Randy, check out my last album on Facebook. Will make you cry and we have had 2 more weeks of Hxxx since. The acubas leaves are burned black. All four of the Japanese Maples are 3/4 crisp. The tropicals are struggling. Actually, so are the human beings. We have two smart dogs. They go outside for their business and then right back in. We will have to talk on the phone so I can get the details. Maybe with the opportunity to travel more, you can just hope a plane to Dallas more often. Always, always welcome. Can you take your cat?
The coconut wireless - chat threat 2
Hello, everyone.
RJ, I wish you all the best in your move, although there is still a good while to go before it actually happens. Uprooting yourself and moving to a different clime with a new job, a new home, etc. I clearly remember that from when I moved from the North Pole to South Florida. A lot of preparations and planning are involved. I wouldn't go through it unless it became absolutely inevitable. May it come to pass as seemlessly as possible.
Pepper, when I read about your shark having an odor, red flags popped up in my mind. Odoriferous fish should stay with the seller, not accompany you home. And there is something about shark that causes them to somehow not stay fresh very long. A friend of mine who catches sharks once in a while here says: catch it before 4PM and cook it before 7PM; after that, forget about it. I love to cube it about 1 1/2 inch size, marinate it in italian salad dressing with fresh lime juice added for an hour or 2 in the fridge. I then make kabobs and grill it on the BBQ. It's delicious that way.
We got quite the downpour yesterday, even by Florida standards. The lawn and the garden needed it really bad. We are supposed to get more showers and storm this afternoon. I'm all for it.
Take care, all.
Sylvain.
Once we rinsed it the odor was gone. Tasted decent til it got cold then it was only good for cat food. lol. It was worth trying though. But I will never try poi. That doesn't even stand a chance with me. lol
Hi everyone,
I have never had shark, but have had poi. Think I'll stick with a shark.
Hap
A glorious day to you all.
Now, don't you mainlanders start badmouthing poi!
Poi is a noble food that has sustained the hawai'ians for generations upon generations. I went to my first luau on Maui on my 52nd birthday and I had a blast. The food, the show, the singers, the dancers, the music, the setting: fabulous. Included in dinner was poi and I tasted it. If ever there is a food that can be classified as an acquired taste, poi is it. At first, I wasn't fond of it at all.
However, it was also included daily in the hotel's buffet. Quite a few restaurants included a side dish of poi. I tried it every time it was available and all of a sudden, it grew on me and I will defend poi to my dying breath. We are not used to the colour, texture, or taste of poi but it is great food. I ask you: is this the face of someone who has been eating vile food? I think not.
Take care.
Sylvain
Knowing your penchant for gourmet, I respect your opinions, Pu'ole. I, too, have tasted poi and liken it to wallpaper paste. However, getting a child to eat broccoli (or even an unnamed president) is a trick. An acquired taste as they say.
Another scorching day ahead. I have cabin fever.
Aloha everyone,
Randy, best of luck with your move - at least you won't have to face this coming winter in Chicago if your move isn't until next May. I expect you are going to be looking for a house to rent so that you can keep on gardening...
Sorry Debi, I though it said on your link that there was a parade as well as the jumping...I must have misread it! I hope the Grand Prix went well - are you off home soon? I am looking forward to some pics of your place.
Christi, hope you are still hanging in there - I believe you have broken records now for heat. So sad, and not a thing you can do about it, although Pu'oke did have some luck with his rain dance and his purple thong! Although Katie's naked rain dance didn't seem to work, she only got thunder! No, I haven't had the other eye done - I am saving that treat up until the 31st of August LOL!
Sorry the shark was so yucki Amanda - at least you tried it and the cats had a feast!
