Movie Review --- After Earth

I'm trying to find something nice to say.  I really am.  It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great, which is what I like in my movies.  You get the idea that Will is trying to make his son a BIG STAR by pushing him out front in this movie, and the kid just ain't ready.
First, his voice....he's 15 for gosh sakes, and his voice pitch just went through my head throughout the entire movie, cracking and slurring....gheesh.  They make the mistake of letting him narrate the beginning.  Big mistake.
Then, he whines and whines....and I guess it fit the character, but I just wanted to stand up and slap him silly in parts - shape up, soldier!
The premise of the movie was okay, and most of the effects were good (those tigers could have used a little more work), but I was thankful it was only 100 minutes long. If you need to get out of the heat and just want to wile away an hour and a half, it might be worth it for a matinee.
Not a fan of this kid....we need to let him grow up a few more years. Shame on Will Smith - is he being a backstage Daddy?
Two stars.

How the garden has grown!

Here's a couple of shots of the back garden. The yellow corn is almost shoulder high now, and all the other plants are just growing and producing like crazy.  We've been spending the last two days mulching under all of the vining plants; the squashes, pumpkins, winter squash, cantalopes, watermelons and other melons.  They are starting to take off, and we'll have that usual jungle to wade through!

 The taller sunflowers are starting to bloom - not as tall as the variety that I planted last year.  I'm going to have to go back and see what those were.  But they're pretty, aren't they?!

 These are the leaves for the Moon and Stars watermelon....they have yellow "stars" like the melons will.  Surprised me!

 This is a little Godiva pumpkin...this is the variety that has naked seeds.  I have high hopes for this one!

 The Vates Kale is looking good!  I don't really like it cooked, it tastes too much like "greens" to me. But I do like it fresh in a salad, its very mild that way.

 See the bee in the cucumber blossom?  They are busy out there -- buzz buzz buzz!

Here's what the Chocolate morning glory.  Its a soft mauve color, and while I like it, its not as showy as the Heavenly Blue.

 Can you spot the grapes?  Only one plant has shown any this year so far.  I think we're in for a long wait on these grapes, but we're patient....I think.

Fore!

John went golfing today and I went along to drive the golf cart again.  The weather was overcast through most of the day, which made it very pleasant.  Some photos from our day...

 Moody overcast skies....

 Grouchy Grumpy....some days the golf doesn't go well....

 Hole 17 for no reason at all....

A neat old barn by the 19th hole....

Sometimes things just don't go well....

A few of the problems I've had in the garden this year....

What the heck happened here? This is one of the zucchini plants.....

 A tiny little green pepper plant that already has a pepper on it. What went wrong? I have no idea.

Obviously I have a lot to learn.

I only had to wait three years....

for one of these beautiful gladiolas to show up! I planted 6 bulbs three years ago and three of them came up for the past two years.  This year, one single flower....but it is BEAUTIFUL!!! The wind has blown it over the past two days, but I keep propping it up.  Hope the other two bloom, too.

Collier Cucumbers and how the garden grows....

Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful,' and sitting in the shade.-- Rudyard Kipling

I spent some time today tying cucumber vines up on their trellis.  Some found their way there all alone, but many were escaping across the ground.  Someone needs to come up with a nifty little circle clippy thing that can hold vines up, give them enough room to continue growing, and are reusable. I'm just tying them...its a lot of work.  

I picked the first little cucumber today.  Its a Collier, an heirloom type with an interesting history.  This variety was given to a family in Tennessee in 1910 by migrants who were traveling through. It was saved by this family until the 1950s when their entire crop failed. It was believed that it was lost until the next spring when one plant came up from the seed planted the year before. It was donated to the Seed Savers vault in 1989.
Whew...I'm feeling the responsibility!






I'm so happy about the way these pumpkin plants all came up from the saved seeds from last year. They are looking so healthy.  This first one is the Cinderella Pumpkin.

Next is the Porcelein Doll Pumpkin.  I'm not seeing any fruit on them yet, but I'm keeping watch!





I'm picking the salad mix, which came up like crazy, but most of this mix seems to be arugula.  I really can NOT stand arugula...it's so HOT! SPICEY! and NASTY.  I'm having to pick it out and its going right back into the compost pile.

The Teddy Bear sunflowers are blooming, and they are so pretty. The plants are so short, about 1 foot tall. I was surprised by that.

And the bean are finally starting to take hold of the netting on the bean tee-pee! I'm feeling better about them.

