Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Our Favorite Hangout

We placed this hanging basket in our new plant stand. I love the colors and variety of shapes of these flowers. This sight is on the deck outside our kitchen.

On this same deck, our phlox has lost its blossoms so we dressed up the remaining green foliage by moving our watering can of pansies to the center of the barrel.

We enjoy the beauty of these purple pansies in contrast with the red watering can.
I took this photo at the wrong time of day. The lighting makes the petals look a light color when actually they're a beautiful deep coral shade.
 
The sound of the water in our urn waterfall is pleasant as background music.

Instead of our normal practice of planting impatiens in this barrel, we opted for these petunias this year. As you can see, they're very happy in this corner of our backyard.

I landscaped what used to be a sandbox with perennials this year. They get a lot of shade under the "fort" but seem to be thriving well so far. I tried to select plants that were designated as preferring "partial sun." 

Our beautiful pin oak has these petunias and spikes at its feet. If the rabbits don't finish them off, we'll enjoy these from our screen porch.

Our latest addition to our yard is this post adorned with four baskets of petunias and topped off with a solar light. Our neighbors complimented us; that's a good thing since they can see it from their home.


As you've noticed, we selected several petunia plants this year.

Our collection of wildflowers is doing splendidly.

Just look at these gorgeous Colombine flowers.

The wild geraniums are a sight to enjoy as well.

The debris from our shrubs and trees is threatening to bury this barrel of petunias and salvia.

This flower called me back for a close up shot.

These arborvitae are doing an excellent job of providing us some privacy along the north side of our front yard.

Our hydrangeas under our front window haven't flowered for years. I've watered them with a product that hopefully will get them going.

These droopy pansies were on our front porch where they got very little sun. We moved them next to our front yard light where their exposure to sunlight will be much better. 

Our Crimson King maple has the company of these petunias, geraniums and spikes.


We replaced our depressed St. John's Wort plant with this hydrangea. I hope our older hydrangeas will follow this fellow's fine example.  

Woe is me. I've forgotten the name of this plant. 

I haven't forgotten how cute its blossoms are.

The plant in the foreground with the four shoots is milkweed. We bought this at the bird fest last spring. We're impressed with the height its reached already this year.

We planted three milkweed plants last spring and thought only one survived the winter. Wrong!!! This little fellow surprised us a few days ago by popping his head up among the bark chips. Yay!

Jared's neighbor gave us this bulb. When I planted it, it had a few stubby shoots. Within the last few days, it has grown a lot. I don't remember what kind of plant this will be so I'll be watching it closely.

This is a view of our deck where we sit until it gets too warm. When that happens, we walk a few steps and are blessed with shade on the screen porch.

Our coneflowers are filling out. It'll be a real treat when the flowers develop and present themselves. 


This is what we see when we look across the backyard toward our little shed. 

In this view, we're looking from the deck to the left side of our backyard.

As you've probably noticed over time, I favor close up photos. The true beauty can only be appreciated when your nose is right in their faces. 

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Beer Journal #68: 2X Presso, Blindfold Black IPA, Nooner Pilsner, Great Northern Porter, Samuel Adams Porch Rocker & More

Golden IPA
West Coast-style IPA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, CA & Mills River, NC

Pertinent label info:
ALC. 5.9% BY VOL.        55 IBU
Pkgd 02/03/15
Purest ingredients      Finest Quality
This golden ale is our rendition of the classic West Coast-style IPA. It's light bodied and intense with citrus and piney whole-cone Cascade hops--the signature flavor of the American IPA.
Hoppy, light-bodied IPAs have become a hallmark of the West Coast style of brewing, and our Golden IPA is as West Coast as a sunset over the Pacific. It's heady with the signature pine and grapefruit aromas of whole-cone Cascade hops tied together in a bold but approachable IPA.
We brew in Chico, CA, and Mills River, NC, to bring you the finest quality beer.
Ruthless
Rye IPA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, CA & Mills River, NC

