Paul spent hours in the garden cleaning out the dead leaves from the tomatoes, straightening up the cages, watering the new seeds, and adding mulch into the garden for the future corn. The raised beds make it so easy to work on the garden as the bricks are at sitting level and it is easy to reach anywhere!
The raised beds were a great decision!
Tomatoes are everywhere! When removing the dead material, we uncovered many more tomatoes hidden away. We have decided we are making more tomato sauce this coming Wednesday! We want to do that before the house cleaners show up and before Diane and Pat join us this weekend!
The dead leaves get removed so the garden is “pretty again”
Paul planted 60 corn seeds which should result in corn in about 65 days! We shall see! In the other bed, he prepared the ground to receive 60 corn plants… We will be up to our fannies in corn in about two months.
The soil was tilled and amendments added… Mulch, fertilizer, and calcium!
The straw keeps the ground relatively cool in the hot summer days! Mulching is vital to keep the dirt below “cool” and not burn the roots! We buy straw two bales at a time from the local feed store. Straw needs to be aged which means wet it down and let it sit for a few months so the seeds will germinate and die.
The seeds were planted in an 6×10 configuration (six wide and 10 deep) which provides plenty of room for fertilization
When Paul cleaned out the tomatoes, he spotted asparagus being born! This is year number three for the asparagus but wait until next year! The asparagus grows FAST so we will harvest then within the next two days!
Did You Know? Asparagus has been used as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavor, diuretic properties, and more. It is pictured as an offering on an Egyptian frieze dating to 3000 BC. In ancient times, it was also known in Syria and in Spain. Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when in season, and dried the vegetable for use in winter; Roman Epicureans even froze it high in the Alps, for the Feast of Epicurus. Emperor Augustus created the “Asparagus Fleet” for hauling the vegetable, and coined the expression “faster than cooking asparagus” for quick action.
The spear (lower right-hand corner) will grow several inches a day so one must keep and eye on them or they become ferns!
It was now 2:30 pm and what should we do? Sue had a great idea… Orange Coast Winery! We are off like a shot! We took a journey to wine country in the heart of Newport Beach. Experience full wine tastings, wine by the glass, or by the bottle in our family-owned, urban winery. Sample award-winning wines ranging from luscious sparkling, complex whites, to rich, bold reds. Whether you’re a novice or an aficionado, their highly trained staff will guide and educate you. Enjoy artisan cheese platters and gourmet flat bread creations made to pair perfectly with their wines.
Do you recognize the reflection in the window? It’s Five Crowns in Corona Del Mar.
We are members of the Wine Club so we get a cheese sampler along with the wine tasting.
Decisions decisions
The cheeses are always interesting and some come with a covering of honey!
Excellent choices!
The wine is gone. Oh No! What shall we do? Sue had another brilliant idea! Kobe Steakhouse near home was our new destination. We called Crazy Greg to see if he wanted to join us and he did! We all had great fun!
Greg has a conversation with the fish!
Kobe is great fun when one goes to the sushi bar and challenges the chef! Paul asked for something spicy and he got his wish! The little guy had eyes of Jalapenos!
We nicknamed him “The Alien”
“Oh dear! What shall we try next?” Sue has suggestions even though she cannot eat sushi!
Discussing the finer points of sushi
We headed home, watched some old NCIS episodes and crashed!