A busy, busy day!

A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows. -- Doug Larson

Molly and Marshall came out today to do a little planning for their upcoming wedding.  It was so good to see them! They look totally happy!  Looking forward to November!

It's started....having to check those beans every day!  Here's today's take:

 Brittle Wax Beans

 Calima Beans

 I peeled and chopped the Ajo Rojo (these) and the Transylvania garlic today, they're in the fridge ready to use.  Not that impressed with the Transylvania..they were small - it may be too warm here for those.

 A huge haul (7 pounds and 6 ounces) of Gold Swiss Chard -- I'm freezing it like spinach.  Love this stuff.  I need recipes, though.

 Blanching.....

 Packaging....It made 10 packages of about 2 cups each.

One of the marigolds that surround the tomatoes...a pretty hot orange.

Mom and Dad through the years....

I'm back to scanning some photos!

No date or anything on the back, but I'll bet its from around 1946 or 1947ish...

This one says "June 1988, ages 65 and 60"

Mom and Dad in the living room with the poodle, Tootie (I think)

Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary party (this was right after the big flood)

My Dad's Air Force Photo

Dad wrote a bunch on the back of this picture.  

"Taken while stationed @ Burtonwood, England, Ribble River

Herbert Schwencke

PFC Army Air Force

1944 Briton, England

Lanenshire Coal & Rail Center

Population 66,400

BAD#2"

Here's what I found about the location on line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Burtonwood

What a little fish!

We got a little swimming pool for KT to enjoy and she took to it like a little fish!  I could not get her out of the water!  I think this will get a lot of use this summer!

Some really great Grandpas!

Grumpy and Beeps were conscripted to attend the high Tea Party this weekend.  We were watching from the pavilion and I have to hand it to them, they sipped tea with just the right attitude.  They both get a blue ribbon for make believe!

John Hoyt (Beeps to his grandgirls) showed Addie all around the pavilion....she was fascinated by the lights...

And John (Grumpy to his grandgirl) danced with Addie....

What a fun evening!

In the garden....

"Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, 
I have great faith in a seed. 
Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders." 
~ Henry David Thoreau                  
The first summer squash have shown up.  I like to pick them smaller rather then larger so that the seeds inside are still tender.  A plus in having your own garden is that you can do that!

The corn is beset by something...I've done some research online and I think that its a corn worm of some kind.  Treatment is underway.  They've only hit about 6 of the stalks so far, and they haven't shown any corn yet, so according to the "experts" they should recover okay.  They seem to be interested only in the very top of the stalk.  Sigh....

The garden was visited this weekend by a couple of the cutest little gals!  KT came to spend the night and Ms. Ella Wren came out to play.  They explored the garden and looked at all the little peppers....

They played in the squash trellis....

 Are KT & Ella in jail?

They dug around the bean tee-pee, and smelled some flowers....

 Sunflowers don't really smell...do they?

And they made the acquaintance of Mz. Maisy, the sad scarecrow....Mz. Maisy has not done well with all the rain.  It's already time for another make over...

 Ella is thinking, "What happened to her face?"

Yoakum Photos from Mom's collection...

This photo has 1938 on the back.  Not sure who all these people are.  I thought the one in the car hanging out was her, but she would have only been 11 years old, so maybe that's Isabelle??? I know that's Irene sitting on car.  Anyone have any ideas who all these folks are?

This photo had writing on the back, it said "Look, here's the Meyers!"  Irene and Raymond Meyer.  No date, though. They look so young...

 Photo says "Christmas 1978" on the back.  Here we have Irene and Sabina in the back, then Rebecca, Leona and Isabelle in the front.  They are in front of the windmill in front of Grandma's house in Yoakum.

Nothing on this one as far as date.  There's probably Dad who got cut off of the photo on the left, then Mom (Rebecca), Leona, Uncle Ed, Isabelle, Irene and Sabina.  Could this have been one of reunions, or maybe they all met at a restaurant somewhere.

Out standing in his field...

He's the man who's keeping the weeds at bay!!  We had a nice overcast day so it wasn't too bad out there, warm but not that hot sun.

My first small batch of beans.

What a mess...the bean tee-pee is not quite working out as planned....trying to untangle this mess is like working with Christmas tree lights. Yikes... I don't think the netting is going to work out.... sigh....even when I train these tendrils over to the netting, it doesn't seem to want to catch hold.  We'll see....not much I can do about it now.