Where bluebonnets grow . . .
“This is the only place on Earth bluebonnets grow, and once a year they come an’ go at this old house here by the road. And when we die, we say we’ll catch some blackbird’s wing, and we will fly away to Heaven come some sweet bluebonnet spring.”
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Stella's Place 
Stellars, enjoy a springtime Friday in….
Mt. Hood Territory, Oregon…
Paris, Arkansas…
Iron Mine Hollow, Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia…
Spokane, Washington…
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What can they possibly do with all those tulips? Can they pick them fast enough to distribute them? Seems hopeless!
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That tulip farm is about ten miles from my house.
They are not planted for use as fresh flower displays–when the bloom is done, the bulbs are pulled up/harvest for resale around the world
The way they are planted is very interesting: each double row has a net placed in the ground several inches under where the planted bulb will end up. Then, when harvest day comes, the machines drive the field, pulling up that net–and like fish nets full of fish being pulled from the water, the nets come up full of bulbs, ready to be processed and shipped.
During the annual Tulip Festival fresh blooms are sold to the hundred thousand (or more) people who shoe up with families and cameras.
Mt. Hood is usually still beautifully wedding-cake-covered with snow…usually far clearer air that on this particular photo (above). The photographers go crazy! All the cute little girls get their photo taken by dad and mom, or grandpa and grandma.
https://www.woodenshoe.com/events/tulip-fest/photo-contest/
One of my favorite things is the big ol’ John Deere tractor, just like one of my dad’s.
I’ve always made a point of going…but starting last year, they only sold (very expensive) tickets that assigned your car load of people a specific day and time slot. At this time of spring here in the Willamette Valley, it can be sunny and 65 or 70; or, often, 45, rainy, and blustery….which means freezing all day while you walk in the mud between the tulip rows. They said they did it to spread out the crowds more. It’s usually a leisurely family outing. I suspect their plan to spread the crowds resulted in seriously reduced income. Too bad for everyone.
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Interesting…thanks Sharon. I’d never realized you can see Mt. Hood from the Willamette Valley. Never been that far NW, I guess.
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At just over 11,000 ft elevation, Mt. Hood isn’t a monster feature but what makes it outstanding is the fact that it sort of “stands alone” – there are not a bunch of 10,000 foot peaks around it, so it is quite a remarkable presentation year round.
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Good day, Sharon. Imo, Mt. Hood is the most beautiful, striking mountain on the West Coast, and maybe anywhere.
When living in Vancouver, if I was out and about and the weather was right, I could see it quite often. It’s always nature’s breathtaking gift no matter how many times you see it.
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Mt. Shasta is beautiful too.
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In about 1954, our parents and my near-in-age brother and I took the train to Los Angeles from eastern Montana. This meant taking the Great Northern straight west to Seattle/Portland, and then switching to the line that ran down the west coast. I was fascinated with the whole situation–I think I was in 4th grade. I spent a lot of time at the little water found (with the little paper cups) that was at the end of each passenger car.
There was also a good standing place there to watch the scenery go by. My dad made sure we saw Mt. Shasta at the first opportunity, and understood what it was we were looking at–that volcano at a great distance from the train tracks.
I remember struggling to understand the business of distance…trying to grasp why Mt. Shasta kept on “being right out there” to see….for a very long time. Mt. Shasta is truly beautiful.
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Our trip was for a Christmas visit to my sisters’ families, so there was the beauty of snow on Shasta.
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https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Funsplash.com%2Fs%2Fphotos%2Fmount-shasta&psig=AOvVaw2n_nhueWrdQdRBLGMSwGgZ&ust=1679785873368000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCMjm2ZPY9f0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAQ
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LIKE OH WOW! Reminds me of the only place to see Saguaro Cactus. Sonora Desert.
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It takes 70 years to get to an arm to start to grow. Just fathom how old this cacti is!
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Lettuce fields
Strawberries
California crops lost after floods; how much of the US will feel the shortage?
By Hillary Andrews Source FOX Weather – Published March 19, 2023
Relentless atmospheric river storms have pounded California for months. The last bout put America’s “salad bowl” largely underwater. What can we expect to see in the grocery store while the region that grows almost half of the nation’s lettuce, strawberries and broccoli recovers?
https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/california-crops-lost-floods-shortage
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The lettuce we got last week was kinda muddy…guess we’ll be having cucumber and carrot salads for awhile! And jello salad.
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I’ve been eating tomato, cucumber and avocado with onion.
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It’s really easy to grow the leaf lettuces in a pot or window box. Just harvest the outside leaves each time and they keep growing until it gets too hot and they bolt.
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I could actually plant lettuce outside now. They are frost tolerant.
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I didn’t realize lettuce was frost tolerant–I can go ahead and plan, too, then. I expect my asparagus (started last year) will be coming up soon. I sure hope there are some usable stems this year–not a sure thing until year 3 or 4, I guess.
My son and DIL may be taking a couple of them to transplant, which is best done in the very early years. They love asparagus, so I hope they will take some of them.
