I’ve not been paying much attention to the apple trees recently, but have just come in from giving them the once-over and am saddened to report that the Hudson’s Golden Gem has dropped almost all of its fruit. I made a point of thinning it to a reasonable fruit density for a tree of its none-too-advanced age, but that seems not to have mattered. I think there may be three apples remaining on it now.
Fortunately, the Ashmead’s Kernel, which was off last year, is retaining its crop so far. I suppose if I have to have biennially-bearing apples — and I do, since these two are some of the most delicious — it’s preferable that at least one produces a crop in a given year, than to have years of feast and others of famine. Still, I will miss the Golden Gem this autumn. It’s really, really good. 
All of the green beans appear to have germinated healthily, which is good. Still haven’t planted another row, however, nor have I gotten around to constructing a structure for them yet. Perhaps, since the Fasolds have proven themselves, I’ll try my luck with some other, older beans.
Digging through the box, it looks like we have some old packets of: Broad Windsors, Liana Yard-Longs, Scarlet Runners, French Bush, Yellow Bush, and Fortex Pole beans. The hell of it is that the reason none of these have been planted for a few years is that we just didn’t care for them. So, why bother replanting? Bush beans are much messier to tend, are subject to slugs, and the varieties I’ve tried are largely single-croppers requiring succession-planting. Runners didn’t much please my taste buds, and we’ve never had much luck with broad beans. Yard-longs just don’t seem to like our terroir, and underproduce to the point where it’s hardly worthwhile.
I’m thinking limas. Must find some pole limas.
Finally managed to get more planted for the summer… June 12th is distressingly late, but it’s been chilly recently, so I reassure myself that I’ve not really lost that much time to lethargy. New today:
- 16 Fasold pole beans
- 8 Genovese basil
- 1 Globe basil
- 1 “Romanian Ethnic” red/orange sweet pepper
- 1 “Gypsy” yellow sweet pepper
- 1 African Kettle gourd
- 1 “Ichiban” Asian eggplant
- 1 “Ping Tong Long” Asian eggplant
The Fasolds are a single row of beans, planted with seed saved from summer ‘03. I’m reluctant to plant the entire crop with them in case they don’t germinate well. I’ll pick up a packet of something else to plant on the other side of the A-frame soon, and should make a point of saving from the crop this year to ensure fresh seed. Haven’t constructed the trellis yet, as I judge my bamboo poles due to be refreshed … they’re really only good for 2-3 seasons before they begin splitting and lose their integrity.
The gourd is a first this year … no idea how it will turn out, or just how much room it’s going to require. If it behaves like a giant pumpkin (and I suspect it will) then late summer will see gourd vines spilling out onto the patio and across the lawn. Assuming we get some decent-sized gourds off of it, I plan to make salad bowls. Most crafty, no?
Now Listening to: “Pussycat Meow” by Deee-Lite, The Infinity Within, 1992.
There’s a kitten living in my hedge. I first heard it Friday night, mewling over and over again, but I couldn’t locate it. Later, I thought I saw it on the back porch, but by the time I’d unlocked the door it was gone. Last night it returned, sending out the sonar-like cries of a kitten in search of its mother. It’s black, which makes it hellish to find at night, and very small. The damned thing is not interested in humans at all, seems to be most comfortable in the middle of thick laurel hedges, and I’m guessing is at least four weeks old since it can run like hell when a flashlight beam gets too close to it.
Given its size, I assume it’s either abandoned or from the litter of a stray who’s been killed. There was a dead cat in the road a few blocks up, so my suspicion is the latter. We set out a bowl of milk-soaked cat food, hoping our visitor might be tempted to emerge when unobserved and find something to eat. The bowl was empty this morning, but it’s hard to say what ate from it, since strays, raccoons, birds and the occasional opossum might have taken an interest as well.
If we do manage to lure it into the open, the little guy’s destined for the caring services of the humane society. I say this now because, well, we are all subject to our baser desires from time to time. Generally, they lead us to decisions we mighn’t otherwise make with a clear head in the light of day. The horrible tempting power of kitten must be resisted!
Finally! We had no rain today, for the first time in what seems like weeks, which allowed the soil to dry out enough that I could turn it over. I should’ve waited another day, really, but the starts I bought last Sunday were really wanting to get in the ground. It’s not the full complement of summer veg yet, but it’s certainly stuff that should’ve been planted a few weeks earlier than this.
Planted:
- 3 Flying Saucer Pattypan Squash
- 3 Dark Green Zucchini
- 3 Lemon Cucumbers
- 1 Caribbean Red Habañero
- 1 Sungold Cherry Tomato
- 1 Oroma Roma Tomato
- 1 Early Cascade Tomato
Digging around through Shift’s calendar of events, it looks like June is a big month for cycling in Portland. Pedalpalooza 2005 promises to be chock-a-block full of bike events, including our local contribution to the World Naked Bike Ride on June 11th. Mark your calendars.
Uncool: my car wouldn’t start this morning — don’t know why yet — so I biked to work in the rain, sans rain gear.
Very Cool: at the westbound mid-point of the Broadway Bridge, I encountered a crew of folks serving up free coffee and pastries to cyclists. Breakfast on the Bridges only happens the last Friday of each month (and, for some reason, this Friday as well), so I guess I’ve just never biked in when it was happening. I didn’t stop, since I was already half an hour late to work and chilly-wet, but they brightened my morning just by being there. Hooray for small-scale social activism.
Update: Tried jumping the car, and having it poked at by a more mechanically-minded friend, but to no avail. It’s towin’ time! I may find it hard not to cycle in the near future. Which kinda sucks, what with a couple of graduations and guests and whatnot this week and next.
“Our steward, Edgar, introduced himself on the first evening and let us know he was available if there was anything we wanted. Then, he disappeared for the rest of the cruise. We did however see evidence that he was taking good care of the room, preparing the traditional towel animals and turning down the bed linens in the evening.”
I somehow surfed my way into a cruise review site this evening, whence the above … I find it pleasing to imagine that there exists a people — a nomadic servant class — whose chief cultural expression is communicated through the medium of towel origami.
Not being a cruise-ship type person, I was heretofore unaware of this art form.
Biked down to the Mississippi Pizza Pub (1.3 mi) for a late dinner tonight, where we discovered the very pleasant Blue Cranes playing the last four or five numbers of what must’ve been a fairly long set. They’re a laid-back and pleasantly-riffing bass, drum & sax trio that I wouldn’t mind hearing more of. I’m a bit ashamed — no one was taking cash at the door and they packed up after wrapping without passing a hat. It’s only now, checking the schedule, that I see there was a cover. I should’ve thrown them some shekels, as they certainly deserved it. I’ll catch you next time, guys.
Technorati: music
Life and the weather were good today. Home by 6, no rain, and the advent of Pacific Daylight Time (over which I initially grumble) make for daylight aplenty to address issues of the earth. In short: a bed has been weeded, turned, amended, turned some more, raked smooth, and had 35 lettuce starts plugged into its waiting soil. There will be salad this year.
