Monday, January 10, 2022

A Short Lesson In Palm Trees


 So today I decided to trim the real palms. Sagos are not real palms, they are cycads. But the cabbage or Sabal palm (state tree of Florida) and the Canary Island date palms that I have ARE true palm trees. None of the ones on this property are huge by any means. I planted all of them myself. When we moved here, there were no palms at all on the property which I saw as a grievous error. Our friend Tom has given us four cabbage palms over the years and I myself planted two Canary Island date palms for reasons unknown to me. I have bitched about them here many times. If the sagos have evil needles, the Canary Island dates have wicked, wicked spikes. But with the long-handled loppers, I can trim them without too much danger. And so I did. That's the mess of trimmings I dumped on the burn pile today. 
Here's what they look like in the front yard from the porch after I finished halfway denuding them. 


This is not a good picture as I waited too late in the day to take it but that's what you get. The two foremost palms are the cabbage palms and before I trimmed them, getting through them to walk up the steps to the porch was like being in a jungle for one second. It's like you needed a machete...oh, wait...nope! No machete needed! Here's the clearing! Mr. Moon has made it quite well-known to me since I planted them that they are, in his opinion, too close together. My theory is that as they grow tall and stately, as they will over what is obviously going to be eons of time, their closeness will not be a problem. Here's what a full grown one looks like. 


I just read that these beauties grow six inches a year (and that's probably in sunnier conditions than mine are in by far) and so Mr. Moon and I will both be dead before my theory is proven as I know it will be if they are allowed to grow long enough. And tall enough, of course. 

I hacked them and the Canary Island date palms back quite a bit. Once I start lopping, it's sort of hard to stop. 

That was the big thing I did today and it wasn't really that big. 

I got some nice pictures from my husband. Not of the woods or a river or whatever they're hunting in or on but of the restaurant in New Orleans where they were having a delicious meal. First he sent me a picture of the menu and I, having looked at it, knew exactly what he'd order. 
And he did. 


A bowl of gumbo and a salad. I know my man. 
There were also oysters shared by all. 


He said they were "incredibly good." I shall have to get details when he comes home. 

Although I am not eating gourmet New Orleans' cuisine, I am happily struggling along on what I'm making here. Especially the salads. 

I also did some more mending on my favorite overalls today. This may be a hopeless attempt at saving them. I'm having to sew large patches over places that I can't even stitch together because the cloth is so very worn through. 
Sigh. 
But I'm giving it my best shot. And it is something to do while I watch TV that I would normally not watch when Mr. Moon is here to judge me. He came upon me last week watching "Selling Sunset" and I defended myself saying, "Okay, look. It's MY version of "Drag Racing." Which is a show he loves and no, RuPaul is not involved. However, men with mullets and decidedly strong southern accents are. And cars that make a lot of noise. 
As they drag race. 
He doesn't really judge me. He's not that kind of fella. I obviously judge myself. It's funny- Billy also watches "Selling Sunset" and we trade texts about the show. And life. 


I love Billy. But you already knew that. 

Well, I could just sit here and chat forever but I think I'll go rustle up my non-gourmet grub. You probably don't have all the time in the world even if I do. 

Take care. Stay safe. Stay warm. 

Love...Ms. Moon

11 comments:

  1. Billy? There are so many people in your life, I need a page like the ones in Russian novels where everyone's name and relationship is spelled out. Except it would be nosy. So I won't.

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    Replies
    1. You merely need take a day and read from beginning to present. I think you'll still find Billy, though I think Mary deleted a lot of her early pages.

      Delete
    2. Oh, I just assume that everyone knows Billy! But of course not. He's a very good friend of ours whom I have known forever. He is beloved.
      And Joanne- I haven't deleted any posts. I went back and checked- they're there.

      Delete
  2. I do not like raw oysters; cannot swallow them. I once swallowed one escargot in exchange for a pay raise.

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    Replies
    1. Do you like cooked oysters?
      I have eaten a few escargot. I had to! The chef sent us out a few appetizers and he was a friend and I just could not NOT eat one. Sounds like you had to as well. And honestly- enough butter and garlic will make almost anything edible. Even snails.

      Delete
  3. I have watched RuPaul's Drag Race and just love it. I am disappointed that now they will stream it on a channel that I would have to pay for so now I won't get to watch it.
    Glad that Mr. Moon is eating well and enjoying himself!
    And you are too!

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    Replies
    1. I haven't watched any of RuPaul's Drag Race but I know I'd love it. I don't quite know why I haven't.
      And yes, I did indeed eat well and I also enjoyed it!

      Delete
  4. I was pulling up all the dead orange cosmos yesterday. And we watched the 7th of 9 episodes of Watchmen. That show gets weirder with every episode.

    I can't eat raw oysters but I did enjoy grilled with lemon juice and hot sauce.

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    Replies
    1. I didn't do squat today. Oh well.
      I like grilled oysters too. They're a very fine thing to eat on a cold evening outside by the fire.

      Delete
  5. Those oysters DO look good. I like them if they're cooked. I used to eat raw ones but I've heard too many stories to enjoy them that way now!

    Good job on the palm trees! You're right -- as they grow taller the distance between them will be fine. Sometimes they grow very close together in nature.

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  6. I just now catching up. The oysters look yummy, I love them, but especially raw, like Steve said I'm scared to eat them raw now. I have pygmy palms and the needles get me good everyone. Gail

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.