Friday Funnies

Signs are favorite things to read, especially ones like this . . .

 

And this one . . .

which seems like a no-brainer

But, then some folks manage to cover their car windows anyway.

Bee (Very) Still

First, thanks to all who posted well wishes for our Anniversary yesterday. We read and very much appreciated all your comments.

Bees have been active on coreopsis in the F&P backyard meadow. Trying to capture them has become a daily challenge. Here’s some bee-utiful photos taken over a 3-day period of bee-ing outdoors.
Now, I’m getting a little bee-hind on other projects.
And, it’s bee-latedly time to buzz off.

Celebration X 2 Today

It’s a celebration TODAY for Dorothy & Pat (aka Grenville & Beatrice) of The Frog & PenguINN blog . . .

On our wedding day — August 21, 1999 and July 2013Last week we received “royal” mail greetings . . .

NOT from William or Kate BUT from Kath & Andrew . . .

They’re ALSO celebrating today — anniversary #42.

Other couples may share the same anniversary date, BUT what’s unusual about our dual celebration is that we meet in by chance last fall. We were all touring in the Blue Ridge and staying at the same motel. That chance encounter has lead to a regular email exchange between Kath and myself. (Another coincidence is that they are also selling their home and downsizing.)

AND, we didn’t know of our mutual anniversary date until 2 weeks ago when Kath sent an email sharing their plans — a river cruise in Belgium (and chocolate sampling). We’re celebrating in mid-Sept with our first trip to Niagara Falls.

Happy Anniversary to US . ..
and anyone else celebrating today

Mall Special Effects

Last week, we took a 90-minute drive north to The Centre Mall in Salisbury, MD. In these parts, it’s the closest to finding major shopping in one location with no tolls. By comparison, heading 90 minutes south to Virginia Beach shopping currently incurs a $17 toll on the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel. We preferred to put that $ towards luggage purchases. And, most stores were giving 50% discounts with back-to-school sales — a worthwhile savings trip.

Mall architecture can present FUN photo ops. These SOOC (straight out of the camera) shots were taken with a Canon digital Elph that’s always with me.
Same images with special effects in Picasa (selected at random) . . .
BEFORE shots . . .

and AFTER effects . . .

More later about WHY we got new luggage. Amazon is our usual way to shop (no 90-minute drive and home delivery). But some things, like luggage, are best seen up close.

Avoid Getting Hosed

Talking about washing machine hoses as in replacing sooner vs. later. Grenville did that at The Frog & PenguINN last week and I did some online research.

This action followed advice from fellow blogger,Tammy of Sweet Southern Happiness. Last month she had a spill in the laundry room, upsetting enough, but in cleaning up, she saw a potentially BIGGER problem — a bubble in a washer hose.

A failed washer hose with an average water pressure of 70 psi will spew out almost 11 gallons/ minute. If a hose failure is undetected for 1 hour, 650 gallons of water will flood in. If undetected for up to 6 hours, 3,500 gallons of water can enter your home.

Washer hose failures are ranked by insurance companies as a leading cause of home water damage with an estimated $200 million annually in losses. This only includes reported claims, not the heartbreak of losing irreplaceable items or the inconvenience of not being able to use part of a home while water is extracted, the home dried and the damage repaired. Homes with 2nd floor laundry rooms have a larger risk due to  water cascading through the ceiling to lower floors and, in some cases, into the ceilings of finished basements.

Steps to prevent washer hose failures . . .

• Do regularly inspect your washing machine hoses and buy high quality hoses.
• Make sure there's at least 4 inches clearance between the water connection and the back of the washing machine. This will help reduce the chances of the hoses kinking.
• Make sure the connections are secure and do not loosen over time with the motion of the washing machine.
• Turn off hoses when not in use and don't leave your washer running when you are asleep or away from home.

I read that a good rule is to replace rubber washing machine hoses every 5 years, but how do you remember?

  

Tag them with the date you installed them so you won't forget. Another tip is replace  washing machine hoses every leap year.

Do yourself (and your home) a favor and get new washing machine supply hoses. If you can connect a garden hose to a faucet, you can replace your washing machine hoses.

What to do with the old ones ? — toss out. 

Appealing When Peeling

Crepe myrtles are (sort of) like snakes . . . 


