Madagascar Palm

We've had this Madagascar Palm (Pachypodium lamerei) for nearly a decade and all of a sudden, for the first time, it produced a flower!

celery seed

For those of us who grew up eating celery stalks, celery seed - the spice - is a bit of a botanical curiosity. The seeds somehow concentrate a flavor that you barely detect when eating those loud, crunchy, almost flavorless stalks. But a subtle, savory flavor does exist and is amplified by the seeds. Stranger still is the fact that this spice is a key ingredient in some culinary traditions. As a side note, Apium graveolens is a member of the carrot family. With thanks to my wife for being my celery seed mentor.

4th of July parade

It's not every day your country turns 250 so it seemed appropriate to check out the local 4th of July parade. Unfortunately we were running late and it was difficult to find parking. I will say that it was a surreal experience to walk down the middle of this section of Main Street - not normally closed - and that in its own way this was interesting and not unpleasant.

4th of July food

It's not every day that your country turns 250 so a certain amount of festivity and color was to be expected. What the food itself lacked in color was made up for with red napkins and jackets. But it definitely tasted both festive and delicious!

 

Pho TNT pop-in

Since the old Banh mi Grill (now Pho TNT) has built a new dine-in area, on a whim we decided to give it a try. I thought the vermicelli with grilled tofu tasted as good as always, but Mrs. wasn't so sure. At least we avoided the plastic takeout packaging.

Arroyo Verde checkup

The heat radiating off the sandy trail felt nice, but the weeds - both dried up and living - were a bit out of control. The parking area was bursting with bird activity, more so than the trails.

one wonders...

One can't help but wonder - does one see these things on the ground in Europe, or is it just an American thing? One has asked one's siblings in Europe, and one awaits an answer.