Writing Paraphernalia

While at work the other day, a senior gentleman who had to sign my invoice pulled out a pen from his pocket and said to me- "bet you haven't seen those in a while"! He had an old-fashioned fountain pen with a nib. It's been so long that I have even said the word 'nib'! It's one of those things that has simply vanished from our lives.

I walked down memory lane to think about that summer before the start of a new school year. I was going to be a sixth grader, graduating from pencils to a fountain pen! It was time to go shopping! Ballpoint pens were not so ubiquitous then, and it was widely believed that they did not help develop good handwriting skills.
Equipped with knowledge procured from older friends about good brands available in the market, we went to one of the two stationary stores we had in our little town. I don't even remember its name now. My first fountain pen was a locally made brand called Beena. I picked a color I liked, and checked the nib if it felt smooth. The rest of the paraphernalia included a bottle of Camlin ink, and a dropper. My mom was a stickler for cleanliness and recommended using a dropper to fill up the pen with ink, versus pouring ink into it causing messy fingers.

During the course of the year, I learnt about the trials and tribulations that go with owning a fountain pen.
-You had to make sure you had ink to last for the day. There were numerous instances when one ran out of ink. Then one had to go begging around for a few drops from friends. No one brought ink to school, at least not on a regular day. There were a few ink bottles on desks during the test/exam season.
-You couldn't hold the pen open with the cap off in your hands and wave the arm around to talk animatedly, which was something we did a lot! A rogue drop of ink would surely land on the white shirt of a friend who was sitting nearby, and it would lead to some awkward moments.
-Worse still was if the pen slipped out of the hand and landed on the ground nib down! That was the demise of the nib, and the pen! Changing nibs used to be an option, but my mother preferred buying a new pen rather than listen to the whining about how nothing was right with the pen anymore.
- My friend and me often exchanged pens to write during school hours. She had a unique turquoise blue pen with a fat nib. It was very smooth and I loved it! She was the first to introduce me to blue-black ink. I loved that color. I now had two bottles of ink at home, blue and black and I would mix the two to get the blue-black color. It was all so cool! The little things that meant so much back then!

After a couple of years, having heard some very good things about the imported brand of pens called Hero, I decided to move up the ladder. The task entailed convincing my mother to agree to spend a bigger amount on a pen. I sang praises of it- how smooth it was and how wonderfully it wrote! With these pens, there was no need for a dropper, it had a mechanism to draw ink from the bottle. They came in a sleek design too, dark colors- deep maroon, bottle green, navy blue, and black, with a gold cap. Over the course of years, I had one of each color! How silly it all rings now! Yes, a good pen made things easier, but it was just the means, not the end.

Hero pens (This is a picture from the internet)

My father got me a Parker pen when I was older, and it came with cartridges you could throw away after the ink was used up. Gone were the days when the environment received no trash from my pen!

I don't remember when I stopped using fountain pens and moved on to regular ballpoint pens. I think it was after getting my bachelor's degree. The fountain pen just faded out of my life, with no fanfare!

I suppose the next generation will watch period movies and wonder what it was like to use these quaint gadgets! Just like we do when we watch people using quills to pen letters on scrolls! The near future probably holds a scenario where people will be in awe of the generation that actually wrote things on paper! Our evolution continues!

Mustard Greens

I had decided to grow some mustard greens this winter. A friend shared that she had done that last year, and it was great to harvest greens and then the seeds once the plants bolted and flowered. 

However, I forgot to sow the seeds in January, and it was only in the first week of March that I finally got down to doing it. The seeds sprout quickly, and if you soak them for 3-4 hours prior to sowing, it speeds up the process.

The seedlings were fast to adapt and grow. The leaves had a pretty scalloped edge and were growing quickly. 

March was a lot warmer this year than it usually is, and the plant bolted almost as soon as it was a foot high. I didn't get a chance to harvest the greens at all.

Maybe I should have picked a few leaves to check out the flavor. I remember reading that they lose flavor once they flower.

 The yellow flowers added great color to that corner of the yard.

