Trip to Peru and Ecudor in March 2010

The Paracas ‘Trident’ or ‘Candelabra’ is a huge cactus-shaped figure carved into a hillside at Pisco Bay on the Peruvian coast. It measures about 240 m long by 120 m wide, with trenches a metre deep, and can be seen from as far as 24 km out to sea. It is aligned almost exactly north-south. It is variously regarded as a navigational aid or as a ritual object, representing a cactus or tree of life, where high priests worshipped the setting sun. Paracas-culture pottery dated to about 200 BC has been found there. Graham Hancock notes that 2000 years ago, viewed from a kilometre out to sea, the constellation known as the Crux (Southern Cross) would have been suspended in the sky directly above the cliff diagram at the March equinox.  This quote taken from this informative web site 

This is the only figure I got a good shot of on our flight over the Nazca Lines.  I have seen it called Wing or Hands.  More information on this site. 
This was a very busy and active trip. 

I have set up a 'desert' community on Megashot.net and so got searching my old photos for some sand, desert, canyons and badlands photos.  I was up way late last nite working on this, so need my beauty sleep.  This is a surprisingly short post for me.  All the interesting stuff is in the hot links. 

Moss garden

I took these photos of the moss garden a day or so after cleaning up the fallen leaves.  It, again has leaves fallen on it.  The moss seems to be growing nicely since the rains started.  The dry stream area in the top photo is actually under the deck, but just at the edge of the overhang, so, it gets moisture.  The bottom photo has the nice mossy rock and the really good moss under the mountain laurel (kalmia latifolia).  The moss is now extending past the fern and along the edges of the dry stream.  The lantern is at the beginning of the dry stream.  I took these photos with my dslr Canon Rebel and processed them in Camera Raw.  I have a lot to learn about this.  I really want a telephoto lens that is made for digital cameras.  For my uses, I really don't think I need to pay for the expensive L lenses that Canon makes.  There is much more data on the RAW files than I was getting on my S3 IS jpegs.  But the S3 IS is easier to carry around on our trips.  So... the learning continues.
I finally updated my Java thing.  I guess its necessary and does not seem to slow down my computer, that I notice.  I think I want an ipad2, and a Sony DSC 530 with the wide angle Carl Zeiss lens that does a panorama within the camera.  It is coming down in price, and I should go to London Drugs and see what is in the box for the $109 price. I hope the ipad2 is coming down in price too.  I guess there is a lot of competition in this kind of gadget, so the price should come down more.
I made a huge apple pie today, and am thinking about making apple butter to use up some of the apples.  I could make some apple sauce to freeze, too.  My freezer is full of soups and ratatouille.  I made more pickled peppers, but they do not need to be frozen, of course.  If I got a little freezer, I don't think I would have as good of a turn around on the meats and vegetables as I do now, with the smaller space.  We can always get fresher stuff.
I am 10 lbs lighter and have 25 more to go, yet.  My doctor has me coming into his office for a weigh in every month.  This is helping as I cannot seem to do this on my own.  More exercise has been a big factor, as well as watching what I eat.. and eating less.  Its really difficult for someone who likes potatoe chips and jelly beans, as much as I do.  It sure is worth the effort, though, because I feel better and much more energetic.  

Frosty Friday

Last week end we went over to Vancouver.  While visiting friends we went to lunch at the Boat House, on Indian Arm. The tree colors where ever we drove were marvelous, even through the fog.  We are having very good Autumn colors this year due to the light frost, and not too much rain and wind.  Its so beautiful where there are trees and shrubs that are planted for their Autumn foliage colors.  The Virginia Creeper, the Smoke bush and the sweet gum tree in my front garden are still in full foliage.  The back has color in the berries of the holly and fire thorn.

We picked the apples this afternoon, and I washed and sorted them.  I took the culls across the street and dumped them in the deer pasture.  There are a few more on the vegetable garden.  I put most of the apples into the plastic bin in the garage.  They should last for the winter.  I will need to make at least one pie soon. 
After finishing with the apples, I raked leaves off the flower beds and the paths.  Then I ran over them with the mower.  I now have a nice leaf mulch put over top of the compost on the vegetable garden. I gathered up most of the leaves off the moss garden.. which is really starting to look good.   The trees at the back still have about half of their leaves, so I will be doing this again.  The front trees have more of their leaves.  The pond will need draining and cleaning in the Spring.  It is covered with leaves.  I have the pump turned off, as it keeps getting its filter plugged up.  I read in a magazine that it is not good to have it run all winter, as the bottom layer of the water gets too cold for the fish.
I have been doing quite a lot of cooking lately, from recipes that look good.  Pumpkin soup, ratatouille, fennel, apple, walnut salad... it makes a nice change from the same old, same old.  I think I have the right kind of fennel growing in my garden.  I shall transplant some of the little ones I see popping up in the flower beds.  I grow this plant because the swallowtail butterflies like it.  It makes a nice vegetable in this salad.  I will want to try it sliced and cooked, next.