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Check your seed packet to be sure that your variety is frost tolerant. Most are, and your area has an earlier frost (end) date than mine, I believe. I’m direct sowing five things in my Greenstalk planter this week (I mostly container garden these days, so I pick varieties that do well in them.) They are: Short ‘n Sweet carrots, Pak Choi Cabbage, Bibb Lettuce, Snow Peas, French Breakfast Radish.
I will also start seeds indoors this weekend. Thanks to you all for the reminder that I had better get going!
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Checked my chives in pots earlier today. They are several inches out of the ground. I’ve had them in the same containers for more than 10 years, and they always survive!
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I haven’t had chives in pots before – gonna have to try that!
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Somewhat – but not completely – keeps them from spreading. Mine started out in one container, and are now in three containers.
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We planted asparagus about 4 years ago; had to use a lot of self-restraint the first couple of years because you can only harvest a low %-age the first year and slowly increase for the next couple. Now we gorge ourselves for about 4 weeks, always leaving a few for the next year.
Wonderful recipe for asparagus wrap courtesy Moosewood Cookbook:
Sauce: 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tsps Dijon mustard, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves (crumbled fine) + fresh pepper
Lightly cook asparagus spears and set aside to cool
Chop (4) hardboiled eggs and combine with sauce
Lay (1) romaine lettuce leaf on a warm flour tortilla and spoon egg mixture onto it followed by a few asparagus spears. Wrap and enjoy!
We vary it when asparagus are out of season by using (2) eggs and a can of salmon in the sauce. Good way to use leftover salmon as well.
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You have leftover salmon?
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Thank you! I definitely pass that along to my son, who is also big on salmon fishing…little bit early this year yet, but he goes to a variety of places (rivers, lakes, ocean!) to find whatever might be there at a given time….good times!
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Great! I love salmon and love asparagus, and frequented serve them together!!
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Me too!
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Hi, weather! Some of the produce I’ve been receiving in Walmart deliveries have either had mud or bugs. The buggy lettuce was from California and wrapped in cellophane. The muddy radishes only say “Product of the USA.” Goodness only knows what’s in the mud. Might as well laugh.
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Just wash them thoroughly. Dirt is good for you…
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When I grow my own lettuce, it often has both mud and bugs. A thorough bath and spin takes care of it.
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And higher prices for what is there.
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Mornin’ y’all!
https://twitter.com/Enezator/status/1638933629899354112
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Mornin’ Wee!
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Mornin’ Stella!
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Mornin’ all ya’all! Grey and damp again. Headed to 84* today, with a small. Chance of rain overnight, then more heat tomorrow. Going to get the GGS for the weekend, so maybe pizza or burgers for dinner tonite.
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Mornin’ Czarina! Rain due this afternoon and Blue Angels to finish blowing the roof off….
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We never get any entertainment like that here. Too far from civilization!
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We actually get the odd pair now and then here. Pretty impressive!! [and LOUD]
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Loved this.
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Wow. That is just pleasant…..I’d like to go there, please!
The trees around my little town are beginning their spring bloom–the soft pink ones bloom before there is any evidence of leaves, so there’s just this faint pink sort of drifting around the branches. Very pretty.
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Just got around to watching the video. Clever. I wish I was that talented.
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Good day, Wee! Lovely concept, excellent camerawork, fun finished product. Who is the artist? Unfortunately @Enezator doesn’t seem to be, though some commenters are apparently praising him for the work and not just for posting it.
Further into the comment feed a commenter posts the FB site of an artist named Howard Lee and I think he’s the artist. Check out Lee’s FB postings:
https://www.facebook.com/HowardLeePainting/photos
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Afternoon All. It looks like it snowed a little last night. It was just a slight sprinkle and what there is of it is melting fast since it is 39*. The weather guessers said it should snow this weekend. W.h.a.t.e.v.e.r. It is just nice to see that 3 feet of frozen snow/ice melting.
Those of you who use eye drops be careful. I read an article yesterday about Artificial Tears causing deaths, eye ball removals, etc. from using some of those in 16 states. Also, Ezrican Artificial tears was implicated. So, if you use any of these, check on it in your state.
I love that second picture from the top, Stella. I would like to have it enlarged and on my wall, but I am afraid I would spend the day staring at it. It is so beautiful.
Everybody in the path of the storms be careful.
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Mornin’ mom! Here’s another one for you:
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Good afternoon, aus! We’re at 40 degrees and overcast but rain had been predicted. Rain would have been nice to help melt the iced snow mounds.
As for the eye products, off brands are often made outside North America. EzriCare distributes products made in India. If we buy American-made or Canadian, there’s a better chance of not being poisoned.
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Wow. That is just pleasant…..I’d like to go there, please!
The trees around my little town are beginning their spring bloom–the soft pink ones bloom before there is any evidence of leaves, so there’s just this faint pink sort of drifting around the branches. Very pretty.
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double-posted – sorry about that! 😦
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https://twitter.com/shashigette/status/1639407577825005569?s=20
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