Many thanks to all who came to The Poisoned Pen last night and I think the streaming went smoothly. Today at 1 PM PDT – Towne Center Books in lovely Pleasanton CA.
Welcome to California. You are half a state away from me. It’s 10am my time and even if I got on a plane asap no way could I be in Pleasanton by 1pm. It’s between San Francisco and Livermore.
I did enjoy the streaming last night.
Today will be an adventure. I will be adjusting the mini-sprinkler heads for raised bed #2, then I am off to the store for ingredients.
Today is Crab Soup day. Not what you’re thinking. Not Maryland. This is a Nicaraguan celebration commemorates the abolition of slavery. I found a recipe and I’m off to the store for among other things crab.
It is also National Pots de Creme day. All I’ve got is a chocolate mousse mix so I’m going to see if the store has any Petit Pots. I suppose any flavor will do but I would like chocolate. Jello simply will not do.
With the raised bed planted and automatically watered I now turn my attention to weeding, pruning and getting the bird bath set up in the front yard. The tall one the dogs can’t reach. Freyja eliminated another song bird from the short one I’ve set up for the bees and butterflies so getting the tall one going is a priority.
Diana has been alerting to something in the Sweet Bay Laurel tree. At 3am. So to keep her quiet I will be pruning all of the branches back from the fence so whatever it is can’t climb from the fence to my roof. A hard pruning will come late Winter/early Spring. I also have a Schefflera that needs to die a slow and painful death via reciprocating saw and chain saw. I had no idea it would get so big and so fast. Two things I would think three times about before planting. The Schefflera never and the Sweet Bay Laurel I would restrict to a large pot and make a topiary out of it. Too late now. I will be “managing” the Sweet Bay Laurel for the rest of my life but the Schefflera has got to go. At least I’ll never have to buy Bay leaves ever again, and I do use them quite often. Mine will always be fresh and aromatic. I want to get an herb garden going in the raised beds. The Scarborough quartet, plus basil and oregano.
Today is the last hot day for a bit. High of 83. Then the highs will be in the 70s for the next 5 days. YAY! The 80s will return off and on through October. I have flowers on my pumpkin so hope for some fresh pie this year. I have some swellings on the cantaloupe which might result in melons and I see tiny baby cucumbers starting the grow. The corn has ears but they don’t look as big as last year. Hopefully they will get bigger. The tomatoes are starting to turn. I have eaten all but two of the peaches. These are at the top and were the last flowers to bloom so are the last fruits to ripen. I will miss them but hope for a lot more next year. It’s a great tree for eating. Red Baron.
Didn’t watch it live (a bit late on the East Coast) but did watch the recorded video on You Tube. Great interview. I thought Barbara’s suggestion about the Christmas novellas was excellent — something to definitely think about, eh Peter! Also, for those of you who have not read the Paula Munier series (the book that was one of the prizes at the end), I would highly, highly recommend it. The man protagonist is Mercy Carr, with her dog Elvis (a Malinois/Belgian shepherd), and the supporting cast includes her boyfriend (now husband) Troy and his dog, Susie Bear (a Newf mix). Set in Vermont and a great mix of characters and story telling. There are five books in the series, with the sixth coming out in October (which I think will correspond to her visit to Poison Pen).
Oh, I have the Mercy Carr books on my Amazon list. I’m not quite done with the Andy Carpenter series yet. Still trying to get ahead of it but soon. I’ve been buying the paperbacks so I have to wait for them to be released after the hardcovers. I will make sure to start the Mercy Carr books after I’m in the holding pattern for Andy Carpenter. I need something to fill in between Arfs and the next C&B in 2026.
I enjoyed the webcast, too! Thanks for the Munier endorsement, WTAFP, I’ll add her to my reading list. I always like OFA’s explanations of his characters’ names. And his jokes! I’m so glad to be able to see him ‘in person’, moving and talking, coming to life, if you will, for those of us who cannot travel to his signing sites. Thanks, Poisoned Pen!
