Shellpot Creek Strawberry Festival

Last year I built a 4' x 4' raised bed in a somewhat sunnier part of the yard to plant strawberries. It is better to plant the strawberries in a raised bed because then it is easier to keep them contained as the runners like to spread out an colonize other parts of the soil. Last year was the planting year and this year is the harvest. Right now there are strawberries or flowers in every stage of ripeness.

Flowers

Green unripe berries

We picked the first of the ripe strawberries last week. This isn't all of them, many didn't make it to this picture because they were eaten. I just love growing my own stuff!

I think it is too early to officially declare the Shellpot Creek Strawberry Festival, but we hope to have a lot of strawberries. Enough that we run out of ideas of what to do with them and that we have to get out the canning jars for jam. Strawberry shortcake will be the first use after just eating them plain.

Detroit Tigers beat Baltimore Orioles on Saturday

It turns out that the Detroit Tigers did beat the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday (They also won today). here are some pictures from the game. The bets one would have been of me catching a foul ball because we were right behind home plate. However the guy sitting behind me caught my foul ball! I would have probably dropped it anyway.

Here is Jim Leyland and a coach looking at Everett's hand after he was hit by a pitch.


Leyland is my favorite coach, as much from when he coached the Pirates as for now coaching Detroit.

Ordonez and his crazy hair at bat.


Ordonez at second after his hit.

It was a good game and the weather was great after two really rainy nights. I picked the correct game to go to.

Detroit Tigers at Batimore Orioles

Baseball in Baltimore. Hopefully Detroit can win won finally. They have lost the past two nights.

Go Tigers!

Pillsbury Doughboy Cartoon Roundup

I suppose it makes sense that somebody as sweet as the Pillsbury Doughboy gets cavities.


Then there is the question of what to do with all of that sweetness.

You may have also seen the obituary of the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Dear friends,

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.

Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much dough on half baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive role model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 350 for about 20 minutes.

(Error check for above, the Pillsbury Doughboy's name is Poppin' Fresh)

(Cartoons from The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn)

Still difficult to photograph a Blue heron on Shellpot Creek

A friend that was babysitting understand my obsession with recording the wildlife on Shellpot Creek tried to get a photo of the Blue Heron on Saturday. Her efforts equaled my own in this task and she suffered the same difficulties.

The blue heron is very skittish and takes flight at the slightest noise, I think it can hear us inside the house. Invariably it is also walking up the creek so it tends to be a moving target for the picture. Still I think she got a good shot. This is probably the fifth or sixth time we have seen it, usually flying up the creek.

Screaming Yellow

These perennials are called Screaming Yellow. They are Baptisia sphaerocarpa.



Planted last year, they are doing well this year. Supposedly they do poorly in the year they are planted but then perk up as shown. We are big perennial fans for the simple reason that you don't have to plant them each year, and many of them look great.

Late Spring Flowers - Peonies smell so good

I wish there was a Sniffr(tm) just like Flickr where you could upload the smell of something. These peonies smell even better than they look. You will just have to go outside and smell your own or just imagine as you look at these pictures.


The ants love them


Three in a row.

More Elements fun

The Knights of the Periodic Table.

(other element fun: Element Letters, Better Gaming Through Chemistry, Elemental, My Dear)

(Cartoon from The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn)

Cool videos of TacSat3 launch from Wallops Launch Site

Here is a followup and cool video of the TacSat3 satellite launch from Wallops Island in Virginia at the tip of the Delmarva peninsula that occurred on Tuesday night. I did not see anything from Delaware, but people in Rockville, Md, Charlottesville, Va, and Wilmington, De claim to have seen the rocket trail. Also, Leesburg, VA, Eldersburg outside of Baltimore, DC, Severn, MD, and even Philadelphia claim sightings. Here is a picture of a rocket trail from Arlington, VA. Picture of a rocket trail from Lusby, MD. Pictures from western shore of Chesapeake bay.

Professional video below from close to Wallops launch site.



If you watch the video closely, and especially in HD (click on the video to got to YouTube), I think you can see the first stage separation and second stage ignition, and then later possibly the second stage separation and third stage ignition. I need to go see one of these in person, since it is so close.

Amateur video below from Rockville, MD. Impressive as this is 120 miles (as the crow flies) northeast of Wallops Island.



(video one via ShoreFireProductions, video two via Jared's Global Microbrand)

Azaleas blooming like crazy

It is azalea blooming time in Wilmington. These bushes looked pretty ragges when we got the house and I still hope to shape them a little going forward.

Put enough blooms on them and they look great. They have been doing better since the removal of a fallen weeping cherry tree, the world's sharpest holly bushes and other stuff that was crowding them out. Enjoy!