The Coffee House

[Gary A.]

Fish tacos are fine, but I prefer a nice fish burrito or chimichanga.

Most shops out here offer all three, the same fish, the same sauces, but in a different wrapper. A couple of shops dips the fish bites into a batter, fries the fish, then stuffs the fish bites into tacos/burritos with this light orange sauce ... Gary's salivary glands are moving into high gear just thinking about the place.

 

[table1349]

Last time in San Diego I ran across a street vendor that had Baha style taco boats. Not only delicious but much neater to eat. One of the local tortilla factories is now making fresh tortilla boats. That is what we buy for tacos now.

 

[Gary A.]

Gary just finished up squeezing out a bucket of a Lemon-Orange-Lime ... Ade it is delightful. (Essentially, Gary Famous Lemonade with the other citrus tossed in.)

 

[terri]

That looks delicious, Gary!

 

[JonA_CT]

I think my scalp base tan is complete.

 

[snowbear]

It's been a nice, cool 66 degrees today - 72 inside. I've been sitting at the desk/drawing table, listening to our bamboo wind chimes and doing some electronic window shopping; I might be able to upgrade either the laptop or the D40 in a couple of weeks (I'm leaning towards the camera).

 

[table1349]

Been 70 here today, 75 in the house. Hot week last week so we fired up the AC on last Sunday to our normal 75 summer temp. May turn it off tomorrow and open the house again. Supposed to be in the mid to upper 60's and rainy until Thursday. Just got the yard work done. Yard is mowed, edged, weed wacked and the driveway and sidewalks swept.

Been real happy that I upgraded my 21 year old sprinkler controller. Went from a very outdated only one program controller to a smart controller by Rachio. Only had it 3 weeks but so far it has saved over 3000 gallons that would have been wasted and has adjusted itself nicely according to the weather. We watered on the 6th and the 14th so far. It skipped two in between waterings due to the weather/rain we had. It's scheduled to water tomorrow unless we get more rain. Yard looks as green as always and we have not watered near as much as we did with the old controller.

 

[Gary A.]

Crazy weather here, today was about ten degrees cooler than yesterday. Gary and Mary Lou are watching a NetFlix, 5 to 7, it is very well written, quirky but entertaining movie.

 

[smoke665]

Yard looks as green as always and we have not watered near as much as we did with the old controller.

we laid Centipede sod around the house when we built. They call it the "lazy man's" grass because it grows really slow, plus tolerates heat and drought. In 10 years we've never had to water, because it goes into a dormant stage and waits for rain. Last year the heat and drought was bad, it got so dry that it actually crunched when you walked on it. I was afraid it wouldn't survive. Fortunately all but about a 30x30 area, has come back fine. The area in question is slowly starting to fill back in, plus I've been able to plug some of it with cuttings from the good sections.

 

[table1349]

Yard looks as green as always and we have not watered near as much as we did with the old controller.

we laid Centipede sod around the house when we built. They call it the "lazy man's" grass because it grows really slow, plus tolerates heat and drought. In 10 years we've never had to water, because it goes into a dormant stage and waits for rain. Last year the heat and drought was bad, it got so dry that it actually crunched when you walked on it. I was afraid it wouldn't survive. Fortunately all but about a 30x30 area, has come back fine. The area in question is slowly starting to fill back in, plus I've been able to plug some of it with cuttings from the good sections.

I contemplated Zoysia plugs, but in our area cool grasses grow really well so the whole housing addition was sodded with a very high end local Fescue mix.

I'm not super worried about water as almost everyone waters their lawns via a well. However if I can save water, while still having a nice looking lawn I am glad to do that. Plus I can do so much more with this new controller. It figures out what we need based on the grass/plant type, soil type, amount of sun each zone gets, slope of the ground etc. I also can set up to 16 water schedules per zone. That will come in handy in a couple of weeks.

We put in a new driveway a few weeks ago and in doing so added a sidewalk around the garage and an additional pad behind the garage. The landscaper is going to come in and landscape along the new sidewalk as it is now about 4-6" higher than the grass. I would do it myself but this is on the short side of the house and I want to be a good neighbor and not just dump a bunch of water into her yard. They are going to survey it first and then lay the proper grade so the water disperses properly all the way around. When they do this the are going to sod the yard and I can set that zone up to water once and hour every hour during the daylight for 5 minutes to keep it moist until it takes if I wanted. I will set that zone to water as the horticulturalist tells me to get the sod to take.

This was the other option. The wife and I both really like it, but not enough to spend $3600 to have it done.

 

[Gary A.]

Gary ripped out most of the grass in the front and replaced it with succulents.

 

[terri]

Happy Monday, hosers! Humidity has skyrocketed around here after some lovely weekend downpours. We're supposed to be in for a relatively cool week, with on and off showers. I'm happy for it, since the blazing August sun will be here soon enough to wilt everything in sight.

 

[table1349]

Gary ripped out most of the grass in the front and replaced it with succulents.

Succulent yards in Kansas pretty much don't exist. At least not in front of the home.

Our neighbors behind us have a combination of a whole lot of concrete and succulents in river rock for a back yard. Easy to maintain which is probably good for them. The husband travels constantly, he could probably match Gary's travel mileage except he fly's, and the wife is, well a bit odd. She is rarely seen outside, even when their kids and grandkids are over and they are in the back yard. She seems nice enough, but just never seems to get out.

 

[table1349]

Happy Monday, hosers! Humidity has skyrocketed around here after some lovely weekend downpours. We're supposed to be in for a relatively cool week, with on and off showers. I'm happy for it, since the blazing August sun will be here soon enough to wilt everything in sight.

I'm sorry, I thought the Humidity was naturally high in the part of the country you live. Apparently soaring there is going from 90% humidity to 95% humidity.

Seriously though, I know what you mean. We love 10% humidity the last part of June/first part of July as that is wheat harvest time. The lower the humidity the longer you can cut. The longer you can cut the sooner you get done. After that well, then it is just hot and dry until fall. We have been pretty wet this spring though which is good for the wheat. Hopefully the moisture will carry on through the summer for the sorghum, soy beans and corn.

 

[Gary A.]

Buenas Dias Coffee Hosers. The marine layer has returned after taking the weekend off. This was a gray and overcast morning, The Sun is burning through the overcast earlier than normal, consequently temps in the low 80's ... which is fine. All this talk of weather make's Gary wonder .. what is humidity? It sounds nasty ... maybe something a good stick of Old Spice can fix?