Now, all of you who don't like poi! When you live in Hawaii and you are invited to family luau's you have to eat poi, and at least pretend you like it because someones "Auntie" will have made it with great pride. Pu'oke is right, after a while you get used to it and quite enjoy it - it's not the taste so much as the texture that takes getting used to. Breadfruit is also served frequently - the staff of life here! A five pound bag of potatoes cost $7.00 + here, rice is cheap - $11.00 for a 25 lb bag. Few locals eat potatoes, much prefering sweet potatoes, rice and breadfruit - poi just rounds out the meal! In the Polynesian culture big is beautiful, and if you are a skinny little runt like me you are not considered to be an attractive woman!
Off to pay bills (ugh!) and then to do some trimming in the garden before it gets too warm - have a nice day everyone!
Jenn
110 AGAIN TODAY....and tomorrow and the next day, etc.,etc.etc.
I got a kick out of the McDonald's in Hawaii, they had poi on the menu. A new kind of fast food????
Spam is on the menu too! Reminds me of the old Monty Python show - spam and eggs, spam, spam and eggs, etc.,etc!
LOL, I did not know spam came in different flavors. We were in a grocery store in Hilo when we saw a young couple discussing which to get.
After heart surgery in 1973 my dad was in intensive care for 36 days. Then to a room for about 20 more days in the hospital. My mom asked what he wanted to eat when he could finally come home. His answer: Fried Spam. Didn't take much to satisfy these survivors of the Great Depression, WW1 and WW11. From my upbringing, I like fried Spam as well. Can't believe how expensive it has become!
I won't touch Spam with a ten foot pole. I had it as a kid and didn't like it then either. But I will eat that before I eat poi. lol.
Hi, all.
Having lived most of my life in the frozen expanses of Canada, I have heard of Spam. However, I have never eaten it, or even seen it in person. There are 2 good reasons for that:
a) The product was not available up there at the time and I am not sure if it is available right now, and
b) We was poor. Such processed foods cost money we didn't have. My grandmother, armed with her trusted hand-cranked meat grinder, could turn 2 pounds of chicken livers, a stick of butter, a shot of cognac and a few cloves garlic into a pâté that rivaled ambrosia. We was poo', but we ate good food.
Now that I have written about poi yesterday, I want some. Yeah right: good luck on finding that in the Delray Beach area. I might as well be looking for a genuine French loaf of bread with a real crust on it. Oh, I'll survive... I guess.
Take care, all.
Pu'ole, a.k.a. Sylvain.
We were past poor, the reason there was always a can of Spam in the pantry. Spam, home fries and pork&beans could fill an empty spot in your tummy when things were tough.
Oh-- so much to cover! Finally home and am so glad. Much cooler than NY!
Yes there was a parade-- I forgot! I'm stuck in the office on Sundays and forgot what a fun day it is! If I could figure how to send the press release, I would-- some grat jumping and parade pictures.
Richard took wonderful care of all the plants. Several Mandevillas did not look good when I left-- took one from it's pot today and will just let the other sit in the ground. My blue green jade vine is happily twining up the plumeria, and the rangoon creeper is blooming happily as well. The snake skin wound thru the creeper gives me the creeps though( couldn't resist!)
We are about to get a morning shower, but it will take a long time to get back to normal water wise. The jade plant at the front door looks a little fade-y but other than normal wear and tear, things are good. The hoyas look great and the orchids are attaching themselves with gusto!
What a week with the market-- I'm almost afraid to turn the TV on and I'm going to stop checking my I phone for updates.
Is poi like grits-- either love it or hate it? I must admit, I now LOVE shrimp and grits! But for Breakfast-- YUCK YUCK!
Anyone out there have a vanilla orchid? Mine is draped around a weeping hibiscus and needs some support -- but we're afraid we might break it.
Stay cool-- if possible.
A pot of good grits call for a stick of butter and a cup of heavy cream. Of course anything with all that would be yummy. :-)
Does that work for poi? LOL
Hap
Nancy, I wouldn't think of adding cream and butter to poi. Poi should stand on its own. I have a tendency to prefer 2-finger poi. One-finger poi is too gooey for my uneducated taste. Three-finger poi is too runny. 2-finger poi: perfection on 2 impeccably clean fingers. It's all finger-licking good, as the colonel would say. I mean... who, in his right mind, would prepare fried chicken in a white suit with a shoestring tied around his neck as a bowtie? But I digress.
