Scout has to go on a serious diet!
Coffee justifies the existence of the word ‘aroma’.
Before heading out, Mary and I decided to try on our Halloween costumes. I must say, I felt like I needed a stiff drink before wearing my ridiculous penguin costume in front of our friends. Mary, on the other hand, looked absolutely stunning in her Poison Ivy outfit. It’s hard to describe, but believe me, it was a sight to behold. In fact, I couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of how good she looked. It was almost as if her costume was making me itch with jealousy!
Mary and I got down to work and accomplished quite a lot. We tackled the front yard and filled up another 90-gallon container with Mexican Bush Sage and lots of deadheaded roses. Mary planted six new carnations, while I took on the task of washing the bird droppings off our white fence (I guess I got the better job). Once my task was complete, I installed two new Govee spotlights to take care of the blank spot on the side of the garage. Now, the entire front patio is bathed in a beautiful purple hue!
Purple for Halloween (Picture taken at midnight)
After cutting back the Mexican Bush Sage, we had enough space on the ground for the new carnations, but it required knee pads, an electric drill with an auger, and half a flat of plants.
Carnations are also known as grenadines, or “clove pinks” due to their pink hue and clove-like scent.
Digging in the dirt!
After a quick brunch, we returned to the yard for a few more hours of exercise. I had gruel and turkey bacon, which is my favorite breakfast. The gruel was made even better with sliced bananas. I felt it could have used some raisins, but I had to watch my figure.
Did You Know? Gruel is a food consisting of some cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye, or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk rather than eaten. Historically, gruel has been a staple of the Western diet, especially for peasants.
“What shall we do dext?”
Mary and I find gardening therapeutic and rewarding despite the hard work in the backyard.
The truth be spoken!
Mary loves frogs so I could not resist posting this cartoon! We may have to add some frogs to the backyard!
Mary loves frogs, especially fast ones!
We trimmed some lower tree branches to ensure new ground cover has enough light at the rear of the vegetable garden.into Paul’s Two Wheeler. After the trim job, the sun was filtering through much better.
I trimmed and loaded the four wheeler.
I started with three and a half flats remaining and managed to plant them in the ground and water them within an hour. Now, all we need to do is wait for the groundcover to grow and spread out. Once they are properly established, we will be able to walk behind the raised beds without stepping into mud.
The planting is finished; let’s hope there is enough light. Every time I find a rock, I move it to the ring around the lemon-limey tree!
Meanwhile, Mary planted some new additions to her garden. Pansies were perfect for the vertical garden because they are both beautiful and edible.
New pansies for the vertical garden.
The final berries of this season are about to ripen! We need to prune the bush severely in January to prepare for next year’s growth.
Last if this seasons berries.
The Scarlet Runner Beans are still drying. Every time we visit the garden, we pick, open, and shell more. We’ll have a jar full in a couple of weeks.
The beans are drying.
Yesterday, we harvested the last of our Bell Peppers. Mary prepared a delicious stuffing with them which we planned to have for dinner. However, we ran out of time and ended up storing the stuffing in the refrigerator. We have decided to stuff and cook it tomorrow instead. By the way, I couldn’t resist and had several bites of the stuffing to keep myself satisfied before heading out to the show!
We made supper but missed eating it as we had to go to the show.
It is now 6:30 p.m. and we are off to the theater at Segerstrom to see Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations.
My amazing bride and I decided to grab a quick drink and a small salad at Leatherby’s before the show. It was a lovely evening with a beautiful lady. We finished just in time to walk to our seats, which were located in the fifth row of the orchestra section on the left-hand side. Mary enjoyed the theater so much that I plan to renew my membership for next year.
It is the electrifying, new smash-hit Broadway musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and silky-smooth harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts, creating an unforgettable 42 Top Ten hits, with 14 reaching number one.
The show ended at 10:45 p.m. and we were exhausted. Scout and I stepped outside to look at the moon, while Mary prepared for bed. It had been a long but wonderful day! I made one last pass at the Daily Diary making sure to correct any spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
