181/365

181/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

today's harvest.

clockwise...
from the top...

padron peppers.
tangerine tomato.
siberian tomato.
black & brown boar tomato.
currant tomatoes.
sungold tomato.

and in the center...
vietnamese cilantro...
and basil.

we grilled chicken...
zucchini...
and shallots for dinner.

i sliced the tomatoes into quarters...
except for the currants...
drizzled olive oil over...
sprinkled with kosher salt...
and served that with the chicken and veggies.

my niece LOVED the zucchini...
so i'll send some home with her when she goes.

btw...
she helped pick the tomatoes today.

180/365

180/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

it's national camera day.

my daughter bought this camera for mj on etsy as a christmas present.
today when i picked her up...
we brought the camera with us.

she's been taking (smile)...
and posing (smile again)...
for photos all day.

here...
we're sitting out back...
and she's taking my photo.

179/365

179/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

olives...

my little olive tree is growing every day.

i'm not quite sure what i'll do with the olives.
but i'd like to try curing them.
i found a recipe at about.com...
that looks pretty easy.

i'd love to make olive oil...
but i don't have...
and don't plan to purchase...
the industrial-strength equipment needed for that task.

these are about pea-sized.

178/365

178/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

sage...

today...
i cut some herbs...
and took them into the office.

since my sage plant is the largest...
it represented half of the herbs.

the other herbs that i cut were...
rosemary...
oregano...
and basil.

since all of my co-workers weren't in today...
i'll take in more in a couple of weeks.

extra benefit...
the wonderful aroma in my car and office.

177/365

177/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

red currant tomatoes.

these tomatoes are SO sweet!
they're like candy!!!

my plant is a bit skimpy this year...
so hopefully the doses of food i'm giving it will help it.

i'll be covering it with my net in a few days...
so the birds don't think i'm growing the tomatoes for them!

176/365

176/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

gladiola w/raindrops.

we had a bit of rain...
and it was a little humid...
but i think my plants enjoyed it.

this week its going to heat up...
so i expect to see a burst of growth in the garden...
and i'll even be able to pick a few tomatoes.

i planted this gladiola a few years ago...
and its a welcome site each year when it returns.

173/365

173/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

mayhem...

out for her afternoon walk.
she likes to stop and touch the decorative grass at a neighbor's down the street...
and there are flower in another yard that she likes to smell.

she also loves seeing other children...
especially if they're close to her age.

she's vey nterested in cats and dogs...
and on today's walk...
she got to pet two dogs.

she had a pretty full day for a 15-month old...
and is now sleeping peacefully.

172/365

172/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

fish pepper.

an african american heirloom.
started from seeds.

seeds did not germinate last year.
trying again this year.

i have two other plants that i've started.
am looking forward to seeing & tasting these peppers.

171/365

171/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

chevy wagon.

today...
on my way home...
i made a stop...
and stumbled on a car show.

after i placed my dinner order...
i went out to view the cars...
and take a few photos.

the car show was at a local parts store...
and i'm going to check back with them to find out how often they do this...
because from what i gathered...
this is a regular occurrence...
and i'd like to go back...
photograph more cars...
and talk with the owners so that i can write more intelligently about my photos.

the driver's side mirror...
and the rear windows attracted me to this car.

170/365

170/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

figs!!!

i love them!
i must...
because i paid WAY too much for these today!

169/365

169/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

para-water skiing...

today...
i was in emeryville for a career fair.
afterwards...
when my co-workers and i went to lunch...
we could see the water skiers out of the window.

when we left the restaurant...
i went onto the frontage road to photograph them.

that's the golden gate bridge in the background.
barely visible in the haze.

168/365

168/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

two-strand twist.

today...
i received my first #curlbox (pictured in the comments).

my daughter had received them before...
and when the subscriptions reopened...
she let me know...
and i immediately signed up.

where did all these 'natural haircare' products come from?
back in the day...
you washed...
greased...
and braided your hair.
that was it.

no co-washing.
no custards.
just grease and water.

i had natural hair until i was in my mid twenties.
i cut off my hair in my forties...
and kept it short for a few years...
and now...
in my fifties...
i've grown it back again.

i love having my hair long again...
and the variety of styling options.

being a product junkie...
i'm also loving all the products that are available right now...
but it can get rather expensive...
trying all the new products that come out...
so being a #curlbox subscriber...
is right up my alley.

167/365

167/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

olives...

last year...
we bought a miniature olive tree.
why?
because we like the way they look...
and we didn't think it would have olives.

well...
it does.
hundreds of them.

they're pea-sized right now...
and getting bigger.

this will be interesting...
as the plant is only a foot tall.
maybe!

i was telling my mother that the plant may have 200 leaves...
but it has at least 400 olives!

interesting indeed!

