212/365

212/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

slice...

of watermelon.
we got this at the ranch on saturday...
and it is SO good.

first of all...
i can't even remember the last time i had a watermelon with seeds.
oh wait...
yes i can...
when i grew my own two years ago!!!

i usually buy those little personal seedless babies...
but this has so much more flavor.
i think i'll save a few of these seeds...
for next year's garden.

211/365

211/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

dinner time...

this is our neighborhood squirrel.
he likes fruit.
in the mornings...
he runs down the fence...
and jumps into the fruit trees.

what we didn't know...
was that he had a stash.
there were half-eaten asian pears...
lining the rim on the other side of the fence.

when mrchazman and i were out back...
he showed me some pear leftovers on the fence.

about thirty minutes later...
he called me to say the squirrel was back.

i grabbed my camera...
and captured him having his dinner.

210/365

210/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

concord grapes...

from my parent's garden.
they grow concord & white grapes.

***

Concord grapes are a cultivar derived from the grape species Vitis labrusca (a.k.a. fox grape) which are used as table grapes, wine grapes and juice grapes. They are often used to make grape jelly, grape juice, grape-flavored soft drinks, and candy. The grape is sometimes used to make wine, particularly kosher wine, though it is not generally favored for that purpose due to the strong "foxy" (sometimes described as candied-strawberry/musky) flavor. Traditionally, most commercially produced Concord wines have been finished sweet, but dry versions are possible if adequate fruit ripeness is achieved.

The skin of a Concord grape is typically dark blue or purple, and often is covered with a lighter-coloured "bloom" which can be rubbed off. It is a slip-skin variety, meaning that the skin is easily separated from the fruit. Concord grapes have large seeds and are highly aromatic. The Concord grape is particularly prone to the physiological disorder Black leaf.

In the United States 417,800 tons were produced in 2011. The major growing areas are the Finger Lakes District of New York, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Southwestern Michigan, and the Yakima Valley in Washington.

from wikipedia

209/365

209/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

from the garden...

tomatoes...
peppers...
eggplants...
plums...
peaches...
& herbs.

208/365

208/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

she was running!

this weekend...
we have the niece.

today...
we took her to erickson ranch...
in suisun..

because she loves animals...
and flowers,fruits & veggies...
i thought it would be an ideal spot for her.

she napped on the way there...
not surprised...
since she will nap on a 5-minute car ride...
and wakes up as soon as the car stops.

we walked around the ranch...
where she saw..
dogs,chickens and butterflies...
flowers in a multitude of shapes, sizes and colors...
and squash so big...
they looked like watermelons.

in the photo...
we're over near the squash fields...
and ms mj decided to try running.

she was just starting to doze off as we arrived back at the house...
and mrchazman took her out back to play with her ball while i started dinner.
we watched a bit of the disney channel...
while mj fought to stay awake.

i warmed her bedtime bottle...
and she was asleep before she finished it.

all in all...
she had a full day...
and tomorrow...
i'll let her help me in the garden...
and we'll run around the yard some more...
before she goes back home.

207/365

207/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

6762...

crossess.
on a hillside.
in lafayette, ca.
in memory of our troops.

***

The Lafayette Hillside Memorial is a collection of crosses, accompanied by a large sign, in Lafayette, California. The crosses are intended to serve as a memorial for United States soldiers killed in the Iraq War, with the sign containing a running total of the death count. The monument began to raise controversy in November 2006.

The hill, overlooking State Route 24 in Contra Costa County, is owned by 81-year-old Louise Clark, widow of Johnson Clark, a local developer and WWII veteran. The monument was erected in late 2006 by Jeffrey Heaton, a long-running anti-war protestor, and Clark. Their first 15 crosses were quickly removed by vandals. In November 2006 Heaton and Clark re-added the crosses onto Clark's property, this time with 300 crosses and a large sign that read: "In Memory of 2839 U.S. Troops Killed In Iraq".[1] By February 26, 2007 the number of crosses, mixed with a few Stars of David, Islamic crescents, and other religious symbols, had passed 2500.[2] Crosses have been added by volunteers and some paid for by the Lamorinda Peace Group and Grandmothers for Peace.[3] Protests of the memorial have been led by Lafayette Flag Brigade[4][5] which organizes a competing, remembrance[4] flag display on September 11 annually.[6]

The city ordinance allowed a 32-square-foot (3.0 m2) sign on the property and did not limit the number of crosses.[1] The organizers initially had an approximately 64-square-foot (5.9 m2) sign, but reduced it to 32 square feet (3.0 m2) to comply with the city ordinance. The sign is updated every week to show the new official death toll for soldiers in Iraq.[

info: wikipedia

205/365

205/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

spider lily...

i squealed like a girl...
when i came downstairs this morning...
and saw that the spider lily had bloomed!

this is its fourth year blooming for me...
and i delight in seeing it each year.

this year...
it's a week earlier than last year...
but it has been warmer.

***

Perhaps the summer's most magical bulb, spider lily pops up seemingly overnight, with its colorful flowers sitting tall upon a single stem. The exotic look of the long petals and stamens accounts for the common name. It also bears the monikers hurricane lily (because of its bloom season) and naked ladies (because the flowers appear without leaves). With trumpet-shape blooms that resemble an amaryllis, spider lily forms a brilliant border in partially shaded places.