Older flowers quickly turn into pods with seeds growing inside.

A visiting bug found the flowers inviting, and helped with pollination.

The pods will dry in a few days, and I can harvest a few seeds. I hope to start the process earlier in January next year.

Adding an update- When the pods were dry, I harvested the seeds. It was a therapeutic exercise.

In search of the Bald Eagle

Ever since I joined a birding group on Facebook, I became aware of a lot of birds in the area. I would get a general idea where I could go looking for special birds, and it was always fascinating finding them in fields, in thickets and on the coast.

I had heard about Bald Eagles visiting the area for breeding. People would share sightings and I would get very excited, but I didn't get to see one for a long time. Almost two years, to be precise! Many birding trips ended in disappointment. I even ran after a Crested Caracara across a field once thinking it was an eagle! Looking back, it's hilarious! However, these trips led to lifers, the first time sighting of many different birds, so not really disappointing after all!

The Crested Caracara is a beautiful bird, and it is commonly found in Texas! The first time I saw one was three years ago while driving around the countryside. It landed on a tree very close to where I was standing.

Then it saw me and took off. I did not know what it was called back then, but it was exciting to see this large bird!

After that, I ran into it several times. The black mop of 'hair', as I like to call it, on the top if its head, is its distinguishing feature. Looks like a wig, several people said in jest on the birding group. 

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Then there was the Osprey, another large bird! I was looking out for it when we were driving in Florida and Alabama, but I never got to see it, and then the first time I saw it was at Galveston, Texas!

On a birding visit to a local park, where I had never seen the Osprey before, yielded this surprise one beautiful day in January last year! Caught on camera with its snack, a large fish!

This is a picture where it looked directly at me as it flew overhead to a secure location to enjoy its meal.

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In February this year, while on a birding trip to another local park with a friend, I finally managed to see a bald eagle flying high above! I knew it was an eagle because of the zoom feature on my camera. I wasn't very satisfied though, and wished it had gotten a little closer for a better sighting. Severely cropped, this is the picture I took that day. It was visiting the park with a juvenile, but I could not manage a decent picture of the juvenile.

After reading about sightings at a nearby park, last Sunday I decided to take another chance. However, I got to the park at a later hour than when most people had seen it. I saw some cormorants feeding on fish, and some egrets, but the eagle was nowhere to be seen. I thought I saw a large bird being chased by some terns, but I dismissed it as a vulture. As I was eyeing some coots in the vicinity, their behavior seemed to change and they seemed to huddle together near the bank. Looking up, I saw a large black bird settle on some pines about two hundred feet away from where I was standing. My heart raced and I started to run towards those trees. Then I decided to slow down, it was not a warbler to keep hopping from branch to branch. If it was what I thought it was, it was the real deal! It would stay put on the tree for a while! 

So I got the tree patch and looked up in the general direction of where I had seen the bird land. And there it was! I simply couldn't stop smiling! What a majestic bird!

How long had I waited to see this beauty!

A bird of prey, and what a handsome one! This one seems to be a juvenile, because of the light brown patch on its head.

At one point, it looked directly at me, and then it seemed intrigued with my camera lens. Nothing was going to scare it though, and it sat there basking in all attention it was getting from a few people who seemed to notice it.

Finally, 'bald eagle' was checked off my list! I saw it, and what a memorable sighting An absolutely beautiful bird!

Growing Lettuce

It was the first time I was going to try growing lettuce. I had Romaine Lettuce seeds, Parris Island Cos- an heirloom variety. I planted some around mid-February.

Once these seeds were in the ground, within a week, I could see little specks of green, signs that assure you that there is hope. Young seedlings bring hope with them. Of nicer things to come.

The plants continued to grow, and the luscious green color promised great flavor in the near future!

There was some Thai Basil growing in this bed last year, and it has made sure a lot of seeds were dispersed in the vicinity. I have so many young Thai Basil seedlings growing! They add great flavor to a host of dishes, salads, and curries!

