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.