Recently in Talk about the weather Category

So far this spring, the weather has been ideal for growing tomatoes and other delicate plants here at CrabAppleLane. That might change overnight although you'd never know it by the current gorgeous weather we're having. A light freeze is possible tomorrow. Not sure what I'm going to do except hope that the forecast is wrong. Figures they'll probably get this one right. It would be impossible for me to protect everything I've planted in the last few weeks since I thought the danger of a freeze passed. I offer a few from the CrabAppleLane backyard today.

Crispin - April 13, 2008We grow three or four catnip plants every year because two of our three cats love it. I put one in a flowerpot and brought it inside yesterday for the first time. Crispin (11) loves it but our other indoor cat, Casey (14), is not wild about this new development for two reasons. 1) She's pretty indifferent to the catnip and 2) she thinks Crispin is getting a tad overstimulated. He had jumped on her minutes prior to attacking the pictured rugs and falling asleep in the bright sunshine coming through our window.


About forgetting to prune - April 13, 2008I usually prune the bottle brush to my height (6ft) because I was always worried they'd block the sun from my tomatoes. I forgot to do so this year. The shadow doesn't quite reach them THIS season but it looks like I won't be able to get away with it next season.


Experimenting with text - April 13, 2008CrabAppleLane kitchen garden - Click here for a larger view


CrabAppleLane Irises - April 13, 2008OK, all of the red ones on my left and the purples ones on my right. I threw these things in the pond randomly. No idea how they became separated so uniformly.

Quote of the Day

Lost on a wave
Then after
Dream on
On to the heart of the sunrise

Yes, Heart of the Sunrise

Blogs of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Shell Holtz writes a great article on “When is a Link Not a Link” that is worth reading if you are worried about fair use of content and link citations of web page content:"

Don't know why the people writing headlines can't get Oklahoma State right. The LSU Lady Tigers played Oklahoma State yesterday in the women's NCAA tournament. The headline at ESPN.com was LSU/Ohio State II. I clicked on the link thinking that LSU and Ohio State had scheduled a football game. No. Today's Times Picayune, the local rag that should know better (Well, they both should know better), has/had a headline that reads thusly: "LSU downs Oklahoma 67-52". Oklahoma is NOT Oklahoma State as any student/fan of either school will attest. Accuracy was important at one time. At least, I thought it was. Oh, and Go Lady Tigers.

My March Madness brackets find themselves in a strange place: In contention. Go Horns and Go Jayhawks.

The sun is trying to peek out today. It was overcast and misty all day yesterday. The CrabAppleLane yard loved it. Everything is green today. I offer three from the CrabAppleLane yard.

CrabAppleLane tung nut blossoms - March 30, 2008

CrabAppleLane tomatoes - March 30, 2008It's been misting off and on all weekend. Glad I held off watering them. They much prefer the water that falls from the sky unfiltered.


Priscilla and the purple irises - March 30, 2008Like all good pets, she prefers pond scum to fresh tap water. More flavor, I suppose. She'll be 19 in a few weeks so whatever she is doing is working for her. The story of how she came to us is nice if you care to read about it.

As a NFL football fan, I agree wholeheartedly with today's QOTD.

Quote of the Day

The system isn't broken, as the Giants showed in their Super Bowl XLII upset of the Patriots as the NFC's fifth seed. Yet the re-seeding shakeup is made for the right reasons: The competition committee wants more late-season games of the caliber of the Patriots-Giants Week 17 classic.

Jarrett Bell and Jim Corbett, USA TODAY

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I lace 'em up for one of Canada's great pastimes (besides complaining, maybe), which turns out to be nothing like riding a bike."

For the record, I love daylight savings time. Starting tomorrow, I'll be getting home from work in daylight regularly for the first time in almost 15 years.

While working in the yard today, Patsy and I both heard the unmistakable sound of a hummingbird but we didn't see it. Fresh nectar awaits. Can't wait till they start their regular visits again. They're right on time. I was expecting them this weekend. Update 7PM: Saw him. First one back gets uncontested nectar.

I offer one from the CrabAppleLane courtyard today.

