at December 05, 2020 02:23 PM (BVQ+1)

76 Aww, thanks! My pleasure entirely!
Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:18 PM (L3Rsz

Yes; gorgeous!

Posted by: President-elect Emmie at December 05, 2020 02:25 PM (ofYez)

77 You're a good photographer with a good camera!
Posted by: bluebell

Beautiful picture, lizabth. Looks professional.
Posted by: AlmostYuman

Thanks so much! I do enjoy taking the camera out after birds and pretty landscapes. Astrophotography, too. It's a neat hobby, and keeps me 'mostly' out of trouble and active in my old-ish age.

Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:26 PM (L3Rsz)

78 71 *waves to chique and Insom*
Posted by: SMH at December 05, 2020 02:20 PM (RU4sa)

*waves back lazily*

How's it going?

Posted by: Insomniac at December 05, 2020 02:28 PM (ywNoU)

79 Now I wanna grow Tashkent. A nice-smelling marigold would be glorious!

A literary reference: the false, muslim-y god in CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia was named Tash.

Posted by: President-elect Emmie at December 05, 2020 02:28 PM (ofYez)

80 Love the okra/cotton crafts, they are adorable.

Also, spicy pickled okra is my favorite, but fried okra is good too.

Posted by: spypeach at December 05, 2020 02:28 PM (Up/Jb)

81 Marigolds are eatable. Or are they poisonous to eat ? Oh well, it either one or the other...

Posted by: runner at December 05, 2020 02:30 PM (zr5Kq)

82 hmm, what happened?

Posted by: spypeach at December 05, 2020 02:33 PM (Up/Jb)

83 hmm, what happened?
Posted by: spypeach at December 05, 2020 02:33 PM (Up/Jb)


You know what happened.

Posted by: runner at December 05, 2020 02:33 PM (zr5Kq)

84 Comments went bye-bye for a moment or two.

Posted by: Pug Mahon at December 05, 2020 02:33 PM (x8Wzq)

85 Skwerls are running across my roof. The skwerls here are really fat.

Posted by: Pug Mahon at December 05, 2020 02:34 PM (x8Wzq)

86 You know what happened.
Posted by: runner at December 05, 2020 02:33 PM (zr5Kq)

Pixy doesn't like okra?

Posted by: spypeach at December 05, 2020 02:34 PM (Up/Jb)

87 Yes, you can eat marigolds. "Lemon Gem" is a nice one.

Posted by: President-elect Emmie at December 05, 2020 02:35 PM (ofYez)

88 Pickled okra spears are great in dirty martinis.

I'm pro-okra, and I vote.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Iron Fist in Velvet Glove in Iron Gauntlet Clutching an Iron Mace at December 05, 2020 02:36 PM (Dc2NZ)

89 14 hours later and I'm still laughing about the 'Business Insider' joke from the ONT.

That was some funny shiat, man.

Posted by: Grapefruit LaCroix at December 05, 2020 02:36 PM (4VafR)

90 Prokra.

Posted by: runner at December 05, 2020 02:36 PM (zr5Kq)

91 Lizabth, that is a wonderful photo.

I have had okra three times and it was slimy twice. I have it occasionally now in vegetable soup, but not my favorite.

I started throwing vegetable waste behind the rhubarb, but no composting heap. There's no place to hide the garbage bin, and I'd hate to look at compost rubbish from the deck.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at December 05, 2020 02:36 PM (/+bwe)

92 I see bald eagles a lot around here. But I have seen only one golden eagle since moving here. Now that's a beautiful bird. It's feathers glow in the sunlight.

Posted by: Pug Mahon at December 05, 2020 02:36 PM (x8Wzq)

93 Fascinating stuff about okra and what it's related to.

I can tolerate it in gumbo and when it's breaded and fried. Other than that, I'll pass. It's an acquired taste.

Posted by: Martini Farmer - Now a Pirate, Hoisting the Black Flag at December 05, 2020 02:38 PM (3H9h1)

94 Great shot of the eagle. It is Bald Eagle season in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho right now. They come down from Canada around Thanksgiving to fill up on our Sockeye Salmon for the rest of the year. It draws large crowds of birders, photographers, and people just wanting to see this magnificent creature.