165/365

165/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

triple planter...

this is my garlic chive plant again.
we worked in the garden tonight...
repotting plants...
and feeding and watering them...
and it was nine when i remembered my potd.

i have a few new plants that i picked up today...
that i'll photograph this weekend...
after they are planted in their new home.

164/365

164/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

fishin'...

i love these little crackers...
and keep them in stock at the house.

my niece has become a fan of them...
and they have become one of her fave snacks.

when she was with us last weekend...
we went out to the base...
and we kept her out of the gold fish aisle...
as i thought she'd start asking for them.

the parm flavor is my favorite...
but lately i've been buying the multi-colored cheddar ones too.

162/365

162/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

hydrangeas.

from my garden.
i have three bushes...
and they all have pink flowers.
some pinks are paler than others...
but they're all pink.

acidic soil produces blue flowers...
and alkaline soil produces pink flower.

when you cut hydrangeas...
rinse them in hot water...
which washes away a sticky substance...
allowing moisture to reach the bloom.

161/365

161/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

lunchtime...

i made myself some popcorn.

this is the marthapantry brand...
and i bought it on saturday.

it's a jumbo popcorn...
and cooks up a little too dry for me.

i seasoned it with a canjun seasoning...
and while butter would have added moisture...
i refrained from adding it to save on calories.

159/365

159/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

cucumber.

my cucumber plant is doing well...
and has over twenty fruits on it.
this one is over an inch long.

i will pick them at about six inches...
as i will be making pickles.

158/365

158/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

mayhem.

yeah...
she looks innocent enough...
but looks are deceiving.

this is my 14-month old niece...
and she is spending the weekend with us.

she is especially attracted to the magnet collection on my refrigerator...
and thinks all iProducts belong to her!

in a nutshell...
what's yours is hers.

she's always on the move...
and while she can walk...
she doesn't walk as well as she thinks she can.

her playpen...
aka 'the pen'...
is where she goes so i can rest.

157/365

157/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

fruit cocktail tree.

the fruit on my tree is coming along nicely.

at the top are the plums...
and the peaches are at the bottom.
the third fruit is either nectarines or apricots...
but i don't know which it will be yet.
i prefer nectarines.

there are two groups of smooth fruit...
and two groups of fuzzy fruit.
most of the fruit is on one side of the tree...
and we've had to brace it a few times...
so it doesn't tip over.

i'm looking forward to tasting them when they ripen.

155/365

155/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

Siberian tomatoes...

are unique in their tolerance of cool conditions, relative to other tomatoes. They can be successfully germinated at slightly lower temperatures than other varieties that typically need a starting medium temp of 75 degrees F or higher. Additionally, Siberian tomatoes can be grown in a shorter growing season, typically requiring 60-70 days after transplanting.

The small, round tomatoes are versatile, and are especially well-suited for sauces, juices, and pastes. Siberian tomato plants are determinate growers, typically reaching 6-8' feet tall.

154/365

154/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

my favorite bird.

i love egrets.
i love their gracefulness.

today was my birthday...
and i took the day off.
we went to sacramento for lunch...
and then rode thru yolo basin on the way home.

yolo basin is a wildlife preserve.
and i try to drive thru there a couple of times a year for photos.

i only saw two egrets.
and unfortunately...
they both saw me.
they're very skittish...
and were preparing to take flight as soon as they saw me.

next time i ride thru there...
i'll either go early in the morning...
or closer to sunset...
so i can see more of the birds that live there heading in for the evening.

all in all...
i had a wonderfully relaxing day...
ate some great food...
puttered around in my garden...
and had some great conversations.

for me...
a perfect day!

153/365

153/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

cupcakes.

its my birthday month.

my co-worker bought me these.
really...
she bought me three cupcakes...
and i already ate the coconut one.

the one on the right is red velvet.
i let mrchazman have that one.
the one on the left is fleur de sel...
which i will eat.

that's right...
two for me.
why?
because i said so.

152/365

152/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

oxalis tetraphylla.

aka iron cross or luck clover.
another plant in my bulb bowl.

there are also some flowers in that pot...
and when i looked up the oxalis tetraphylla...
i saw that the flowers are a part of this plant.
i didn't know that.
i thought they were two separate plants.

i also found out that the leaves and flowers are both edible.
not that i plan to eat either of them...
but according to wikipedia...
they taste like lemon.

but...
too much can be harmful...
as it interferes with the absorption of calcium.