CrabAppleLane Mandevilla - March 9, 2008Well, the trellis and the flowerpot were going to waste. I've had Mandevilla in the past but always the pink variety. I like this red much better. It's a rather expensive tropical vine that does OK in the hot Louisiana climate. I saw a couple this size at a nursery yesterday for $29/ea. When I saw this one today for $16 at Walmart, I thought I'd take a chance. I've never had any luck carrying a plant over from one season to the next, though. I'm hoping I'll be able to just leave it in the planter and carry it inside to protect it from the frost. We'll see.

Quote of the Day

The NFL got a little less interesting Tuesday. You watched Favre for what he did and what he tried to do. You marveled at his complete and utter fearlessness. You shook your head in amazement when he made great plays and when he made bonehead plays.

Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "This is one of my favorite songs sung by one of my favorite singers, Eva Cassidy, who tragically died of melanoma in 1996 at age 33 before she became famous world-wide."

Quite lovely. -Rob

OK, I admit it. I was IN before I saw the trailer. I am a sucker for bigger-than-life adventure. Opening night now, I think. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull looks like another great installment. Too bad Denholm Elliott couldn't be in it.

I didn’t know what a “tag cloud” was but I kinda like it now that I have one. See the column to the far right towards the top. I’ve only tagged 2008 entries so far. As time permits, I’ll get to the rest of them.

A spectacular thunderstorm blew through CrabAppleLane last night as I was trying to get to sleep. Amazing that we didn’t lose power. We did lose our local HD channels on our DirecTV but resetting the receiver resolved that. The new DirecTV satellite systems are a little delicate in that regard. We seem to be resetting the receiver once or twice per week.

The spam flood I spoke of yesterday has abated considerably but I will leave comment moderation on for another day or two. I’ll check in periodically so that legitimate and valuable comments get published without much delay. No combination of keywords or filters could stop the spam and the majority of it was getting through and getting published.

Quote of the Day

I hate snakes, Jock. I hate 'em.

Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Been a slow Indy news week since the release of the much anticipated trailer…which if you haven’t seen the international version, which is slightly different, check it out here at AICN. That doesn’t mean there hasn’t been news."

Glorious spring Sunday here at CrabAppleLane. Excuse the short one but I have to get back out in it. I offer one from the CrabAppleLane front yard and one from the CrabAppleLane backyard.

CrabAppleLane Redbud - March 2, 2008

CrabAppleLane Backyard - March 2, 2008

Quote of the Day

Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today
Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today
Look at me, I can be centerfield.

John Fogerty, Centerfield

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "We won’t have Dish or phone service until Friday, but the payoff is high-speed internet so Huzzah! H is hella excited because high-speed internet = XBOXLIVEOMIGOD. We may never see him again."

We have a new wood pellet stove coming today if the rain lets up at CrabAppleLane. Not sure why rain has any effect on installation but I'm told it does. Our current wood pellet stove was a victim of the CrabAppleLane Lightning Strike of 2007. The new stove is very similar to our current one but it has 13 years worth of updates and innovations. The newer model has a thermostat so that it comes on automatically. We’ll probably only do that while we’re present until we have some confidence in how it works. It has a larger fuel capacity and it is supposedly easier to clean. Those are big pluses. The two biggest reasons we’re anxious to get this done, though, are 1) it heats our living room perfectly and 2) cost. Wood pellets are much cheaper to burn than propane, particularly when you have to turn the heater on full blast to just barely knock the chill out of the air in the living room. Anyway, this is the model we chose (I think. It's been a month since we chose it). The brass plating of the older model has been replaced by gold plating on the newer one. It shouldn’t pit and discolor as easily. After looking at our last propane bill and draining most of the discretionary income we have for the next few months, it will be a welcome event.

About today's QOTD: It refers to the basketball game that Baylor and Texas A & M played last night that went to five overtimes.

Quote of the Day

I'm tired.

Curtis Jerrells, Baylor University

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Are you good at inventing recipes? Are you looking for a place to take your date for Valentine's day? Do you want to enjoy a romantic dinner for two? Do you love using the Greek Gods creamy thick Greek yogurt in your cooking?"

My two fantasy playoff teams (Ragpickers and Erasers) find themselves in an unfamiliar position halfway through the Colts-Chargers game. They're in contention. Both teams benefited from Ryan Grant's huge day yesterday. Indy's loss will hurt both of those teams, though. Hopefully, it will hurt everyone else about the same. There will be a new Super Bowl Champion. I suppose I'm now rooting for the Chargers, Giants, and Packers. Not wild about the Pats or Cowboys.