I thought I had spaced them apart decently, but I think there was still a little bit of crowding. You learn from experience, and I plan to do a better job next year.

Cilantro was growing beside the lettuce and both seemed to have thrived being companions.

Fresh cilantro and lettuce, with at least three Thai Basil seedlings alongside, and a weed.

The early morning sun has this golden hue that makes everything look so fresh and dewy!

Another look at the bed with lettuce heads growing and glowing in the morning sun! They were so sweet and crisp in salads. I am so glad that the lettuce story is a success this year.

Cilantro greens

In January, I planted Cilantro seeds I had collected from last years crop. I used a planter for these so I could carry it inside if it got too cold.

The seeds sprouted and were growing very slowly. Then when the freeze threatened, I was outside covering all the young plants, carrots and sweet peas. I noticed some weeds growing in an adjacent raised bed. I didn't pull them out knowing the freeze would take care of them.

Three days later, when I was taking off the covers from the beds, I realized those 'weeds' were looking as fresh as ever! On inspection, I realized they were young cilantro plants that had sprouted on their own from seeds that had fallen off last year! They are called volunteers. Volunteers grow on their own.
Lesson learnt- cilantro did not need protection from a freeze. In fact, they thrived. This picture was taken in January.

I got my little seedlings out from their starter pots and put them in the ground beside the 'volunteers'. They were all growing well, but the volunteers seemed to have an edge over the others. They appeared more robust. This picture was taken in February.

It was such a pleasure to pluck fresh cilantro! These leaves were used in chutneys and as a garnish for salads, vegetables sides and other dishes.

The plants were now growing taller and some appeared ready to flower. This picture was taken in March.

There were a lot of flowers and I have seen some pretty butterflies around them. Soon there will be seeds and the cycle will be complete.

Against a partly cloudy sky, the Compound Umbel Inflorescence of cilantro/coriander is clearly seen.

Seeds were forming alongside blooming flowers from older inflorescence. The seeds will eventually dry out, and can be stored. These pictures are taken in April.

 A single Umbel inflorescence head with seeds.

Dry cilantro/coriander seeds. These can be used as a spice, and to start plants in winter. Coriander seed powder is used in various cuisines around the world.

More raised beds made with cedar pickets

Spring is a busy time in the yard. We decided it would be good to add some more raised beds to our backyard. There was some narrow space along the side of the house, so some narrow beds would work just fine. We decided to use cedar pickets again. Last year, I had posted about cedar picket raised beds here.

Here is what one bed looked like. It is a narrow bed, just about 15 inches wide.

We got twelve pickets, each was eight feet in length. They were each cut into two pieces, a smaller piece was 15 inches long, and the remaining picket was 6 feet and 9 inches long.
Again, we got an eight feet long 2 by 2 cedar cut into 1 foot pieces to use as stakes.

We built three such beds, from 12 pickets. Each bed had an area of about 8 and a half square feet. The depth of each bed is about 10 and a half inches.

Lining them up against the fence, I first put cardboard on the grass. Then I added cow manure compost, before adding gardening soil and mixing it up. Some Perlite was added to the mix. Adding Perlite helps keep the soil loose and well aerated.

I have added an area of about 25 square feet to my gardening space. I will keep you updated about what grows in them!

Carrot variations

It was my first successful attempt at growing carrots this year. For about 3 weeks, I kept harvesting a good amount of them, and got to see some interesting aspects of home grown, organic carrots.

My first harvest was exhilarating! I picked five carrots to see if they were ready!

After about a week, I pulled another 4 to add to a salad. One of them was a nice yellow instead of orange like all the others were. A different kind of pigment maybe. It tasted just as great though! Loved the variation!

The next week, I decided to pull a lot of them and ended up with a nice harvest!

A nice bunch of freshly picked and washed carrots is such a joy to hold and behold! And consume eventually!

This was the last of my carrots, pulled about a week after the bunch above. Another good yield! Another diverse range of shapes and sizes! It was delightful to watch these grow and mature, from seeds to plants, and then getting to enjoy them on the table, adding flavor to a variety of dishes!