Take care, all.
Sylvain.
I love how you can offer another point of view, Sylvain.
Good morning! A dark thunderery morning here-- was afraid to do water aerobics with all the thunder this AM!
Anyone have an ylang ylang vine? Mine looks good, but not growing as strongly as I would like. I'm thinking not not enough sun. Any ideas from the group?
Am really ready to be working in the yard but it's way too hot and the mosquitos are still like vicious sparrows! Most things have grown really well even in all this heat.
@ Debijaynes, ylang ylang vine needs lots and lots of sun. i got 2 specimens growing nearby in our 110F summer heat full day. Young plants do need afternoon shade. Keep it under watered for better fragrance, this is my personal experience.
My ylang is under some Christmas palms since it was so young and tender when placed. So now I'm thinking it needs to go out in full sun--planted against??? Any ideas. I may need to put it up against the fence with some protection so the dogs don't bother it.The blue green jade vine is doing very well under the plumeria and should reach the top of the tree by the middle of September.
On a cheery note, I was playing with the bower vine yesterday and looked down on some leaves to see a (what I think is) pygmy rattlesnake! I am not amused!
OMG! That would be my very last time to go outside. I am terrified of even a grass snake.
Can you guys tell me what is wrong with my plumeria? It had leafed out some then I noticed this the other day. I have it in the ground til I either can get in the shed without the spider, who is bigger than my palm, being around or get a pot deep enough for it. I hope I can save it since I got it from Jenn and it's the red/yellow one.
Side view.
I got one from Jen at the same time, Amanda. It is in a pot (miracle grow potting soil) and has leaved out even in this horrible heat. I do have it in the shade because of so many other things being cooked by the sun's rays. Maybe Jenny will pop in.
I water all of my plumes pretty heavy everyday. They are all in pots that drain well so they are not standing in water.
I was gonna put them in pots but the ones I had avaliable weren't deep enough so I stuck them in the ground then forgot to go get a deeper pot. lol. Plus a spider that I don't like has run me out of the garden shed. lol.
I like the spider story! When we moved into this house I was so excited that it had an additional 1 car over-sized garage! Right out the back door and convenient to the back yard. I found WONDERFUL pictures of Martha Stewart's garden work -house on her property-- had the painters paint the inside. planned on ceiling fans to augment the cross ventilation-- oh my--what plans! UNTIL......... I opened the door one day and found THREE snake skins inside. Well- that was that! Everything is towards the front so that I can literally open the door, reach in and grab. After seeing the pygmy rattler the other day, I'm heading to Naples Fertilizer for snake repellent for the entire property!
Had some thunder showers this AM and the forecast is for that kind of day! Great! I'm going to take some more pictures when the mosquitoes aren't too bad and pas them on. Was ut taking pictures for another thread (hawaiian sunset vine) and was eaten alive--in the middle of the day. Did get brave and plant a pineapple sage on Sunday-- it's just too hot!
Yikes, be sure to apply that repellent from the middle out, A friend put some around the perimeter of their home and still found many snakes under the house, he decided he had trapped them in there.
yuk! And I thought Texas was the worst with snakes.
Hello everyone,
Trying to get caught up with all of your news...
It's been a rough week around here - Frank had hernia surgery last Thursday and was in a lot of pain for days afterwards. He is feeling much better now but still can't walk very comfortably. Talk about having a caged tiger in the house! He went back to work yesterday (against Dr's orders) and is a much happier man, although he had to take my car because he didn't think he could manage the stick shift pedal. Now he is restless because he can't go back into the ocean until his staples are taken out on the 24th LOL!
I see that Christi is still having horribly hot temps, with no relief in sight - did you get any rain the other day?
