By
Lorie
on
May 13, 2013
The last three months has ran away from me. I’ve never been so lazy in my life, and I’m not happy or proud of it. Idleness is not good for the spirit. My own body is working against me, although for good reasons ;). Changes are ongoing and I hope to settle into a routine soon.
My camera and I missed the spring foliage. The couple of times I was able to get away from the city everything was green already, with just a few colors here and there. Not that I’m complaining. I love the fresh green color of the trees. Not that I’ve been taking pictures lately, I hardly touched my camera. Sigh.
So I’m reusing old photos, sorry, taken last year during a short hike in the Delaware State Forest. Three miles back and forth, easygoing and more like a nature walk, although the terrain is rocky and you have to watch your step. Best to wear hiking boots that support your ankle. Our usual short trail starts from Snow Hill Road and goes to the Spruce Run Bridge. It’s part of the Thunder Swamp Trail System in the Poconos, PA.
This is a peaceful place for me. I love it when it’s just a day or two after the rain, the run has more water and the little frogs and salamanders come out :). We don’t see a lot of people here. We saw a parked car a couple of times but never people. Although I won’t mind seeing other fellow hikers, this is part of the appeal for me.
But fair warning, George and I went past Spruce Run Bridge once, up to the PA Route 402 marker and never again. While up to the bridge, the trail is wide and clear, past that it’s overgrown and the place is crawling with ticks. I will not look at ferns the same way again. You can take precautions but we decided it’s not worth it. There are other trails to enjoy.
Wow, I didn’t start out with this post planning to write about hiking. It just sort of happened. Inspired by old photos :). Now I’m in the mood to dig up more. I will be back soon.
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By
Lorie
on
April 17, 2013
We received this strawberry plant by mail a couple of weeks ago. And yes, it’s still sitting in its tiny planter. Hopefully, this coming weekend we can start working on our container garden.
We picked a Sweet Charlie variety. It’s actually common in Florida and in the south but it grows in zones 5-8, and we are zone 6b right here in Brooklyn. This variety is supposedly sweet (hence, the name), good for home gardens and well suited for containers, and has a high yield.
Soon after the plant arrived, I noticed that it’s flowering. “Is it dying?” I asked George. It just seemed so unusual that this small plant is flowering already. I found the answer in an article from strawberryplants.org:
…This is not good for the plants or the harvest. The already-weakened plants need all the energy they can muster to take root and make a new home. If they expend the energy on berry production, they will not establish themselves well…
The solution is to pinch off or cut off all flowers from every new strawberry plant for the first growing season, allowing the strawberry plants to root and grow without distraction…
So, off the flowers went :( We must have pinched off four by now. So far, the plant looks healthy, no more flower buds, and I see a lot of young leaves.
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By
Lorie
on
April 1, 2013
By
Lorie
on
March 23, 2013
I ♥ pignoli. Lily. Iris. So…stuff has been going on lately and blogging has been moved to the back burner. For now, I leave you with photos and a quote we all know – “When life gives you lemons, make
By
Lorie
on
March 18, 2013
But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. – William Butler Yeats
By
Lorie
on
March 15, 2013
Zharkoe is a traditional Russian meat and potatoes stew. It’s a hearty dish, perfect for a cold day. We’ve been talking about making a stew this winter, and we finally did, right before the season ended. It was a whole
By
Lorie
on
March 10, 2013
I’m doing a week-in-review type of post, hoping that this will help organize my thoughts. : I cleaned the fridge. Hurrah! This is a cause for celebration in a home where domestically challenged people live. I’m not even going to