WHY ?
Both shed their outer coverings.
Of course, a BIG difference is that crepe myrtles are not dangerous, unlike some snakes.
Shedding its outer bark is a normal part of crepe myrtle aging. It occurs when the tree has reached full maturity, which can be only a few years after planting. When the bark is done shedding, the wood will resemble a paint-by-number (remember those?) artwork.
Bark shedding (exfoliating) is not unusual among some tree species. Sycamores, various types of eucalyptus, shag-bark hickories of the South, white oaks and even some evergreen magnolias are known for their handsome, peeling bark.
BUT, few of these trees shed bark more spectacularly than crepe myrtles and sycamores. Each layer of exfoliating bark reveals another layer of contrasting color bark. 

Crepe myrtles are deciduous trees; most of the ones here on the VA eastern shore flower in summer from whites to dark pink flowers. When the flowers are gone and fall has arrived, the leaves turn bright yellow and deep red.

In late autumn, this is HOW the trees at the start of this post will look — right in tune with the season.

Friday Funnies

Rear engine drive ?

Pesto & Pasta

We have a supply of basil in our garden this year thanks to a fellow “Y” member who donated some plants. We’ve been enjoying it in fresh tomato salads. And, there’s always  a few sprigs in a small bud jar on the kitchen counter.

Today, I harvested the basil, before it started developing seed heads, and made basil pesto that we enjoyed tonight over linguine.

It was delicious with a side salad — and so easy to make. Pasta is a great pairing with pesto. As the pesto is tossed into the hot cooked pasta, the heat brings out the fabulous flavors of the basil, garlic, and cheese. There’s also lots of other uses for pesto, like these:

• Use in place of pizza sauce
• Spread on on bruschetta
• Make into vinaigrette
• Stir into a chicken pasta salad
• Tossed with veggies
• Use as a garnish for soups
• Add into pesto bread
• Stir into quiche filling
• Mix with mayonnaise for a Panini spread

Basil Pesto

• 2 C packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 C pine nuts (substitute walnuts or hazelnuts)
• 1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 TBSP lemon juice (helps to keep pesto turning brown on exposure to air)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan (or Pecorino) cheese

1. Discard any flower buds, stems or leaves in bad shape. All you want are leaves; wash in a large bowl under cold water.
2. Combine basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil and process until mixed in and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Blend in the cheese unless you are freezing it — see NOTE below.

NOTES

• If freezing, omit cheese and add it when thawing and using pesto.
• Add 1 tsp of sugar to perk up the pesto’s flavor. 
• Pesto keeps in fridge for up to 1 week; frozen 3 to 6 months.
• Freeze in ice cube trays. When it's frozen, just pop cubes out and put them into a freezer bag to use when needed.

Since I plan to use the pesto leftover from tonight’s meal soon, this ice cube tray wasn’t needed today.

Smart — NOT So Much

Ever make a mistake and buy something you thought would be great, then learn that it wasn't what you really wanted — or needed?

That's what I did after posting about and (very much)praising the technologically-laden features of a recent purchase, the Samsung WB250F Smart Camera. This compact digital has a mega 18X zoom Wi-Fi, and sharing features, in-camera editing to name a few.

This digital wonder was bought after a friend* bought one and was (and remains) wildly enthusiastic about its features. He's been having such fun trying them and emailing results to me. I was doing likewise and many emailed photos and tips traveled between the VA eastern shore and Oregon in the past 3 weeks.

Option wise, it's a terrific camera for many — but I learned that MY preference is a camera that takes photos which can later be downloaded or uploaded to share with others. The camera's Wi-Fi feature was great fun, but uses battery life and time. Unlike other devices (smart phone, iPad, iPod) which can take and email photos, the camera doesn't retain a contacts list. And, that touch screen is as small and tedious to use as on those other devices.

So, the camera and I parted ways this week. It was sold on eBay and is currently on its way to a new owner in Mississippi.

* And, yes we remain friends.

Peaches & Cream

At the end of July, a post described what was happening in The Frog & PenguINN orchard, nothing was ready for harvesting then.

This year’s fruit crop is not great for many reasons, some weather-related; however, over the weekend, Grenville harvested enough of these . . .To make one of these — fresh peach pie . . .

 

 

 

 

The inside was wonderfully warm when he cut into it and served  with vanilla bean ice cream . . .

Sorry, you weren’t here to help us enjoy this treat, there’s still some left, if you hurry. AND, Grenville’s planning to make another one with the remaining harvest.

Who’s bringing the ice cream ?