6 Comments on “Today in CA!”
Greetings!
Great photo!
Make today awesome!
Good day to all.
Welcome to California. You are half a state away from me. It’s 10am my time and even if I got on a plane asap no way could I be in Pleasanton by 1pm. It’s between San Francisco and Livermore.
I did enjoy the streaming last night.
Today will be an adventure. I will be adjusting the mini-sprinkler heads for raised bed #2, then I am off to the store for ingredients.
Today is Crab Soup day. Not what you’re thinking. Not Maryland. This is a Nicaraguan celebration commemorates the abolition of slavery. I found a recipe and I’m off to the store for among other things crab.
It is also National Pots de Creme day. All I’ve got is a chocolate mousse mix so I’m going to see if the store has any Petit Pots. I suppose any flavor will do but I would like chocolate. Jello simply will not do.
With the raised bed planted and automatically watered I now turn my attention to weeding, pruning and getting the bird bath set up in the front yard. The tall one the dogs can’t reach. Freyja eliminated another song bird from the short one I’ve set up for the bees and butterflies so getting the tall one going is a priority.
Diana has been alerting to something in the Sweet Bay Laurel tree. At 3am. So to keep her quiet I will be pruning all of the branches back from the fence so whatever it is can’t climb from the fence to my roof. A hard pruning will come late Winter/early Spring. I also have a Schefflera that needs to die a slow and painful death via reciprocating saw and chain saw. I had no idea it would get so big and so fast. Two things I would think three times about before planting. The Schefflera never and the Sweet Bay Laurel I would restrict to a large pot and make a topiary out of it. Too late now. I will be “managing” the Sweet Bay Laurel for the rest of my life but the Schefflera has got to go. At least I’ll never have to buy Bay leaves ever again, and I do use them quite often. Mine will always be fresh and aromatic. I want to get an herb garden going in the raised beds. The Scarborough quartet, plus basil and oregano.
Today is the last hot day for a bit. High of 83. Then the highs will be in the 70s for the next 5 days. YAY! The 80s will return off and on through October. I have flowers on my pumpkin so hope for some fresh pie this year. I have some swellings on the cantaloupe which might result in melons and I see tiny baby cucumbers starting the grow. The corn has ears but they don’t look as big as last year. Hopefully they will get bigger. The tomatoes are starting to turn. I have eaten all but two of the peaches. These are at the top and were the last flowers to bloom so are the last fruits to ripen. I will miss them but hope for a lot more next year. It’s a great tree for eating. Red Baron.
Didn’t watch it live (a bit late on the East Coast) but did watch the recorded video on You Tube. Great interview. I thought Barbara’s suggestion about the Christmas novellas was excellent — something to definitely think about, eh Peter! Also, for those of you who have not read the Paula Munier series (the book that was one of the prizes at the end), I would highly, highly recommend it. The man protagonist is Mercy Carr, with her dog Elvis (a Malinois/Belgian shepherd), and the supporting cast includes her boyfriend (now husband) Troy and his dog, Susie Bear (a Newf mix). Set in Vermont and a great mix of characters and story telling. There are five books in the series, with the sixth coming out in October (which I think will correspond to her visit to Poison Pen).
Oh, I have the Mercy Carr books on my Amazon list. I’m not quite done with the Andy Carpenter series yet. Still trying to get ahead of it but soon. I’ve been buying the paperbacks so I have to wait for them to be released after the hardcovers. I will make sure to start the Mercy Carr books after I’m in the holding pattern for Andy Carpenter. I need something to fill in between Arfs and the next C&B in 2026.
I enjoyed the webcast, too! Thanks for the Munier endorsement, WTAFP, I’ll add her to my reading list. I always like OFA’s explanations of his characters’ names. And his jokes! I’m so glad to be able to see him ‘in person’, moving and talking, coming to life, if you will, for those of us who cannot travel to his signing sites. Thanks, Poisoned Pen!