Posted by: North Idaho Birder at December 05, 2020 02:39 PM (f8170)

95 Hi SMH!

Posted by: chique l'African Viking Math Queen King of Greenland (Your/Majesty/yes) at December 05, 2020 02:43 PM (9hauA)

96 Great shot of the eagle. It is Bald Eagle season in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho right now. They come down from Canada around Thanksgiving to fill up on our Sockeye Salmon for the rest of the year. It draws large crowds of birders, photographers, and people just wanting to see this magnificent creature.
Posted by: North Idaho Birder at December 05, 2020 02:39 PM (f8170)

That's right ! they love salmon.

Posted by: runner at December 05, 2020 02:43 PM (zr5Kq)

97 Okro soup pic

https://tinyurl.com/y5v7zocn

Posted by: chique l'African Viking Math Queen King of Greenland (Your/Majesty/yes) at December 05, 2020 02:44 PM (9hauA)

98 Okra
Folks, either roasted or, especially, grilled... it is out of this world.
Depending on variety, bending the tip will tell you whether it's edible, or compost.
Woody okra is an abomination. Tender okra is sublime.
Any oil, salt and pepper.
If you don't have a vegetable rack on your grill, get one.
Most vegetables have a very different flavor roasted or grilled.
We DO freeze some okra for frying, but that's not it's best taste.

Posted by: Moron chorus at December 05, 2020 02:45 PM (Rk3zP)

99


https://tinyurl.com/yx9jlhe8

Posted by: runner at December 05, 2020 02:46 PM (zr5Kq)

100 I have seen only one golden eagle since moving here. Now that's a beautiful bird. It's feathers glow in the sunlight.
Posted by: Pug Mahon

I would LOVE to see a Golden. Rare around here, but they are occasionally spotted.

Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:46 PM (L3Rsz)

101 Evidently someone was PUI at some point...
Sock off.

Posted by: MarkY at December 05, 2020 02:46 PM (Rk3zP)

102 Great photos!

Dad's job as a retired country preacher in central Louisiana, Boll Weavel Pheremone Trap Specialist. Fancy words for riding a quad arou d the perimeter of huge-mongo, 16 mile circumference, cotton fields, emptying, counting dead boll weavels, replacijg the bait strip, and scanning the bait strip/trap bar codes. This let the state ag department recommend the correct pesticides for the regions being aflicted with all types of insects bad for cotton.

He used this job to meet landowners and scout out new hunting sites.

He also used his mad mechanical skillz to soup up his quad, a yamaha 250 banshee all wheel drive, and repair as a side buisness his co-worker's machines. This is also where and how he got my vintage 1938 Walther PPK.

Posted by: BifBewalski AOS Moron at December 05, 2020 02:48 PM (VcFUs)

103 It draws large crowds of birders, photographers, and people just wanting to see this magnificent creature.
Posted by: North Idaho Birder

The areas around the locks and dams along the Mississippi are usually full of Bald Eagle watchers this time of year. Of course it is so warm here right now, nothing is frozen, so the eagles are hunting all over. We see them in the ag fields now and then.

Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:49 PM (L3Rsz)

104 Something my wife taught me.
If you "bread" your okra with cornmeal, then "oven blanch" it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, then freeze the individuals on a cookie sheet... THEN vacuum seal; the breading will stick when you pull it out of the freezer and deep fry it.

Posted by: MarkY at December 05, 2020 02:50 PM (Rk3zP)

105 Got to

figure out what has been burrowing around my backyard deck at night. No

matter what I put up it has burrowed around it. It can't be too big

considering the space under the deck isn't much.

I bought a trail camera for my yard. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what wanders around at night. Also, I've found that solar motion sensor lights spook animals away. I have a bunch in my yard that act like trip wires to see where they come from.

Posted by: dartist at December 05, 2020 02:53 PM (+ya+t)

106 I like okra and make a special effort to eat it if I am having any illness involving mucus membranes, like digestive or respiratory issues. It seems to help.

Posted by: President-elect Emmie at December 05, 2020 02:58 PM (ofYez)

107 90 Prokra.
Posted by: runner at December 05, 2020 02:36 PM (zr5Kq

Most of my okra is amateur.

