I discovered the "digital macro" setting on my camera!

Arugula seed pods. I've planted some in a nice pot of vermicompost and soil.

Have you seen this? Worth 5 minutes of your time.

I don't know what to say about this neighborhood lawn art. The red elephant sculpture is about 1/4 mile away however. Same school of lawn art.

Here's the red elephant art.

I won't be stopping in but I pass this each Wednesday driving to my yoga class. Cute!

My miniscule spring onions. It took 3 months to get onions this size. Not sure it's worth the gardening real estate.

But they tasted good in this fish dish--which is on its way into the oven.

No title needed.

Thanks to this blog for bringing this to my attention.

Through the Badlands of South Dakota.

Over the Rockies.

Balloon flower. Opened and ready to pop open.

M is for Magazines. Late entry for the Tchotchke Challenge.

Tomorrow I'll add dates and a few details about some of these magazines. Publication dates range from 1917 to 1984.

Nighttime shots of my night-blooming 4 o'clocks. Wonderful fragrance, never thirsty, and deer-proof. They close up during the day. Grown from seeds.

First tomatoes. Delicious.

Cliff dwellings, early art, and Child No. 2 in Mesa Verde, CO. Heading for SD.

Far be it from me to criticize another mother. But why the hell is she letting this little one wander alone??

I know, I know. The mom is probably nearby watching me. But I still think she needs to keep close to this fawn, who has defeated my deer fencing twice and clearly requires more adult supervision.

Somewhere in the Southwest.

Canyon and kids. All of them Grand.

Life is good for house cats.

Leaving California and heading East. July 12, 2009. Becca & Lyle.

I didn't kill Bambi!

These are bad pictures but who cares. I'm not a fawn-killer after all. Mom just kept Baby hidden for more than a week. "Stay away from that human who's always skulking around with that camera," she must have instructed Baby. I'm very relieved. Now I can resume my life of cursing at them for eating my plants.

Visited the US Botanical Gardens and the new American Indian Museum yesterday. Am I lucky to live in the DC area or what?

See the Capitol Building poking above that beautiful trellis?

My first green beans. Must plant many more next year. Maybe it's not too late this year?

Balloon flower. I have just one plant but it's reliable, long-lasting, (apparently) deer resistant, and so pretty. Must get more.

A church in Takoma Park. I like the name and the building.

Pretty perfect peas. I have a lot to learn about growing & harvesting peas.

My entire potato crop. And what's left of the potato salad it turned into.

These two kids tried out LA for a year. Then they put their eastern feet back in the Atlantic and said "hmmm, pretty nice."

Now they're back in LA packing up and ready to hit the road in a week. Heading back east. Am I happy? You betcha.

The Letter L: Letters, old.

Letters to and from my grandfather who was stationed in the Philippines in 19-aught-something or other. Note that he tells his sister to "give my 73 to all." A coded message whose meaning is lost to history.

Random summer crop of lettuce that I should thin.

It just occurred to me that I could use this as my L word...lettuce. Not exactly a tchotchke though.

Part of me is still here, on the Delaware shore.

I've missed the L day in the Tchotchke Challenge but I think I'll get to it soon.