Saturday, July 21, 2018

Shelter From The Storm


The chooks and I spent some time in the garden today, me weeding and they searching and scratching for tasty delicious things. I love having them close by as I work on my knees. We are on a more equatable level and they are as busy and as focused as I am as we go about our various activities. Believe it or not, I have almost the entire garden weeded and I have not given up on it entirely.


I'm sure you don't remember (and why in the world should you?) but I planted a row of zipper cream peas from last year's stock of seed and they have come up nicely and are now blooming. Isn't that just a lovely little bloom? 


And look what else is blooming! The okra! Not only do the blooms look like hibiscus but so do the leaves and they should as they are related. My plants are standing strong and tall and actually look very good this summer. Perhaps even though I planted so late they will give me a lovely harvest. God knows that if I pickle nothing else, I really have to pickle some okra and I will do so even if I have to buy the pods. I just looked up the origins of okra and it would appear that it comes from Ethiopia and that the Egyptians cultivated it. As a child I had a child's opinion of the okra but as I got older and ate it properly prepared and learned to cook it myself, I have a much more enthusiastic feeling about it. It is a delicious vegetable and lends itself beautifully to stewing with tomatoes and onions and to cooking in soups and stews and of course, gumbo, which is actually another name for okra but honestly, I will just tell you that if you are ever in a restaurant which has fried okra on the menu, just order it. Don't even hesitate. 

So I was pondering okra and cream peas and chickens and weeds and realized that either I was going blind or it was getting dark. I mean dark-like-night. Which it was. And then suddenly a wind whipped up and frothed the tree branches and I heard an ominous crack from the walnut tree between the garage and the garden, and the thunder which had been booming distantly suddenly grew much closer and the chickens looked up and then scurried as fast as they could out of gate and ran towards the trailer they like to take cover under and I myself hastily stood up and took off my gloves and wheeled the cart full of weeds I'd pulled out to the yard, thinking I'd go dump it where I dump the weeds but that wind made me rethink my plan and I abandoned it right where it stood and walked to the house where I found my own shelter. 
The wind continued to blow with great force and then the rain began, slight at first and then it came down as if it were being slammed from the sky and it grew even darker and I thrilled with it all. 
A real true summer storm! It was gorgeous! 

Mr. Moon, who had been in town, got home when things had slacked off and said, "Did you get the tornado warning?" and I had not. The thought of a tornado had not crossed my mind and it didn't matter because we hadn't had one and then, after the worst of it was over, our power went out. Of course. 

It was sort of beautiful. I found a headlamp and got on my bed and read for awhile until I got drowsy and was just ready to put my book down and settle in for a nap when the power came back on so I turned on my fan and took that nap anyway. It was very, very short but luxurious and deep and when I woke up I found Mr. Moon asleep in his chair and we slowly came back to consciousness and to what we'd been doing before the weather did its sleepy magic. 

Mr. Moon cleaned his fish and is going to grill us two whole small snappers. I am going to stuff them with fresh oregano and thyme and lemons and salt and pepper. My husband has requested some "fluffy rice" (which means white rice) that he can put butter on and there will be a salad. Simple, simple, simple. 

And so I guess what I'm saying is that it's been a practically perfect day here in Lloyd. 
I hope you've had a good one too. 

Love...Ms. Moon

13 comments:

  1. That all sounds perfectly lovely--the rainstorm, the nap, and the grilled snapper stuffed with herbs and lemon! I'm cooking "fluffy rice" tonight too. What a coincidence! But instead of fish I'm attempting to cook top round steak with homemade gravy. I haven't had it in years and I don't think I've ever cooked it, so if it turns out too tough I guess the dogs will be happy to finish eating it up for us! My mom's was always fork-tender.

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  2. I've never had okra. I bet to anyone in the south that sounds crazy!

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  3. Okra reminds me of my childhood. My mother was a tremendous cook and our food was mostly a cross between Indian and Thai food. She cooked okra in a tomato sauce based curry and I loved the tangy vegetable. I’d welcome a good rainstorm! It sounds fabulous actually. I hope your evening is just as perfect as your day.

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  4. Plants that produce food and also flower beautifully are really an unexpected bonanza.

    I took a nap today and it was wonderful.

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  5. I have also never had okra. Martinis and okra needs to be added to my bucket list.

    We had fresh salmon and rice for dinner. It was so delicious. Norbert had some salmon too of course. And just as I was typing that he coughed up a hairball. I also made brownies that are actually from a box bought at Costco and I will be eating a brownie or two.

    I bet you are so excited to hear that.

    When we were watching Live PD I saw a bunch of thunder and lightening in your area.

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  6. I've tried eating okra fried, and other ways and just did not like it...I'm glad you enjoy it though and your dinner sounds lovely.

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  7. I wish we would get a good summer storm. so dry here. I wish my husband was a fisherman. and simple meals are the best I think. okra, cotton, hibiscus, mallows...all related. have you ever roasted okra? so good. split them in half lengthwise, sprinkle a little salt, roast them in the oven. it's just too damn hot for any garden activities, I have abandoned it altogether since I never did get my okra planted. leaving for three weeks in May is not the best way to tend to a garden.

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  8. It sounds like a perfect way to ride out a storm. It's raining here today, which is frankly a relief. It gives me an excuse to stay indoors. Your chickens sound like such good company.

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  9. that okra blossom is gorgeous! Love the flower......and love okra, although it's hard to come by here in California. Your day sounds lovely and perfect through and through....... and hope you enjoy a martini with Mr Moon and (no doubt) a wonderful dinner and evening. Rain? What is that? LOL.......would so welcome it here
    Susan M

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  10. You have my full admiration for your weeding efforts and successes. And I love okra but it doesn't grow here.
    By mid July we abandon all weeding because we are lazy sloths and we just crawl though the jungle harvesting and watching it all go to seed.

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  11. That DOES sound like a perfect day. I love those summer storms!

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