Home Grown, Homemade

I bought this basil plant in February, during the Before Times.  When kids come in the summer, it's fun to cook with basil, and it always gets eaten.  But no kids came this year.  I used a few leaves for one meal, but pretty much this plant became a third companion for us at the table.  Maybe a little unwieldy, but we managed to work around it.  Last week I bought fresh tomatoes, and with two onions and a lot of fresh garlic, I made my own tomato sauce.  Today, I cut down the basil plant, dividing the leaves in half.

One of my pandemic goals has been to clean out the basement freezer.  I knew there was a container of frozen tortellini.  Today that tortellini came upstairs.  I cooked it, topped it with the cooked sauce, basil and Parmesan cheese.  Ben had seconds, is all I can say.

I have been told on good authority that I can dry basil in the sun in my house.  My fingers are crossed.

Garbage Day in the Fall

Thursday is garbage day in my neighborhood.

I don't get out much these days, so Thursday is special.

To me, the air feels different in the fall.

However, if I need to be precise, and sometimes I do, fall comes next week.

However, my back door is open most of the day now.

A neighbor is terrorizing me.  Maybe a future neighbor.  Truth be told, I haven't taken construction pictures for a long time.  This eased my annoyance level quite a bit.

I served a mission in West Africa.  I am sincerely grateful for garbage trucks.

When I came back into the house, I saw my geraniums.  They have been beautiful this year.

My doo dads bring me a lot of joy.

I've been making bread since January.  We use this in the sacrament.  I love home church.  I don't want it to end.  I hope I don't get smitten for saying that.

Something new is in the aquarium.  I learned this coral came with the live rock.  It's a salt water dandelion, so to speak.

Last, but definitely not least.  This morning, Ben and I discussed what would happen to our marriage if he took the pan to his office with a fork.

Hide-and-Seek

The hummingbirds usually don't give a twit (literally) when I step outside to photograph them, but this morning, they hid from me.

I could see tails and wings through my viewfinder, but my camera couldn't see the actual birds.

I knew they were there.

Finally, one came into view.

His buddy joined him.

These little guys bring such joy into my life.

I hope they are happy, too.

More Mundane Sightings

I hate to confess how I operate around here, but I took some drooping flowers out to the bin, since the most honorable garbage man hadn't yet arrived.

The sun had risen above the mountains and was just coming over my house, shining its glorious rays on my front garden.

I should walk out of the house more often.

Gymnastics at the Feeder

The sun was perfect when Ben alerted me that birds were at the feeder.

Two birds were flitting around.  This is a male Black-chinned hummingbird.

Ben thinks he's one of the hatchlings he's been watching for a few weeks.

To me, it felt like he was showing off.

These pictures are in order from my camera, one after the other.

Fancy moves.

Not a boring bone in his body.

I used my sport setting.

We took the screens off our kitchen windows so we can photograph them better.

However, this morning I was outside, quietly standing in the shade.

After the little male left, the female showed up again.

She was not to be outdone.

I don't get all the drama.

When I'm hungry, I am not interested in acrobatics.

Probably makes a difference that I can't fly.

Although I have been known to dive into a meal.

With gusto.

Hummingbirds on the Fourth

I took my camera outside this morning.

I needed to fill the cistern which waters my geraniums.

My camera will not focus on this feeder when I'm standing next to the geraniums.

I am not an engineer, so I don't always try to solve the problem.

A workaround is acceptable.

Shooting from below seems to work just fine.

I love these little zingers.

Flowers on a Wednesday Evening

Sometimes the mundane can lead to the glorious.

I rolled the garbage bin out to the curb.

My lucky day -- it was the golden hour!