Amanda, I have no idea what could be wrong with the plummie, could it be that the top of it got too wet with rain? It's hard to tell from the picture but it looks rotted...I can send more if you want, just let me know.
Debi, it must be nice to be back home - your garden looks so neat and tidy! You would all have a fit if you saw my unkempt jungle. I haven't grown Ylang Ylang vine (I have a ylang ylang tree) but I believe they grow to monsters and need a sturdy support. Blue jade vines are so lovely - I managed to kill mine easily once I took it out of the pot and planted it into the ground, I think it probably didn't get enough water or something.
Today is State Day here in the Islands. Not sure how many people will be celebrating, but Frank is off work for a three day weekend. I noticed camp sites being set up along some of the more remote beaches last evening which is how many folks spend three day weekends. You can smell the hot dogs cooking (or maybe it's Spam!) all day long.
I have finally finished the Beast, and I am so glad to have it finally done! This morning I am going to run up a small quilt for one of the stupid cats. Hobo was nothing but a nuisance while I was trying to work on the Beast, so he is going to have one of his own to lounge on - I have scraps of fabric, batting and backing left over and I don't think he will be too fussy about the pattern!
I hope everyone has a lovely day...
WOW, that is some quilt. Are you keeping it?
Nancy
Jen, the quilt is magnificent. My mother left two quilts totally pieced but not quilted. One was still in the frame. Just got them back today from the quilt shop. Had both of them finished.
Sorry about Frank. Tell him Dr. Gibson said not to get in the water too soon and get an infection. That would be worse.
No rain. We are now breaking records for night time temps. Haven't gone below 80 in weeks and it is doing a number on the plants and the people. Sooo many dead trees everywhere. This is the worst drought/heat wave in our entire history. No relief in sight.
On the way home from Illinois today (funeral) I saw a bank sign that showed temps were 97. It's been awhile since we've been this hot!!
I haven't looked at the plumie in awhile. Last I saw it was still green, just the top looked wrong.
Hi Everyone - a quick note to let you know i"M ok. wE'VE HAD BLACKOUTS AS LONG AS 18 HOURS, ALONG WITH MY PUTER DEAD AND ONE A/C DEAD AND THE OTHER DYING. pLUS VARIOUS OTHER STUFF. wE HAVE HAD TWO RAINS - NOT A LOT OF HELP AND THEY'VE ADDED TOT HE HUMIDITY BUT THEY ARE MUCH BETTER THAN THE NOTHING THAT cHRISTI IS HAVING.
tONY CONTINUES TO BE A HUGE HELP. hIS SECOND SON aNTONIO HAS STARTED COLLEGE AND i'VE BEEN SCOURING MY KITCHEN FOR THINGS FOR HIS APARTMENT. i'LL BE LOOKING FOR A MICROWAVE FOR HIM WHEN IN IN cA. IN A WEEK OR TWO..
Ooops, I hit the shift key by mistake.
We are hot and sweaty with another two months of hot weather to go. It's hard for everyone, people born and raised here also suffer.
More later, I'm only half awake.
Hope everyone is doing well.
hugs, katie
Glad you checked in, Katie. Just check the Northwestern forum and they are preparing for Irene. We don't have hurricanes but we sure as the dickens get our share of tornadoes. Nature is on a rampage. The power company has been turning our AC off for 15 minutes, on for 45 minutes. We got a new meter and thermostat last year. Agreed to the plan to keep from having total blackouts. The power grid here is being taxed to the maximum. Wish this heat would just go away.
sorry, make that Northeast forum
Irene went by in the Bahamas yesterday. We got one good gust of wind with rain falling sideways and a 45-min power failure. I'm glad it's gone, but it doesn't seem it will veer right and get lost in the Atlantic. All those people in the Carolinas and northward will have to put up with that.
Take care, all.
Sylvain.
Glad you didn't get much from Irene Sylvain. Just enough to help a bit. :~)