Feels worse than usual to say goodbye to the frost tender plants this year. Yeah, I still have some fall and winter crops, but when you know people are hungry, you can’t fill them up with your extra lettuce. Everything that needed to be picked has been picked- the freeze can come but is not welcome.
October 23, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Feels worse than usual to say goodbye to the frost tender plants this year. Yeah, I still have some fall and winter crops, but when you know people are hungry, you can’t fill them up with your extra lettuce. Everything that needed to be picked has been picked- the freeze can come but is not welcome.
If you have success, please come explain the same to this guy.
October 20, 2025 at 8:15 PM
If you have success, please come explain the same to this guy.
Why are all of my tomatoes getting nibbles out of them? These two. 😐
I wonder what happened to all of the wasps that parasitized the hornworms earlier this summer? Now they’re nowhere to be seen.
Hoping that these guys are my biggest trouble today but bracing for more problems at midnight. Sigh.
I wonder what happened to all of the wasps that parasitized the hornworms earlier this summer? Now they’re nowhere to be seen.
Hoping that these guys are my biggest trouble today but bracing for more problems at midnight. Sigh.
September 30, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Why are all of my tomatoes getting nibbles out of them? These two. 😐
I wonder what happened to all of the wasps that parasitized the hornworms earlier this summer? Now they’re nowhere to be seen.
Hoping that these guys are my biggest trouble today but bracing for more problems at midnight. Sigh.
I wonder what happened to all of the wasps that parasitized the hornworms earlier this summer? Now they’re nowhere to be seen.
Hoping that these guys are my biggest trouble today but bracing for more problems at midnight. Sigh.
Hacked into The Squash today. Well… none of my knives were doing any good so I threw it on the sidewalk until the hollow lower part cracked. It’s now filling 2 pans in the oven. But this top part? I may have to roast it whole or I need to acquire a hatchet before I cook the next one. It won’t break!
September 26, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Hacked into The Squash today. Well… none of my knives were doing any good so I threw it on the sidewalk until the hollow lower part cracked. It’s now filling 2 pans in the oven. But this top part? I may have to roast it whole or I need to acquire a hatchet before I cook the next one. It won’t break!
Early in-person voting at the Albemarle County office building on 5th St Ext - quick and easy. From exiting my car to getting back in it, it took me 7 minutes. I was voter #19!
September 19, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Early in-person voting at the Albemarle County office building on 5th St Ext - quick and easy. From exiting my car to getting back in it, it took me 7 minutes. I was voter #19!
Had to harvest The Squash at 18lbs because it split. I’m posting a photo of The Squash because social media is full of garbage tonight. It’s not even bot garbage, because it’s hate garbage being spread by people I personally know.
September 14, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Had to harvest The Squash at 18lbs because it split. I’m posting a photo of The Squash because social media is full of garbage tonight. It’s not even bot garbage, because it’s hate garbage being spread by people I personally know.
It’s not growing where I want it, but I can’t help but be happy to see passion flowers blooming. They’re on the same trellis at the giant squash (spoiler, it’s twice as big as its previous photo)… that poor trellis was set up just for tomatoes but has been taken over by two monster vining plants.
September 8, 2025 at 12:11 AM
It’s not growing where I want it, but I can’t help but be happy to see passion flowers blooming. They’re on the same trellis at the giant squash (spoiler, it’s twice as big as its previous photo)… that poor trellis was set up just for tomatoes but has been taken over by two monster vining plants.
The winner so far this year…
September 2, 2025 at 11:11 PM
The winner so far this year…
Thinking about 8 years ago. This photo was taken 2 days later, having taken my kid there to help him understand and work through his feelings. The statue is gone and melted down… but the sentiment of the statue is stronger than ever. It makes it feel like the horrors of that day were in vain.
August 12, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Thinking about 8 years ago. This photo was taken 2 days later, having taken my kid there to help him understand and work through his feelings. The statue is gone and melted down… but the sentiment of the statue is stronger than ever. It makes it feel like the horrors of that day were in vain.
Never had a squash quite this large and heavy end up hanging from a trellis. Anybody have suggestions of how to sling/support this so it doesn’t break the vine?
August 7, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Never had a squash quite this large and heavy end up hanging from a trellis. Anybody have suggestions of how to sling/support this so it doesn’t break the vine?
So there’s a portion of the livestock show at the Albemarle County Fair that’s the “Old Timers” class, where adults can show their kid’s animals and the kids themselves are the judges. I won the poultry class with my son’s turkey and he wasn’t even on the judging panel!
August 2, 2025 at 9:12 PM
So there’s a portion of the livestock show at the Albemarle County Fair that’s the “Old Timers” class, where adults can show their kid’s animals and the kids themselves are the judges. I won the poultry class with my son’s turkey and he wasn’t even on the judging panel!
So, if you go to the Albemarle County Fair you might see some of my kid’s birds. Even though he’s been raising them for over a decade, this is his first time showing any and he’s kind of shocked at the ribbon situation!
August 1, 2025 at 12:12 AM
So, if you go to the Albemarle County Fair you might see some of my kid’s birds. Even though he’s been raising them for over a decade, this is his first time showing any and he’s kind of shocked at the ribbon situation!
