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Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Our Very First Stop at Kennedy Space Center

 On Sunday, December 9 of 1984 we drove South on Interstate I-95 and spent the night at Scottish Inn, St. Augustine.
On Monday, we continued towards Fort Lauderdale and did stop at Kennedy Space Center and did admire the interesting rockets and space shuttles near the Visitor Center.
You needed to buy a ticket in order to tour by bus the rest but we did travel on...
Here I stand, together with Mauzie girl our dachshund.
Unreal the length of such a Space Shuttle... Me with Mauzie to the right.
One can only admire NASA for having accomplished this!
Pieter with Mauzie girl standing there...
Me with Mauzie standing below rocket...
Closeup
Pieter having an up close look
Pieter with Mauzie and the sun was reflecting in my lens...
We're in Florida — the Sunshine State!
In the distance, over the water, you see one of the huge buildings where you can visit when getting the tour by bus.
We would be back here; many times that is, with our guests–family and friends.
Below the tree, to the right on the water's edge is a Great Blue Heron.
Those are mainly scanned negatives, done with the Kodak Negative and Slide Scanner.

On to Fort Lauderdale... stay tuned!

Related link:

Sunday, May 29, 2022

Eastern Phoebe Reside in Front Porch with Babies

Our newest residents...
Eastern Phoebe is a flycatcher...
Just a few weeks ago, when my severe midback arthritis pain did not permit me to bike,
I started walking the wood trail through our wood garden.
I left through the front door and noticed a broken bird egg on the tiles in our front porch...
This was on May 17...
SAD sight!
Looking up, I spotted the nest, on the ledge above our Vintage Woodworks...
Clever, as it is rather high!
On May 23, I captured its resident...
It turned out to be the Eastern Phoebe, a fly catcher.
We sure were thrilled knowing what it was!
Here I spotted both; male and female Eastern Phoebe.
How sweet!
You hear our senior kitty Dido in the background, as I captured them through our dining room window.
Here it is on the railing and I love its eyes.
Insect eaters, so they catch also mosquitoes; a bonus to have them around!
Just like our tiny bats on the driveway side, behind the gable vent.
We have had lots of heavy rain and since I have to get up often during the night due to my kidney problems, I noticed that the Eastern Phoebe was high up on the nest.
Pieter mentioned, maybe there are chicks in it?
So today I took the lightweight aluminum ladder from the garage and brought it upstairs.
 Looked inside the nest, with my iPhone on selfie setting...
Guess there are four babies, 3 beaks are visible but the other is moving as well.
Thrilled to have them!

Are you having any birds nesting around your home?

