Home & Garden

Heirloom Tomato Almost Ripe

Heirloom Tomato

Last year, I collected tomato seeds from an Heirloom tomato that we bought at a local supermarket. I planted them in the spring and now I am about to get my first ripe tomato.

It is widely acknowledged that Heirloom tomatoes have better flavor than the mass produced commercially grown ones. We tend to agree, although we do get some sweet Jubilee tomatoes (Arizona grown) with a nice texture and flavor.

Wikipedia has this to say about Heirloom Tomatoes:

An heirloom tomato (also called heritage tomato in the UK) is an open-pollinated (non-hybrid) heirloom cultivar of tomato. Heirloom tomatoes have become increasingly popular and more readily available in recent years. They are grown for a variety of reasons, such as historical interest, access to wider varieties, and by people who wish to save seeds from year to year, as well as for their taste, which is widely perceived to be better than modern tomatoes.

I can hardly wait to have a taste of this tomato.

Juvenile Cardinal

Juvenile Cardinal

I think this is an immature cardinal. It appears to have some baby feathers still lingering at the top of its legs. The beak is black, not orange and the face feathers are just starting to turn black like an adult male. The red chest feathers are coming in.

There were two of these hanging around the bird feeders today. Click on the image to enlarge.

Keepin’ Cool in the Pool

Cool in the Pool

Yow! It’s hot outside these days, especially after taking the morning walk to go do our doody. When we get back, the Mama and the Daddy have this nice wading pool for Cabela and I to cool off in.

Today, I was trying to swim in the water to cool off my back and belly. Cabela got in after I was done. Click on me to make me big.

Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom Tomatoes

When I posted about these tomatoes before, I could not identify the variety. Now, however, I see that they are probably heirloom tomatoes, which are a very tasty variety.

In a few weeks, I can harvest these two and a bit after that some more that are currently sprouting on this vine. We’re looking forward to having these sliced up and in one of our many favorite dishes for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Click on the image to enlarge.

Wood Beams and Posts Re-Stained

Red Stain

The paint crew showed up here again today to renew the faded reddish stain that was applied to the beams and posts almost five years ago. This sort of maintenance is necessary in the desert due to the intense sunlight and extreme temperature changes. Click on the image to enlarge.

We will probably have the whole house repainted within another two years, but we’re good to go for now. We also need to get the roofer out here to inspect and repair the roof as may be necessary. More on that later.

The Cholla Are Blooming Again

Late Cholla Flower

Many of the cholla cacti around the area are in bloom for the second time this season. Some of them did this last year and many of them are at it again.

This cactus flower (click on the image to enlarge) is one of several that opened today on the cholla immediately outside of our courtyard. This is the same cactus where the Curve Billed Thrasher chicks were recently fledged from their nest here.