Label stats:
ALC. 6.6% BY VOL.      55 IBU
Pkgd 02/11/15
Purest ingredients       Fines quality
Ruthless Rye IPA is brewed with rustic grains for refined flavors, combining the peppery spice of rye and the bright citrus flavors of whole-cone hops to create a complex ale for the tumultuous transition to spring.
Rye has been a staple grain for millennia--sought after for its stubborn resilience in the field and revered for its unique flavor. Ruthless Rye IPA is brewed with rustic grains for refined flavors, combining the peppery spice of rye and the bright citrusy flavors of whole-cone hops to create a complex ale for the tumultuous transition to spring.
We brew in Chico, CA, and Mills River, NC, to bring you the finest quality beer. 


Porch Rocker
Limited Release
Beer with natural flavor added
The Boston Beer Company
Boston, MA  Cincinnati, OH  and Breingsville, PA

Label info:
4.5% ALC./VOL.
Proudly brewed & bottled by The Boston Beer Company
For brewery-fresh taste, enjoy before month notched: Aug
By mixing beer & tart sparkling lemonade, German cyclists (called Radlers) helped inspire a crisp, refreshing drink perfect for long, hot days. With that inspiration, we developed our own lemon blend for a fresh-squeezed lemon taste & combined it with a golden Helles lager creating a sweet, tangy & thoroughly refreshing brew.
Cheers!
Jim Koch

West Coast IPA
Double India Pale Ale
Green Flash Brewing Company
San Diego, CA

The label report:
8.1% ALC. BY VOL.         95 IBU
Extravagantly hopped
Taste enlightenment
5 layers of hops: Simcoe, Columbus, Cascade, Centennial, Citra
We put the West Coast on the map. As craft beer pioneers, we embarked on an expedition to brew the benchmark West Coast IPA. We ventured into the unknown and struck gold, discovering a tantalizing menagerie of hops. Simcoe for tropical and grapefruit zest, Columbus for hop pungency, Cascade for floral aroma, Centennial for pine notes and Citra for citrus zest are layered throughout the brewing process.
West Coast IPA exemplifies the Green Flash spirit of adventure and discovery.

Nut Brown Ale
Brown Ale
Goose Island Beer Company
Baldwinsville, NY and Fort Collins, CO

Label findings:
ALC./VOL. 5.3%        IBU 25 rating
Our Nut Brown Ale has subtle notes of dark chocolate and honey with a satisfying nutty finish.
This beer will remain brewery fresh for 180 days after the bottled on date.
Contains: Wheat
Serve in a nonic pint.


Kellerweis
Bavarian-Style Wheat
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, CA & Mills River, NC

Straight from the label:
ALC. 4.8% BY VOL.
Finest ingredients    Finest Quality
Our Bavarian-style wheat beer is complex with flavors reminiscent of banana bread and spicy clove. This hazy-golden beer glows with suspended yeast, creating a velvety texture and refreshing finish.
Kellerweis is one of the few wheat beers made using the tradieional Bavarian method of open fermentation, which allows the ingredients to shine and creates vast depth and character in this hazy-golden beer. To serve, pour two-thirds into a glass, swirl the bottle and add the rest.
We brew in Chico, CA, and Mills River, NC, to bring you the finest quality beer. 


British Session India Pale Ale
Collaboration Edition
Cadedonian Brewery Co. LTD.
Edinburgh, U.K.

Beer info:
ALC. 5.1% BY VOL.
Drink Cool.
IPA's are a highly hopped style of Pale Ale that originated in England in the early 19th Century to withstand transport to British troops serving in India. To this day, the Caledonian brewery continues to use vintage 1869 open flamed copper kettles to brew their beers. This Session IPA is deep golden in colour with floral grapefruit hop aroma and lemon zesty bitterness to finish.
Imported by Newcastle Importers, White Plains, NY

Great Northern Porter
Summit Brewing Company
St. Paul, MN

Label print:
Ingredients--water, barley malt, hops & yeast
Proudly brewed in St. Paul, Minnesota

Nooner
Pilsner
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, CA & Mills River, NC

Label description:
ALC. %.2% BY VOL.
Purest ingredients   Finest Quality
German-style pilsners are the original session beers. Nooner is our version of this classic style, loaded with floral and spicy hop flavor and balanced by a crisp and dry finish.
Nooner Pilsner packs a big flavor into an easy-drinking beer that's fit for friends and afternoon adventure. Nooner is our take on the classic German pilsner, filled with bright and zesty whole-cone hop flavor with a crisp, dry finish--the perfect pick for wherever the day may take you.
We brew in Chico, CA and Mills River, NC, to bring you the finest quality beer. 