A little joke I read today that my friend, Ken, might appreciate:
Perfect Pitch - When you throw an accordion into a dumpster and it lands on a banjo

Started tinkering with one of my Christmas presents yesterday. The first record I tried was Joe Walsh's Barnstorm from 1972 ... because it was already out. Mixed results. I think I'll need some headphones. On my computer speakers, it's hard to listen closely enough to hear through the pops whether the record skipped or not, especially on songs you haven't listened to in 30 years or so. I also determined that a little practice will be required to get good results. I can't tell you the last time I had to balance a tone arm and I'm still not sure I did it satisfactorily. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you might want to ask your parents. :)

I offer three images depicting the three stages of my 15-mile road trip today. The weather here at CrabAppleLane is simply magnificent. Was yesterday, too, but I squandered most of the day. Would surely like a do over.

On the way out - January 13, 2008 - In Whippoorwill Grove near CrabAppleLane

In between - January 13, 2008 - Lance Armstrong would not approve of my training regimen.

On the way in - January 13, 2008 - Off Highway 40 in Bush, LA - Near CrabAppleLane

Quote of the Day

Hey now
The wells run dry
Pages of your book on fire
Read the writing
On the wall

Joe Walsh, Turn To Stone

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I myself celebrate Festivus. Not because I'm just a Seinfeld fan, but because I know every line... word for word... and I know every single possible thing there is to know about Seinfeld. I could answer any question about Seinfeld."

New Orleans East - June 19, 2007 Last night’s drive home featured some of the worst weather I ever drove through. The radio was reporting that it was a “fast-moving” thunderstorm and we were under a severe thunderstorm watch until 7PM. This was taken at 6PM just before I got in my truck to head home and it wasn’t raining where I was yet. Unfortunately, the route home was right through those black clouds on the Causeway; about 50 miles of heavy rain and gusting crosswinds. The Causeway portion of the commute is 24 miles over open water. There is nothing to shield commuters from the wind. Full restrictions were in force. No one allowed on the bridge on a motorcycle or without fully functioning headlamps and windshield wipers. No glass trucks. Stopped for about 20 minutes along the way before I got on the bridge to allow it to ease up. That wasn’t a great idea, either. The wind and rain never did ease up and street flooding was becoming a problem. Street flooding always concerns me because it is so easy to get trapped. Even if you can make it through the high water in your vehicle, the person or persons in front of you may not be able to and you’re stuck. Fortunately, that didn't happen although there were some anxious moments as I drove through 18-24 inches of water behind some kind of import sedan. There was some stop and go once I got on the bridge but the weather heading north was only bad as opposed to the horrendous weather I had just come through. It was a long drive home.

78 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

The 2007 UC Irvine Anteaters don't want to take their uniforms off.

Dave Serrano, UC Irvine Anteaters Baseball Coach

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "My Dad was running around all day getting ready for the Storm. Plus,being a Volunteer Fireman for the Neighborhood,the radio in the House den was spewing forth all Kinds of stuff I never heard of Before."

Documentary from New Orleans Saints TE Mark Campbell

Hurricane season has started. CrabAppleLane is about as ready as we ever are.

Billy Donovan just couldn't resist the challenge or the money. I advised him against it although I'm fairly certain he didn't read it. Just as well. No one needs career counseling from me.

97 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

I’m banged up. I’m winded. I’m fatigued.

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "On the other hand, I've come to learn that if you see one error in an article, it's because 15 others have been corrected."

One of my favorite views of the back yard. The view changes slightly from day to day, week to week, season to season. Never get tired of it. The yard work is experiencing a rain delay. Rained hard enough and long enough for me to stop with about 10 minutes of work left to do. It stopped raining just after I got out of the shower. Chances are pretty good I won’t finish the job this weekend. There’s a lot of bad weather around here. Harrison County in Mississippi (About 60 miles east of CrabAppleLane) is under a tornado watch and heavy rain is all around. Was talking about Harrison County just yesterday here. Biloxi is in Harrison County.

Quote of the Day

You can run, you can run
Tell my friend-boy Willie Brown
Lord, that I'm standin' at the crossroad, babe
I believe I'm sinkin' down

Robert Johnson, Crossroad Blues

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Manager of the Year: Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins
I don't know why but I just got this feeling that it's gonna be a breakout year for the Twins again."