Scamp's birthday

Scamp is still alive and kicking after last year's ordeal with rupturing a disk and requiring the $7,000 surgery. It was such a melodramatic, emotional, stressful time if you recall!!!  

The vet thinks this good ole boy is oooold.  But probably not yet 9.  Kind of a sucky deal since the rescue said he was 3!!!  I don't think it was intentional though because they have labeled other dogs old - even the younger-looking ones.  Either way, we adore this supersweet, gentle, adorable old guy.  We have just celebrated his first year being a member of our family.  He enjoyed the birthday party planned for him by my 7 year old.  

My father's ducks and geese...and a leafy green treat

Above is one of my father's Chinese geese. Unfortunately, his mate was eaten by some animal despite a loving home and secure habitat.  Below, these happy and pretty little ducks have had their dinner and have gone out to their enclosed portion of the pond for the evening.  In the water, they're safer from night predators who can't swim, but who can certainly dig a hole under the fencing.  The ducks know the drill - eat and then waddle with a quack quack quack out to the water.

Above, the dark green is tatsoi or rosette bok choy.  The light green is a choy - a Taiwanese lettuce that is somewhat similar to romaine - perhaps not as crisp - the texture is a little more like spinach actually.  A choy is often eaten cooked.  Below, the a choy is growing neatly in well-spaced rows.  I asked my father what the packed bed is for then if you're supposed to give them room to grow...

For the ducks of course!!!

He said the ducks love these greens and would come running if I threw some in their enclosure.  I didn't believe it, especially since they'd just eaten and gone straight out to the water.  Well, as he predicted, I threw some of the leafy greens in and they all came running back in from the water!

This is my favorite duck.  He's so goofy with his fluffy mohawk, savoring his a choy.  

GBBD - October 2012

Everywhere...comatose bees...

Visit May Dreams Gardens to see what else is in bloom on this Garden Blogger's Bloom Day!

The Library of Congress Asian Vegetables Talk

This afternoon, I gave a talk at the Library of Congress.  It was a pretty spectacular experience being in these lovely buildings in the city.  We're really close, but don't get to DC nearly enough to take advantage of all the amazing FREE things to see and learn about in the museums and other government buildings.  After a talk (that I think I possibly jammed too much into - but appeared successful nonetheless - I used my "don't look a gift horse in the mouth strategy"), we strolled to the Jefferson building.  In the photo below, there is a peek between the tree and the building at the top of the capital.  Darn camera phones - you probably can't see it, but the photo was a cool one.  

The architecture and ceilings of this building are gorgeous!  Below, a beautiful mosaic section.  

My husband was taking a little tour of the city during my talk.  He was excited to show me what he found at the information center - a digital marquee with the details of my talk!  He said, "You'll never see that again...".  I was like, gee, thanks.  But what I think he really meant was that the opportunity to talk at the Library of Congress was pretty special.  

The Jefferson building was spectacular - and not just because of the Gutenburg and Mainz bibles.  I particularly loved all the portraits and quotes about books throughout this building.  

This is Tsai-Hong.  We went out for some bi bim bop afterwards.  Always seen it, but never tried it.  YUM! YUM!  I met Tsai-Hong today for the first time.  She arranged this 2 part program.  The first part was sort of a gardening 101, my talk was the second in the series.  She is obviously smart to know a gardening program would be successful, but she's also witty, sweet, and warm.  A kindred spirit you recognize upon first glance.  And...

...she's a grower of bitter melon - a WHITE variety!  This is super cool and I can't wait to try it.  My parents will flip over this one too.  This is where, if I weren't so tired, I would wax poetic about heirloom seeds, and the freaking specialness of this white bitter melon which someone saved seeds of, passed along, and scattered throughout the world among friends, and which in fact, could possibly outlive us.  I'm doing a poor job with this explanation, but I'm sure many of you know exactly what I mean.