Blindfold
Black IPA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, CA & Mills River, NC

Label stats:
ALC. 6.8% BY VOL.      70 IBU
Purest ingredients    Finest quality
Blindfold Black IPA features a blend of hop varieties whose bright, fruity aroma complements the coffee-like flavors of dark roasted malts.
Blindfold blankets us in darkness yet maintains a surprisingly light body and bold, hoppy character. This black IPA emerged from our Beer Camp program and builds on Sierra Nevada's legendary love of hops with roasted malts for depth and complexity. Blindfold plays a trick on the senses with the color of a stout but the intense, hop-forward flavors of a classic American IPA.
PKGD 02/06/15
We brew in Chico, CA, and Mills River, NC, to bring you the finest quality beer.


2X Presso
Double Milk Stout
Southern Tier Brewing Company
Lakewood, NY

Label talk:
ALC. 7.5% BY VOL.
Seasonal
Double milk stout brewed with coffee beans & lemon peels
Brewed with 2 varieties of hops and 4 types of malts
Contains lactose sugar


Extra Pale Ale
Summit Brewing Company
St. Paul, Minnesota

Label disclosures:
Ingredients--water, barley malt, hops & yeast
Proudly brewed in St. Paul, Minnesota


Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Challenge #10: Mentally Strong People Don't Give Up After Failure


In Amy Morin's book, 13 THINGS MENTALLY STRONG PEOPLE DON'T DO, we are advised that:

Mentally strong people don't give up after failure.

Amy's words: Every failure is a chance to improve. Even the greatest entrepreneurs are willing to admit that their early efforts invariably brought many failures. Mentally strong people are willing to fail again and again, if necessary, as long as the learning experience from every "failure" can bring them closer to their ultimate goals.

*******
My words: Mental strength is a valuable asset. Amy has written an amazing book that leads the reader to achieving greater mental strength in 13 chapters dedicated to her list of 13 things to avoid.

 
 

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Birds On A Rainy Day

I noticed these two birds eyeing our birdfeeders but choosing to stay dry on the birdhouse that's positioned nearby under our screen porch overhang.

I feel like putting my head down too for a rainy day nap.

The next time I looked out, there were three birds seeking dry shelter. This female house finch is hiding her head in her feathers. I didn't realize birds feel much like we do after too many days of rain.

Another look out the window and I counted five birds on the birdhouse. Two are on the lower platform. 

I can just hear this bird calling to his partner: Get back over here, right now. You'll catch your death of pneumonia out there eating in the rain and cold.

I bet they're plotting: Let's pretend we don't care and maybe the rain will go away.

Finally, they just close their eyes and wait with the rest of us for Mother Nature to do her thing.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Beer Journal #67: Illumination Double IPA, Grand Circus IPA, Firemans Brew, 1020 Pale Ale, Green Chile & More



Butt Head Bock Lager
German Style Bock Beer
Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub
Idaho Springs, CO

I celebrated filling up my beer cap map with this bock on 5/17/15.

Facts off the label:
8.2% ALC/VOL         IBU 33
A big malty traditional German style bock beer
Colorado Mountain Town Craft Beer
Tommyknocker has been creating quality lagers and ales in the Colorado Rocky Mountains since 1994.
Tommyknocker legend:
Tommyknockers slipped into the mining camps of Idaho Springs in the 1800's with the discovery of gold in our mountains and streams. These mischievous elves, though hardly ever seen, were often heard singing and working. They guided many fortunate miners from harm's way and to the gold they sought.
Best by: May 18 15

My input:
Although I drank this past the best by date, it tasted fine to me.