Posted by: President-elect Emmie at December 05, 2020 03:00 PM (ofYez)

108 Lizabth, recently I have been looking for a new screen saver.
Your picture of our national bird is just the ticket.
Hope you don't mind me using it.
Thank you.

Beautiful gardening blog this Saturday. Thanks everybody!!

PS-never knew okra came in red.

Posted by: JD at December 05, 2020 03:10 PM (7/kmB)

109 m at December 05, 2020 01:40 PM
I like okra stewed with tomatoes, too. And onions.

Posted by: KT at December 05, 2020 03:11 PM (BVQ+1)

110 I really need to go back into my files and grab some birb pics to send in. They're from CA, but they're not kook birds or anything.

They do vote democrat though.

What's funny/sad is I sit on the edge of one of the largest open space districts in CA, and there's all kinds of raptors. But apparently they get on twitter when I leave the house with a big black lens and vanish. I've even had these little teeny falcons that are about the size of a jay bird sitting in the back yard (I need to look some of these guys up).

Of course being in CA, my favorite birding spot has been closed for almost a year now - well since 3/16. Seriously, who is going to get sick out in the middle of a freaking slough by the ocean?

Posted by: clutch cargo Now 100% Lubricant Free at December 05, 2020 03:14 PM (L8ADy)

111 Whole article about the bollweavil and no mention of the bollweavil song by Brook Benton. "Just lookin' for a hnome"

Posted by: Vic at December 05, 2020 03:16 PM (mpXpK)

112 Lizabth, what was the distance? That's an awesome shot.

I've taken 2 photos of Bald Eagles in our backyard, but they were 100+ yards or more away and the lighting was poor.

Posted by: Martini Farmer - Now a Pirate, Hoisting the Black Flag at December 05, 2020 03:18 PM (3H9h1)

113 Okra
Folks, either roasted or, especially, grilled... it is out of this world.
Depending on variety, bending the tip will tell you whether it's edible, or compost.

Woody okra is an abomination. Tender okra is sublime.
Any oil, salt and pepper.

If you don't have a vegetable rack on your grill, get one.
Most vegetables have a very different flavor roasted or grilled.

We DO freeze some okra for frying, but that's not it's best taste.
Posted by: Moron chorus at December 05, 2020 02:45 PM (Rk3zP)

I was just at the farmer's market, but didn't look for any okra at the Asian's stand. They love the stuff, and stir fry it with tofu and lots and lots of chili paste.

I'm a fan of grilling anything, and was hoping to have lots of red/yellow bells from the garden to roast and freeze. Dinna happen. Got a bell about every 3 weeks, there's actually a red one now, and a green one, and the yellow is blooming. Since May. Lousiest garden ever.

The ex has the dehydrator, we used to have that thing on for weeks straight. If I get my act together enough in the next few months for the garden I might get one for myself.

Anyway, I might pick some okra up and give it a whirl, not deep fried. My ex FIL loves the stuff and used to grow tons, but always for deep frying. I love deep fried food, but it hates me. I think it's something you need to acclimate yourself to, really.

For the longest time, when I'd go back with the ex to visit her relatives in NE, one of the places everybody would take us was Lee's Famous Fried everything. The chicken was great, and I'd be sick for the entire duration of the stay. It got to be the challenge was not to barf until I got back home. Getting out of the parking lot was about as good as it got. The ex would eat an entire bucket of fried chicken livers, and then eat my drumstick and wing as I nibbled on a thigh. [sigh]. Fish and Chips is about as much as I can tolerate. A lifetime of salads and veggies I guess.

Posted by: clutch cargo Now 100% Lubricant Free at December 05, 2020 03:27 PM (L8ADy)

114 We have something similar, but whatever it is is burrowed under a rotting pine stump. Away from the house, fortunately.

Our German shepherd Lena excavates the spot every chance she gets. She knows something's down there. Man, can that old girl make the dirt fly.
Posted by: lizabth at December 05, 2020 02:18 PM (L3Rsz)

You need to borrow an "earth dog" if you anybody who has one. They were bred for digging and chasing out critters. Weinerhundun and terriers.

