A Raised Garden Project

I decided to do a garden as a fun project and stress reducer for the Spring and Summer. A "Raised Garden Project" will be a series where I hope you can monitor my progress  and learn from my mistakes on the adventure. As usual, click each photo for a better view.

The whole idea of a raised garden came from a photo I encountered on Pinterest. It really gave me a lot of ideas and as usual I started to research the concept. Good thing I did. I discovered that cedar is the best wood to withstand the weather as well as termites here in Florida.

I was able to cut costs by buying cedar posts and breaking apart an old cedar chest my brother gave me.

While breaking apart the cedar chest was work, it definitely was worth it because using purchased cedar would have cost me over $200 for one box. With my cost savings I was able to afford TWO boxes for $14. Yeah!!!

Planning was very important so I did my calculations and then laid the boards out just to make certain what the numbers said matched what occurred in real life. It did, and my little Doxie double checked.

And there we have it, the completed box ready to be set into the ground. Everything I read said to dig  holes for the posts, but I figured it would be simpler to just dig around the posts to get them into the ground and it seemed to work well for me.  You'll notice that my Doxie assistant is still supervising but sitting in the shade.

One thing I learned during my research was that cedar while untreated has it's own natural herbicide so I put in a plastic liner around tthe inside of the box to prevent contact with the soil. In some of the illustrations I saw, people put down cardboard on the bottom but I didn't. It was simply the bear ground. Next, I saved grass cuttings and tree leaves and used that as the bottom over the bare ground to build up the bottom level in preparation for putting in dirt. If you look closely you'll also notice I used the narrow spine boards as a lip for the box so later when I'm tending the garden I can set things like water buckets, shears etc on it and avoid having to rub against the top portion of the box when working. Sweeet!!

And here we have the completed project. I plan to add a little more dirt but was surprised that I already had almost six inches of dirt in before you reached the grass cuttings and leaves. Each box is 8ft by 4ft so a few more bags should put me close to that level. My savings on wood was eaten up with the cost of dirt ($15) but my total cost so far is $30 which is not bad. Before I fill the next box I plan to do a little searching around for free dirt but if I can't find any then add another $15 and a new total of $45. Either way the cost is still low when you consider all the veggies I plan to have for the Summer.

Next installment: Growing plants from seeds

Add Impact to Your Communication Resolutions

It's a new year and if you are in the habit of making resolutions, here is a video trailer to my latest podcast showing simple changes you can make that will help those resolutions stick. Research has shown that resolution success comes because most of your mindset action, either personal or professional, are supported by a psychological foundation. Secure the foundation and building on it becomes easier.

Hear the entire podcast on this link  to pick up even more tips that can help you jump start your year.

 Oh yes, and Happy New Year!! You are already off to a great start.

Steel Wool Photography

I recently had a chance to take out the camera and go out to have some fun. My photography group's latest outing was to do steel wool photography. I didn't do much research on camera preparation and boy was I surprised with the shots I will able to get simply using the "auto" mode.

I'll explain the process involved to produce the photo you see above. Steel wool is held in a small cage on a string or rope, lit on fire and then the person lighting the cage begins to swing it. After checking online I found the process is not as simple as it might seem and you need to be careful to not swing near gas containers or other flammable items.

This next shot was pure magic for me in that the person swinging who was wearing black clothes seemed to vanish into the background.

It is magical because the camera will pick up what the eye cannot. As the guy was swinging I was not aware of what seemed like millions of filaments flying out, or for that matter hitting the ground. It was only when I checked to see what I had taken that I realized all that showed up.





This photo is my prized favorite. I say that because once again the person doing the swinging blends into the background. What I prize about the photo is its simplicity.It's done with the downtown skyline and river as the back drop, and out of the darkness is this flaming half wheel and highlights like stars.

After this adventure I cannot wait until the next such event. I've done a little reading on taking great steel wool shots so stay tuned...

Drones and the 4th of July

I know it has been awhile but time and tide have kept we pretty busy. So the 4th of July provided an opportunity to take out the camera and see what I was able to add to the gallery. As usual, click each photo to get a better view.

My thoughts always go back to being a child on the 4th of July because the night sky becomes a place of wonder. We all sat patiently waiting for the appointed hour and the fireworks to begin.

And then, after much anticipation the first flicker took off....

And then the first burst and the fun was on

I managed to get this shot and despite the fact it is out of focus, I actually like it. Sometimes your best work comes by accident, and this was one of those times.

A few more quick bursts and it was over all too soon.












And then I ran into this You Tube video where a guy used a drone to go inside the fireworks and realized I could enjoy the event a little longer. So I decided to share it with you:

Taste of St. Augustine 2014 - They Came To Play

There were not as many restaurants at this year's Spring tasting event. But, the ones that did present let the tasters know that they had come to play and left taste buds dancing.

There was the Fudge Lady with delightful treats that of course pulled in a couple of face painted kids eager to taste 

And the future Olympian just having fun in between visits to various tables. I promised his mom that the future star would be featured.

The Culinary School was not be outdone and presented a wonderful assortment great treats as well.

But the restaurant that really took the gloves off and walked away with the victory was The Casa Monico with an offering of local shrimp resting on a bed of cornbread and Zucchini muffins, with cilantro creme fraiche.. It was truly heaven!

La Cocina collected style points in addition a tasty offering of Kale crusted Flounder over purple mashed potatoes and Tequila cilantro citrus sauce.

Of course my friends from San Sebastian Winery were there offering their great local wines.  

All in all it was a foodie's dream day. I walked away with a joyous feeling and numerous great tastes still dancing on my tongue. But the best part of it all is that a hotel restaurant agreed to do a full spread once they develop their new menu for my podcast. Great sights and sounds are in the future.