Summer garden

Summer is in full swing, which means our garden is full of activity and pretty things. This year we decided to plant 2 types of tomatoes but a generous gift from our neighbor of a tomato pot for the patio necessitated the purchase of even more ("bummer"). That means apart from full-sized tomatoes we also have a huge cherry tomato plant that is, literally, almost 6-feet-tall!

Tomatoes..yum!

Along with the tomatoes we decided to diversify our pepper offering this year. Last year we had a bumper crop with 4 jalapeno plants. This year we have 1 jalapeno, 1 cayenne, and 1 cherry pepper. Our arugula, mint, and parsley have also all been going strong since May. This is a good thing because I never knew Brando has such a strong love for arugula! Whenever I clip some for a fresh summer salad or to top our homemade pizza on Friday nights, he goes wild. Looks like I need to plant more next year.

Cayenne peppers, just beginning to ripen

Our garden features more than just edibles. For our wedding anniversary last year Brando bought me a ton of dahlia seeds that I had been patiently waiting to plant. Well, the wait is over and we have been blessed with quite a few buds and flowers already even this early in the season (dahlias tend to bloom later in the summer as far as I know). Unfortunately the heat and humidity mean the blooms don't stay around too long.

The same is true of our gardenia bushes. The flowers are so delicate and fragrant. I love sitting on the back patio in the evening with a glass of wine when a small breeze kicks up their scent. One of my bushes from last season did not make it, so I put in two smaller replacements. Unfortunately, being so close to the ground, the squirrels had a field day and chewed off half of our buds before they even had a chance to open. Chicken wire couldn't even keep those pesky pests out. Oh well, such is life in the country!

Gardenia: wilting already!

Philly weekender

Last month B and I drove up to Philadelphia to visit our friends Mike and Sara. It was a wonderful weekend get-away filled with excellent food, historical sites and a little bit of culture. We took a stroll inside the 9th Street Italian Market, ate a super beer-filled dinner at the Belgian Cafe on N 21st Street, and enjoyed the view of the Eastern State Penitentiary (former "residence" of Al Capone, now a museum) from Mugshots Coffeehouse.

Brando in front of Independence Hall

Of course no trip to Philly would be complete without a visit to Independence Hall. For me the coolest part was sitting in the original House of Representatives and hearing the story about the transfer of the presidency from George Washington to John Adams that happened in that very room. The weight of our tour guide's words was such that I got a little choked up! She really was an amazing speaker and brought to light all the major events encapsulated by Independence Hall and our young nation.

House of Representatives

Where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Washington's "rising sun" chair in the back

Beautiful "Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier" memorial in Washington Square

On our last day we paid a visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. What an amazing place!

Beautiful downtown...Adrian! (Yes, Rocky ran up these steps)

Sara and Mike strike a cute pose

One of Van Gogh's four "Sunflowers" paintings. Even more stunning in person

Duchamp's (in)famous installation including "Fountain" (the urinal)

You can see the rest of our pictures here.

Fall Colors

Fall is definitely upon us!  We snapped off a few shots from the little copse near our place.  Being west coast kids it's pretty amazing seeing the vibrant colors all the leaves turn out here.  It's gorgeous!