Iron Works Alt
Metropolitan Brewing LLC
Chicago, IL

On 5/17/15, I posed my bottle and full glass in my newly planted perennial garden before getting down to the business of drinking it.

Label info:
An assertively hoppy top-fermented beer, polished by the wisdom and patience of lagering. Think of it as an octogenarian with a punk rock attitude.

Strawberry Best
Malt Beverage with Strawberries and natural flavor added
O'Fallon Brewery
O'Fallon, MO

I sampled this beverage on 5/18/15.

Label findings:
636-474-BEER
Puerto Rico
Proteja El Ambiente No La Tire

Dynamo
Copper Lager
Metropolitan Brewing LLC
Chicago, IL

I posed my bottle and glass beside my geranium and enjoyed this lager on 5/19/15.

Label info:
If malt and hops are the two poles of brewing, our Vienna lager is the gently spinning sweet spot between them.

Komodo Dragonfly
Black IPA
Upland Brewing Co.
Bloomington, IN
Midwest
USA

I fetched my garden dragonfly for this photo and enjoyed the brew on 5/19/15.

Label findings:
6.7% ALC BY VOL     67IBU
The Rarest of Species
Best enjoyed by Jun 2015

Schlafly
Pale Ale
The Saint Louis Brewery
Saint Louis, MO and Stevens Point, WI

I had this ale on 5/20/15.

I learned from the label:
4.4% ALC./VOL.         25 IBU
Schlafly Pale Ale is a smooth, balanced, copper-colored session beer with mildly spiced flavor and aroma from the East Kent Goldings hops. This British-style ale is the perfect flagship beer for Schlafly. Available year round.

Dirty Blonde Ale
Ale Brewed with Orange Peel and Coriander
Atwater Brewery
Detroit, MI

Label disclosures:
Alc. 4.5% by Vol.
Enjoy Everyday!
Bottled on F 15

Castaway
India Pale Ale
Kona Brewing Company
Kona, HI * Portland, OR * Woodinville, WA * Portsmouth, NH

Off the label:
6% ALC. BY VOL.
Aloha Series
Fresh, Responsible, Always Aloha
Set Sail For Adventure!
Hawaiians crossing the channel between Oahu and Molokai face a perilous journey. Our Castaway IPA is inspired by these brave island explorers. A smooth yet spirited brew, it's as refreshing as the wind in your face when you set sail for adventure.
FEB 26 15 

Green Chile
A Blend of Hot and Mild Anaheim Chiles Infused in a Refreshing Lager
Tommyknocker Brewery
Idaho Springs, CO

Label info:
5.3% ALC/VOL         27 IBU
Colorado Mountain Town Craft Beer
Tommyknocker has been creating quality lagers and ales in the Colorado Rocky Mountains since 1994
Flavored Beer
Tommyknocker Legend:
Tommyknockers slipped into the mining camps of Idaho Springs in the 1800's with the discovery of gold in our mountains and streams. These mischievous elves, though hardly ever seen, were often heard singing and working. They guided many fortunate miners from harm's way and to the gold they sought.

1020
Pale Ale
The Fort Collins Brewery
Fort Collins, CO

The label says:
Our 1020 Pale Ale has a magnificent citrus aroma with underlying tones of pine and grapefruit zest that inhabit the flavor, while a smooth, light body and crisp, clean bitterness from Magnum, Cascade and Chinook hops leave your palate both refreshed and liberated. 

Firemans Brew
Pilsner Lager/Blonde Beer
Firemans Brew
Ukiah, CA

Label disclosures:
5% ALC. BY VOL.
Premium Microbrew
A Classic American Beverage
Award winning Golden Pilsner with a crisp, clean finish, created by Firefighters to support Firefighters.

