Legends of the lowly dandelion

/ Roadtirementvintage / 19 Comments

You have seen them. People love them or hate them. People eat them. Yes, that is the dandelion. There is quite a bit of folklore connected to the dandelion.

Dandelions are related to sunflowers

Each “puffer” has between 150 -200 seeds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No one knows when the first person believed this: If you blow all of the white flying seeds off of a dandelion in one breath your wish will come true. There is also a belief that sending the seeds in the wind will carry your thoughts and dreams to those you love. In addition, some think blowing all the seeds in one breath means your love is true and is returned. Other stories include using the flowers as weather predicters, and the daily opening and closing of flowers indicating time of day.

A visit to a new Mexican eatery

/ Roadtirementvintage / 15 Comments

The location used to house a craft beer brewery/restaurant, but that business fell victim to the pandemic. After sitting empty for a few years we noticed a new name on the storefront, and shortly after an “OPEN” sign and cars in the lot. That was our cue to go try it out.

The tables have two distinct areas, one for families and one just for 21 plus patrons. There is a large bar with two very big TV’s for sports broadcasts. We went at about 2:30 in the afternoon, and there were only about seven to ten other tables occupied.

Menu book

The bar

 

 

 

 

 

Sher and I both ordered strawberry margaritas to start. We decided to go for the medium size. The medium size was what most places have for large! What delicious margaritas they were.

Table full of great food and drink

A great margarita

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The menu was quite extensive, and was presented in a spiral bound book. I ordered the steak fajitas, and Sher ordered two bean burritos with fixings. The food was very good, derived quickly and served hot. Just about any kind of Mexican cuisine is available, and if our orders are any indication, you’ll probably be pleased with anything at the Blue Agave.

A nice view of a river and an old bridge

This is a very nice facility, and as it is relatively close to our home, we will be patronizing this bar and grill again. There is a very nice outdoor deck that the previous bar used for outside seating. Maybe Blue Agave will offer outside seating soon as well.

 

Arizona’s Sonoran desert at sunset

/ Roadtirementvintage / 9 Comments

Back in February, 2016, we were traveling the desert southwest. Tucson was of course a required stop! One evening we took a drive to the Tucson Mountain District of the Saguaro National Park. It was a visual delight to watch the desert turn from the bright sunlight of the day into the subdued lighting of dusk followed by yet another night.

The shadows lengthen

One by one the cacti lose the sun’s warmth

The golden hues of the day’s last light

There is something magical about the Sonoran Desert

Proof they hatched

/ Roadtirementvintage / 2 Comments

We’ve been watching a pair of robins constructing and setting on a nest in the crook of the old maple tree outside our back door. We had yet not seen any blue egg shells on the ground. Discarded shells often indicate that the clutch has hatched.

At least two hungry mouths visible demanding food

Today while taking a break on the swing after some weeding I saw one of the robins returning to the “empty” looking nest. Immediately little wide open beaks appeared wanting to be filled with some tasty morsels. No more wondering: we have a clutch of baby robins. We’ll try to get some more photos soon.

Scary looking but basically harmless

/ Roadtirementvintage / 14 Comments

If you saw this black head coming over the plant, you might be worried…

Make you shiver??

This is a Great Black Wasp

They are “diggers”

 
These large wasps are diggers, meaning they dig tunnels where the females feed their young. These are good as a single female can sting and kill up to 16 grasshoppers each day. That is a great help keeping the population of the grasshoppers down. The good news is they only sting people if they are provoked.

Very strange dandelion

/ Roadtirementvintage / 30 Comments

Today I noticed a couple of strange looking dandelions in our backyard. Instead of individual stems for each brilliant yellow bloom several had grown together in one solid super stem. You could sort of feel the cluster of stems in these large “stems”.

One big stem, multiple blooms

Another large stemmed one…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are plenty of “normal” dandelions nearby. Any botanists or agronomists or anybody who knows anything about these dandelions? I’ve never seen anything like this. Appreciate any comments or answers.

Three years later, still growing strong

/ Roadtirementvintage / 17 Comments

June 20, 2020

June 25, 2021

May 26, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 26, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Black Cherry was one we got free from the Conservation Service and Indiana DNR. The first picture was taken on June 20, 2020 shortly after we planted it in our backyard. The sapling was then in a cage for protection, and the top visible rung on the cage is less than 2 feet high. The second picture was taken on June 25, 2021. By then the tree was a little over 6 feet tall. The tree reached a little over 10 feet in height by the end of May, 2022. Today, April 26, 2023, has the tree measuring a full 14 feet tall. According to what we have read, after about 7 to 8 years of growth we should have Black Cherries to pick.

The Birds of Mukilteo Lighthouse Park

/ Roadtirementvintage / 12 Comments

A look back at our visit to the Seattle area in early fall 2021. You know we love birdwatching…

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Like us, this gull enjoyed just watching the water

One thing you can always count on at the Mukilteo Lighthouse Park is seeing birds. We mean seeing lots and lots of birds. When we visited we saw crows, pigeons and of course different species of gulls. We saw them everywhere.

Staking claim to a picnic table

Stretching its wings

It was interesting to note that these birds were so used to people, dogs, and moving vehicles. When we drove through the parking lot birds were in the unoccupied parking spots, but kept the drive lanes clear.

What???

The picture above shows the public boat ramp and twin docks. So what is the deal with the birds here? What is wrong with the right dock, or what is so appealing to be on the left dock? The gulls were still boycotting that right side dock when we left.

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