Light: Sun,Part Sun
Zones: 4-11
Plant Type: Bulb
Plant Height: To 2 feet tall
Plant Width: To 1 foot wide
Landscape Uses: Containers,Beds & Borders,Slopes
Special Features: Flowers, Cut Flowers, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Butterflies, Tolerates Wet Soil

info from BHG.com

201/365

201/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

making an entrance...

today...
i had the opportunity to assist shooting a wedding.

there were three of us...
and i was the newbie.

i think i got a few very nice photos...
and i definitely learned a lot.

this photo is one of the bridal party members...
entering the church...
with the stained glass window in the background.

200/365

200/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

contrast.

a single rose...
against a weathered fence.

a neutral dish...
for food photography.

a calm spirit...
in the midst of a storm.

199/365

199/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

signature shave...

tonight...
we went to the chef's market in napa.

one of the booths there...
k. lawrence - luxury & lather...
was offering shaves.

we watched the barber...
and i took a few photos.

i'll be going back...
to pick up their wonderful smelling aftershave!

198/365

198/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

day's harvest...

this morning i went out to look at my garden...
and saw that i had a lot to harvest.

the tomatoes are from six different plants.
there's one padron pepper...
one cayenne pepper...
and one japanese eggplant.

197/365

197/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

chicago style popcorn...

caramel.
cheddar.
what a great combo.

i first had it at an airport...
and the sweet-salty combo was unforgetable.

this...
came from costco.
i first purchased it last month...
and knew it would be a staple in my pantry.

i guess i wasn't the only one to think so...
because when i went back...
it was out of stock.

today...
i was back at costco...
and since it was in stock...
i purchased two bags.

snack time!

***

this was my first photo using off-camera lighting.
i purchased some triggers this past weekend...
and they arrived today.

i don't usually use flash...
but i can see that changing.

stay tuned!

196/365

196/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

making scones...

one of my favorite stores...
trader joes...
has a scone mix...
and i bought it yesterday.

the scones are relatively easy to make...
just add water.

the package made twelve scones...
and they were flavorful...
and moist...
and yummy.

195/365

195/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

almost ready...

fruit cocktail tree...
plums...
peaches...
nectarines.

194/365

194/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

family...

frankie, lucianna, natalie, destiny & makayla.
on the left are two of mjs siblings...
and on the right are two of her cousins.

today...
my mother and i took mj to visit her maternal family...
and she had a blast.

it's fun seeing her interact with other kids.
she thinks she's as big as they are.

192/365

192/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

backlit...

ornamental grasses...
at the costco gas station.

190/365

190/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

peppers...

caribbean red (that's not red yet) & padron.

the caribbean red is in the habanero family...
and since it's still green...
it's not as hot...
which is perfect for me.

padrons at this size...
are pretty spicy.
when they're smaller...
only the occasional pepper is hot.

i let mine grow larger...
so that they're all spicy.

i'm also growing fish peppers...
and cayennes (that aren't doing too well right now).

what will i do with all these peppers?
i'll give some away...
and dry some...
make hot sauce...
and sriracha (aka rooster sauce).

i'm looking forward to the harvests.

189/365

189/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

pancake breakfast.

whenever i make pancakes...
i make enough to put some in the freezer...
for an 'instant' breakfast...
next time.

so...
today was cooking day.

i made pancakes...
turkey sausage...
and scrambled eggs...
and then...
put breakfasts into single serving containers...
and put them in the freezer...
making my own frozen meals.

i then picked tomatoes...
and made a big batch of sauce in the afternoon.

i now have individual spaghetti w/meatball meals...
for a quick lunch or dinner.

187/365

187/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

saltines...

dinner.
not feeling well.
going to bed.
good-night.

186/365

186/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

fireworks...

the amusement park that i live near...
has four days of fireworks this week.

i didn't get to shoot fireworks last night...
but was able to get out tonight.

i was pleased with the photos i got...
and wish there were more opportunities thru out the year.

185/365

185/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States.

Independence Day is the National Day of the United States.

***

The Philippines celebrates July 4 as its Republic Day to commemorate that day in 1946 when it ceased to be a U.S. territory and the United States officially recognized Philippine independence.

July 4 was intentionally chosen by the United States because it corresponds to its Independence Day, and this day was observed in the Philippines as Independence Day until 1962. In 1964, the name of the July 4 holiday was changed to Republic Day.

In Rwanda, July 4 is an official holiday known as Liberation Day, commemorating the end of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide in which the US government also played a role.

***

the above info is from wikipedia.

184/365

184/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

smokin'...

in preparation for the 4th of july...
and to avoid grilling in the 100º temp...
i'm grilling tonight.

we've got ribs...
tri-tip...
and burgers.

183/365

183/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

tomatoes.

i planted mostly cherry tomatoes this year...
and with the heat we're having...
i'm picking a few of them daily.

day182

day182, a photo by credd on Flickr.

cranberry beans.

aka shell beans.
purchased at a local market on saturday.

this is my first time purchasing the beans fresh.
they're relatively easy to shell.