Endless Ends

[Wand3rlust]

Wait till they get to orbital camping! (Camping in space).

No..nope...uh uh...

 

[Endless_Night]

^Your SO's expression when you make him go upstairs after doing a squat track because you both heard a heavy thud from that region and your own cursory look revealed zero cause so he needs to make sure there isn't a serial killer hiding in one of the attic crawl spaces because you know for absolute certain it's either that or an invisible were cougar on the roof stalking the place.

 

[Endless_Night]

No..nope...uh uh...

It'll be okay. I'll hold your hand. *nods*

And no doubt @hotwords229_A will offer to hold . . . something.

 

[Endless_Night]

I got the Wow face.

But you know he would.


Note: The thread proprietor is in no way responsible for the muscular one's actions, real or imagined.

 

[Endless_Night]

There seems to be a trick to cooking with saffron.

 

[Wand3rlust]

I don't think I ever have.

 

[Apisto42]

There seems to be a trick to cooking with saffron.

You put it in water first. Or something like that.

Follow me for more absolutely useless tips.

 

[Endless_Night]

I don't think I ever have.

Nor have I. My conclusion at this point is that I don't care for it in kheer.

You put it in water first. Or something like that.

I eventually discovered this. Which would have been good to know earlier. Otherwise, it kinda tastes like dirt.

Seems you can toast it, too.

Follow me for more absolutely useless tips.

Ooooooh. Can't wait!

 

[investor2020]

kheer ? . . . had to look it up . . . are you using rice, cracked wheat, vermicelli, sago, or tapioca ?

My research also include an interesting piece of historical folklore:

A story from Kerala titled "The Legend of Chessboard", holds that an old sage, who was Krishna in disguise, challenged the king of Ambalapuzha (chess enthusiasts) to a game. To motivate the sage, the king offered anything the old man would name. The sage modestly asked for a few grains of rice but with one condition: the king must put a single grain of rice on the first chess square and double it on every subsequent one.

Krishna, as the sage, won the game and the king started placing the grains. As he stacked them, he was shocked to see the number grow exponentially. In the end, the number came up to trillions. Krishna reveals himself and asks the king to provide kheer to every pilgrim who comes to what is now the Ambalapuzha Krishna Temple in the Alappuzha District, which still follows this command.

 

[Endless_Night]

kheer ? . . . had to look it up . . . are you using rice, cracked wheat, vermicelli, sago, or tapioca ?

Rice. Broken jasmine, to be exact.

Great folklore story! India would be a charming place to visit, I suspect.

 

[Endless_Night]

Why is it that when you buy a bag of lemons, it's like you turn your back on them for a hot second and one lemon in the bunch goes bad.

It's a conundrum.

 

[Endless_Night]

I'm freezing.

More caffeine.
More caffeine.
More caffeine.

 

[Apisto42]

I'm freezing.

More caffeine.
More caffeine.
More caffeine.

Caffeine consumption can actually make you feel colder. All that constriction of the blood vessels.

 

[Endless_Night]

Today:

I - a person of zero horticultural knowledge and talent - seek to coax a Gum Bumelia (Sideroxylon lanuginosum) into the beginnings of growing into a tree shape with judicious pruning.

Expectation:


And, no, @hotwords229_A, I am not doing it in any state of partial or whole undress!

 

[Endless_Night]

Some of the tidbits I'm discovering while I delve into this horticultural world further are . . . shocking.

Crepe Myrtles, azaleas, and oleanders - plants that are endemic in building and residential areas, are not indigenous to the area. Not native. Which explains why the oleanders planted along the front entrance by the previous owners of the farm are so temperamental when it comes to the vagaries of weather.

Turns out many of the ornamental stye plants and trees are originally imported from Asia.

Why not use native plants?

 

[Wand3rlust]

Oleanders are Mediterranean.

Leaves are poisonous if eaten.

They are lovely though. I have one in my garden.

 

[Apisto42]

Some of the tidbits I'm discovering while I delve into this horticultural world further are . . . shocking.

Crepe Myrtles, azaleas, and oleanders - plants that are endemic in building and residential areas, are not indigenous to the area. Not native. Which explains why the oleanders planted along the front entrance by the previous owners of the farm are so temperamental when it comes to the vagaries of weather.

Turns out many of the ornamental stye plants and trees are originally imported from Asia.

Why not use native plants?

Because the original people who had money to do gardens wanted different and expensive. Then those types became standard.

 

[Endless_Night]

Oleanders are Mediterranean.

Leaves are poisonous if eaten.

They are lovely though. I have one in my garden.

Is it possible we are talking different species? Is yours yellow and deciduous? Rhododendron luteum

We are too far south for most of the Mediterranean species to grow well, and, apparently, don't like the west Texas clay soil.

Of course, Google could also be lying to me. It's not like I would know.

*One of the things I like about oleanders is that the leaves are poisonous. I think it's the steady diet of murder mysteries.

 

[Endless_Night]

Because the original people who had money to do gardens wanted different and expensive. Then those types became standard.

And now people are going all native. Curious how we've come back full circle.

Human beings.

 

[Wand3rlust]

Ah, I'm talking about nerium oleander

 

[Endless_Night]

Ah, I'm talking about nerium oleander

View attachment 2605601

Oops. You said oleander. I read azalea. *head desk*

Okay. So we have that. Apparently. I was talking about the Sister Agnes version. They are white.

I . . . had no idea oleanders came in any color but white. As I further expose my complete horticultural ignorance.

So, I internetted. Google is now telling me they originate in: The Mediterranean basin, North Africa, and southern Asia.

Seems they gets around.

 

[Endless_Night]

Our weather has been nuts lately. Thirty-three degrees a week ago in the morning, 88-90 degrees yesterday. Ten degrees higher than the usual temp this time of year. Normally, I'd consider eighty eight degrees running weather. Even at a humid ninety, I could handle a 5K.

But coming off winter and being out of shape?

Yesterday was pruning days for all the younger trees. In my idiocy I decided to do the work on foot, rather than hopping the Zero to zip around the property. We're only talking six acres, so it seemed like a good alternative to having to fit in exercise after all the outside work.

Between the Gum Bumelia, half a dozen+ Cedar Elms, and a few other varietals, it all equaled out to about six hours.

Doing it on foot might not have been my wisest ever decision.

But it's okay.

I was so wipe out I laid around all day today doing nothing. Or, well, you know, practically nothing.

Learning new skills. So painful.

At least the way I do it.

 

[Endless_Night]

Also, I had almost half a bottle of champagne tonight, which is a looooooot, so if that was incoherent.

 

[Endless_Night]

Chocolate wine.

Genius! And I don't even like port.

I love this Youtube channel.