Hanukkah, Chanukah
Dark Ale
Shmaltz Brewing Company
Clifton Park, NY

From the label, I learned:
8% ALC. BY VOL.
8 Malts * 8 Hops
Pass the Beer
Come On Bubbe, Light My Fire!
No matter how you spell it, you now hold the official Chosen Beer of this holiday season. After 18 years at Shmaltz (and over 2000 years of Hanukkah tradition), we thought it was finally time to release a beer specifically to celebrate all the miracles of the 8 crqzy nights. We hope our fermented creation will bring some light to the winter darkness and pair perfectly with latkes and the battle royale of dreidels. Pass some Chanukah Beer over to your favorite friends and family and delight in the warming of the season. Chaim!
Jeremy Chwas, proprietor
Menorah painting by Jennifer Maher  

English Style Special Ale
Sand Creek Brewing Company
Black River Falls, WI

Label info:
ALC. 5.5% BY VOL>
Real Wisconsin Beer
Product of USA

Anniversary Special Hell Lager
Church Street Brewing Company
Itasca, IL

Off the label:
ALC. 5.5% BY VOL.        IBU 28
In honor of our anniversary we give you a new twist on an old favorite. A helles brewed with Weyermann's famous floor-malted Bohemian pilsner malt, decoction mashed for a truly unique deep malt character and texture.
Made in the U.S.A.
Est. 2012
  
Grand Circus IPA
Atwater Brewery
Detroit, MI

Label revelations:
Alc. 4.5% by Vol.
We drink all we can and sell the rest.
Our "Session" India Pale Ale
Kick back, relax and enjoy a cold craft beer in your city's "Grand Circus Park."
Bottled on A 2015

Belgian-Style White Ale
Malt Beverage Brewed with Spices
Cathedral Square Brewery
S. Genevieve, MO

Label disclosures:
5% Alc. by Vol.
This traditional White Ale is faithful to the Belgian Style with its light body, cloudy color and touch of spice. A complex, refreshing Ale that's perfect for any season.
Divine  Beer
turning sinners into saints.

Illumination Double IPA
Central Waters Brewing Company
Amherst, WI

Label statistics:
A walloping double IPA, Illumination is immensely bitter yet unfathomably well balanced. Copious amount of Centennial, Chinook and Simcoe hops give it a citrusy mouthful of tropical pineapple and mango, nicely rounded with toasty malt for gentle sweetness. Here's to all you hopheads.
ALE, SUN. EARTH and SKY

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Galumphing With 3 Random Words: Crumbs, Landscaper and Roller Coaster





I took three words, crumbs, landscaper and roller coaster and had fun creating this mini-story:
                                                   ***
Kevin pushed up his sleeves and tipped his head back. He shuddered at the roller coaster that towered beside him and his stomach sank. His landscaping job kept his feet firmly on the ground where he liked them.

Kevin dug his shovel into the newly-tilled soil. A dozen small shrubs waited behind him, destined to be in a line along the roller coaster entrance. He glanced at the potted shrubs and noticed movement by the tracks. Jeff, the park mechanic, waved and stepped into one of the coaster cars. He's early today, Kevin mused. Jeff was responsible for the system of trial runs required for all rides prior to opening day. Better you than me, Kevin thought.

A half hour passed. Six shrubs in, six to go. The roar of the roller coaster made Kevin uneasy and he worked faster. The noise heightened when Jeff rounded a curve in the tracks close to Kevin. He was sitting back, eating a sandwich, totally relaxed. Bread crumbs pelted Kevin's face. "Thanks, Jeff. I needed that," Kevin hollered. Words were useless. The empty cars clanged and rattled, metal on metal. He finished with the shrubs in autopilot mode with payback plans foremost in his mind. Perhaps, Jeff unknowingly showered him with lunch residue. It didn't matter. Kevin had all the motivation he needed to have some fun at Jeff's expense. 

What were friends for, anyway?

                                                 ***

(In Beginning Writer's Workshop, an online class by Ed2go, I was introduced to this mini-story technique. I have fun with it. Just pick three random words and build a story around them. It's a good exercise for the imagination).