I can see the tiniest sliver of moon as I’m waiting in the cell phone lot at Dulles. (And yay, Silver Line! I haven’t been up here since it opened.)
July 27, 2025 at 12:59 AM
I can see the tiniest sliver of moon as I’m waiting in the cell phone lot at Dulles. (And yay, Silver Line! I haven’t been up here since it opened.)
Anybody interested in rare, heritage breed chickens? We’ve been breeding Rose-Combed White Dorkings for the last dozen years or so. My son will be selling a cockerel and pullet in the market class at the Albemarle County Fair next week, along with a young male Narragansett turkey.
July 24, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Anybody interested in rare, heritage breed chickens? We’ve been breeding Rose-Combed White Dorkings for the last dozen years or so. My son will be selling a cockerel and pullet in the market class at the Albemarle County Fair next week, along with a young male Narragansett turkey.
Still having this view at 9:30 at night might mean I got started too late. They come out of the water in 4 minutes and then I can go to bed!
July 16, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Still having this view at 9:30 at night might mean I got started too late. They come out of the water in 4 minutes and then I can go to bed!
Brief and faint rainbow here in Esmont just before the sun dropped below the horizon.
July 15, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Brief and faint rainbow here in Esmont just before the sun dropped below the horizon.
Figured I should take some sunflower photos because if this storm ever rolls in, they’re probably going down.
July 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Figured I should take some sunflower photos because if this storm ever rolls in, they’re probably going down.
Of course 2025 has yet another crappy thing - I fear that we’re going to spend time here for a while doing duckie hospice care. The ducks have been pets from day 1 - not for food like our other poultry.
Penguin is 9 years old. For those of you unfamiliar, it’s pretty elderly for a duck.
Penguin is 9 years old. For those of you unfamiliar, it’s pretty elderly for a duck.
June 21, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Of course 2025 has yet another crappy thing - I fear that we’re going to spend time here for a while doing duckie hospice care. The ducks have been pets from day 1 - not for food like our other poultry.
Penguin is 9 years old. For those of you unfamiliar, it’s pretty elderly for a duck.
Penguin is 9 years old. For those of you unfamiliar, it’s pretty elderly for a duck.
Don’t want to fly these days? No worries, you can always take the train… except when the train literally can’t get there from here. I guess I’m going to put another 2600 miles on a vehicle so I can drop the 17yo off and pick him up a couple of weeks later.
May 22, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Don’t want to fly these days? No worries, you can always take the train… except when the train literally can’t get there from here. I guess I’m going to put another 2600 miles on a vehicle so I can drop the 17yo off and pick him up a couple of weeks later.
Vermont is my home away from home these days. I work there a couple of months spread throughout the year. My bestie lives there.
I am absolutely chuffed to see the protests there today. They’re peaceful. The signage is on point. More than 0.1% of the state’s population turned out to tell Vance off.
I am absolutely chuffed to see the protests there today. They’re peaceful. The signage is on point. More than 0.1% of the state’s population turned out to tell Vance off.
March 1, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Vermont is my home away from home these days. I work there a couple of months spread throughout the year. My bestie lives there.
I am absolutely chuffed to see the protests there today. They’re peaceful. The signage is on point. More than 0.1% of the state’s population turned out to tell Vance off.
I am absolutely chuffed to see the protests there today. They’re peaceful. The signage is on point. More than 0.1% of the state’s population turned out to tell Vance off.
A month+ earlier than usual for a turkey egg, but here’s the first one of the season! It’s small, so it’s likely from one of the young hens. I’d have thought that there was zero chance of it being fertile, but I saw some turkey dancing the other day, so maybe… 🐣
February 23, 2025 at 10:35 PM
A month+ earlier than usual for a turkey egg, but here’s the first one of the season! It’s small, so it’s likely from one of the young hens. I’d have thought that there was zero chance of it being fertile, but I saw some turkey dancing the other day, so maybe… 🐣
This guy hates #Caturday during the winter. His boy is gone to teach adaptive ski lessons all day and he’s stuck at home with boring ol’ mom.
February 15, 2025 at 8:44 PM
This guy hates #Caturday during the winter. His boy is gone to teach adaptive ski lessons all day and he’s stuck at home with boring ol’ mom.
65° and sunny. Decided to do some therapeutic gardening despite still having ice sheets in shady areas. I need to move my low tunnel (only insect exclusion netting, not to help with temps) and discovered this hanging inside. Praying mantis egg case - but invasive and not native. Disappointing!
January 29, 2025 at 5:07 PM
65° and sunny. Decided to do some therapeutic gardening despite still having ice sheets in shady areas. I need to move my low tunnel (only insect exclusion netting, not to help with temps) and discovered this hanging inside. Praying mantis egg case - but invasive and not native. Disappointing!
Harper spent half an hour yelling at me and shaking the doorknob because he was mad that I said it was too cold to go out on the catio. He wanted to watch his favorite birds that happened to be visiting a nearby bush. He can do that from inside the window when it’s barely above freezing! #Caturday
January 26, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Harper spent half an hour yelling at me and shaking the doorknob because he was mad that I said it was too cold to go out on the catio. He wanted to watch his favorite birds that happened to be visiting a nearby bush. He can do that from inside the window when it’s barely above freezing! #Caturday