Friday, May 27, 2022

This section got last done when Mom was in her final days

 It is already over 7 years ago, since Mom's final days. 
Our very last FaceTime with Mom,
thanks to my youngest brother Jan's efforts to take his iPhone to Mom at the hospital.
Pieter was outside, working with Wood Protector, when I walked out from our veranda door with the iPad, so Mom could see and hear both of us...
See link below post with photos of this very Wood Trail.
This time, Pieter did raise the trail a bit more and also used side edges with 2 by 2 wood so it stays cleaner after rain.
It got freshly stained with Wood Protector.
This is at the beginning, under the Rose Arbor, taken on May 19!
On May 8, Pieter started out on this Mega Task...
Using wood protector before the 2 by 2 is being added on the side edges.
Taking up the old boards, getting the rusted screws all out and then putting it together again...
You see some of the damaged, rotten wood and that only since January 2015...
There are bird houses on that huge oak tree, at the end.
This is close to our Gazebo as you see part of it.
On May 14, action... sand for filling up under the Wood Trail and the cart with tools...
Back breaking job for Pieter and on his knees...
He constantly gets scratches on his legs as he uses blood thinners; scary!
Here is the bottleneck; this HUGE laurel oak tree Quercus hemisphaerica has grown so much that its 'toes' are everywhere, and they elevated the wood trail.
The 2 by 2 edges have been treated and are ready to come on.
Bit by bit it will come together; once more and hope for again some 7 years or more!
I have no idea if the bird house is in use... 
Maybe our birds are used to Pieter being around.
While Pieter took his nap, on May 19, I took these photos...
You see those thick 'toes' from the oak tree?
Now look at the top of that 2 x 6 inch...
So, this is what Pieter did...
Some tree pedicure and getting a piece out of one of its thick 'toes' for getting the 2 x 6 inch.
Wounded tree toes do not grow, so that will remain like that.
Shown more in detail here.
Nobody else would do such tedious work for you; so the 93-year old husband is doing it himself instead!
Figuring out a way how to, and then into action.
That 'toe' pedicure got done with the electric chain saw...
Long exterior wood screws are being used, that are also coated for rust protection...
Drilling in those screws...
Six days later on May 25, and after lots of rainy weather...
Pieter is already working behind the bottle–neck of the huge oak tree!
Our Gardenias Jasminoides Miami Supreme, were lovely but due to heavy rain the turn brown fast...
Yep, the corner has been tackled!
The 2 x 2 edges will hold the wood trail also better together as before, without any support.
But it's still a long way to go, all the way to the greenhouse...
One day, that too will be finished!
We have had lots of rain but one surprise this morning:
Pink Rain lilies or Zephyranthes grandiflora and one of about 70 species in the Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis family).
There is a hole in one of its petals...
Another bud to the left, soon to open up...

Related links:
{Gardenia Dream} | previous post by me

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Our Garden in May

 May is still a pleasant month here in the South; not yet too hot and plants and shrubs thrive.
Our Yucca lily is putting on a show again...
Yucca lily is a happy potplant and rewarding us annually with blooms!
So are our loyal Oxalis!
Snapdragons are quite happy and perform if they get plenty of water...
Happy yellow!
Oakleaf hydrangea or Hydrangea quercifolia.
Oakleaf hydrangea with Rose Arbor and Gazebo...
The bumble bee that flew around did not want to pose for me...
Yes, our kitties live in Paradise.
Lounging here under the Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold, left is Tiggy–Tiger and her brother Spooky to the right of her.
Palm tree is doing well and our fragrant Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno' is blooming.
On May 19, Pieter made this photo of a bloom of our fragrant Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno' and it measures 26  cm or 10.5 inches in diameter!
And it is double, two layers of petals.
Happy kitties lounging after supper!
Still sunshine around 18:00 o'clock and I love the shadow of the palm tree on the garage door.
The driveway is very warm from the sun and Spunky girl is stretched out, her brother Spooky in the grass...
Gazebo visible in the back and a tiny greenhouse in the distance to the right of it.
This is from the front, as I walked around our property and on the wood trail.
My first exercise on May 17, after my severe mid–back arthritis pain...
When I opened the repurposed mailbox (bird house now!) in the wood garden, the Carolina Wren flew out and I saw that she had now Baby Birds!
Read more in my previous post with photo of nest with eggs→: Husband Pieter Finished Restoration Work on our Bridges on Wood Trail
So glad that Pieter timely did remove the white egg, the brood parasitic bird one, just before they hatched, without disturbing her! 
Did not want to leave it opened too long, nor disturb the 3 Baby Birds; two beaks are clearly visible here.
Do you have birds nesting in your garden and/or around the house?

Related links:
Variegated Yucca Lily Blooming | previous post by me

Monday, May 23, 2022

Turtle Talk

 While Pieter was working in the yard, on May 24, 1993 a Turtle stopped by to Talk...
May 23, 2022 is World Turtle Day!
The little guy seemed not afraid as it looked at Pieter...
Not that tall...
On its way to our pond no doubt...

Related link:
{Our TURTLE KINDERGARTEN} | previous post by me
{TURTLE} | previous post by me 

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MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS © 2009. All rights reserved - Text and images may not be copied for distribution or sale.

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