We are off on an adventure today. We are skipping Girls’ Night Out because we need to see our Financial Advisor, and we generally go down to his office and then go to lunch with him. After almost 30 years, he has also become a friend!
Note: Yesterday’s margaritas were really good. I slept from about 4:00 pm until 6:00 am this morning, and Mary didn’t move until almost 8:00 am. Between the last three days of going going going and the heat, we were exhausted! Mary’s wine and my margarita managed to turn off the “wake up button” on the Alexa! We needed the rest!
After doing some chores, we got ready and headed to Laguna to meet with “moneybags”, our financial manager and hisfiancéee. We had a great session with home, and then we went to Nick’s for lunch!
Nick’s has been around forever and is a wonderful hangout.
Marshall was a well-known quantity at Nick’s, and they made us feel at home.
A wonderful lunch at Nick’s
On our way back to the car, we stopped for some gelato. Gelato is an Italian-style frozen dessert, similar to ice cream but usually:
• Denser and smoother
• Lower in fat than many ice creams
• Served slightly warmer, so the flavor feels stronger
• Made with less air whipped in, giving it a richer texture
Common flavors include pistachio, chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut, lemon, and strawberry, but this place has 50+ flavors to select from!
Decisions decisions!
Mary and I have so much in common; we both went for “Rocky Road”. It’s called Rocky Road because the marshmallows and nuts make the ice cream look and feel like a rough, rocky road. The name also became popular during the Great Depression as a cheerful idea: getting through a “rocky road” in life with something sweet.
More decisions!!
When we got home, we walked into the garden to see what was happening.
The separation wall is low and is white.
I used AI to repaint the wall to see if we wanted it to be green, but we kinda decided we were happy with white.
Too much green!
We noticed the girls had begun popping out and showing their silk, meaning it was getting time for the boys and girls to get frisky! The top of the corn (tassels/boys) began to rain down on the girls (cobbs/silk) so fertilization can take place. This will occur in the next few days!
We can hear the cobbs saying, “Hey big boy, drop down and see me sometime soon!”
We have several large pumpkins on their way. These guys will become a 30-pounder in the next 30 days and will eventually become pumpkin pie at the hands of Dr. Mary.
Here’s some fun pumpkin trivia:
-
- Pumpkins are fruits, not vegetables — they’re a type of berry called a pepo.
- Pumpkins are native to North America.
- The word pumpkin comes from the Greek word pepon, meaning “large melon.”
- Pumpkins are about 90% water.
- The tradition of carving jack-o’-lanterns originally used turnips in Ireland and Scotland.
- Pumpkins can be orange, white, green, yellow, red, or even blue-gray.
- The largest pumpkins can weigh over 2,000 pounds.
- Pumpkin flowers are edible.
- Every part of a pumpkin can be used: the flesh, seeds, skin, leaves, and flowers.
- Pumpkin spice usually doesn’t contain pumpkin — it’s typically cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
- In the U.S., Illinois is one of the top pumpkin-producing states.
- Pumpkins are part of the squash family, along with zucchini, gourds, and cucumbers.
“Stand back, I am growing quickly!!”
We have green beans everywhere! Every day we go out and pick a handful and deliver them wherever we are going!
We planted six green bean seeds in the garden about a month ago and then immediately began acting like proud parents. I read them the weather report each morning. Mary knitted tiny scarves “in case of breezes.” By July, the plants had climbed the poles, the fence, and, somewhat accusingly, Paul’s favorite lawn chair.
Yum yum good!!
The cucumbers are going wild! This year we have grown 50+ large cucumbers and delivered them to our friends.
We have about five different varieties so far.
Say goodbye to the last of the tomatoes. We have a few new plants,s but they are not producing yet!
Hanging on!
We had a quick dinner before going swimming in the pool. Robin, Mary, and I floated for about 90 minutes, enjoying the Moon and the stars.
Robin and Mary floating in the pool!
By 10:30 pm we were dry and heading for bed. It has been a good day!!