Posted by: Fox2! at December 05, 2020 03:28 PM (qyH+l)

115 What an absolutely amazing shot of the Bald Eagle. Terrific work and great eye for composition.

Posted by: Dr_No at December 05, 2020 03:32 PM (mu5GU)

116 This past week, I walked out of my garage in time to see a hawk take a pigeon in mid air 3 or 4 feet off the ground.

I walked out there, and there were feathers EVERYWHERE !

Like the pigeon had been hit with an anti-aircraft gun.

Posted by: JT at December 05, 2020 03:57 PM (arJlL)

117 From Idaho's Treasure Valley, Boise area: Things are getting quieter, here at Compost Central. We sucked up and shredded the last leaves we'll compost this season. Our trash company's leaf-bag pickup program has ended - we did 45 bags this year! We swept leaves, and burned a pile of leaves, for the last time this season. If we do anything else with leaves, it'll be Husband doing a mowing/mulching pass over the sycamore areas.

I went through a pot of mini-crocus I had, to move the bulbs to a smaller pot so I could reuse the one they were in. All I found were 10 itty-bitty bulbs with itty-bitty sprouts. (And when I say "itty-bitty", I mean "I could probably balance all of them on one thumbnail!") I replanted those in a much smaller pot, and brought that pot inside, in hopes these midgets will grow.
Then I took the final batch of leftover tulip bulbs and stuck them all in the freed-up pot. We'll see if any of them grow - some were partly scalped in the digging-up process, and some were small.

I've started making sure to keep my seed feeder filled. I also bought a wild bird seed block and set it out back, for the quail and other birds to enjoy. I set it up on 2 logs to keep the bottom dry. It's placed so we can look out the back windows with binoculars to see who visits it.

We canned 6 half-pint jars of red raspberry jelly this week, from juice we froze earlier in the season.

We still have buckets of apples in the garage - we'd better decide what we're making from them, and then get to it. I did save some out for fresh eating.
*****
Remember: We are not The Deplorables.
We are The Unconquerables!
We won't be lied to, and we won't live under the lash.
Stay alert, stay prepared, stay safe out there.
Be ready to build over, build under, build around, if events should turn against us.

Posted by: Pat* at December 05, 2020 04:00 PM (2pX/F)

118 Like the pigeon had been hit with an anti-aircraft gun.
Posted by: JT at December 05, 2020 03:57 PM (arJlL)

Or a Randy Johnson fastball.

Posted by: Pug Mahon at December 05, 2020 04:10 PM (x8Wzq)

119 Like the pigeon had been hit with an anti-aircraft gun.
Posted by: JT at December 05, 2020 03:57 PM (arJlL)

Or a Randy Johnson fastball.
Posted by: Pug Mahon

LOL !!!

I had forgotten about that !

Posted by: JT at December 05, 2020 04:12 PM (arJlL)

120 Checked back for the Pat* report. Raspberry preserves are now my craving.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at December 05, 2020 04:31 PM (/+bwe)

121 I took a picture exactly like that eagle. At the Birds of Prey Wildlife Rescue Center. The bird has two broken wings and a seriously messed up foot with talons going zoink all over the place. It is also blind in one eye. Poor thing. It's such a mess I don't think it can ever be released.

Posted by: bour3 at December 05, 2020 06:04 PM (9EZET)

122 Ever tried pickeled okra?

Tried some this summer for the first time.

Very yummy, if you like pickles.

Available in many areas of the south, especially along I65 on the way to the Redneck Riviera (gulf coast along Alabama & Florida panhandle).

Try some!

Posted by: John F Rogers III at December 05, 2020 06:15 PM (3aUKL)

123 redridinghood at December 05, 2020 01:34 PM
That red and white combo sounds fabulous.

Posted by: KT at December 05, 2020 09:56 PM (BVQ+1)

124 squeakywheel at December 05, 2020 01:42 PM
I read some of those articles when they were first published. Reading them makes one feel good.

I think our front yard toads are trying to decide if they are ready to dig in for the winter.

Posted by: KT at December 05, 2020 09:59 PM (BVQ+1)

125 [c]test[/c]

Posted by: RickZ at December 06, 2020 04:45 AM (ldL4g)

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