Russian Mammoths

I agree that photos of flowers are a lot less interesting than flowers, but these photos are here to tell a story. The story is of Russian Mammoth seeds purchased from Seeds of Change with the promise of 9- to 12-foot tall stalks with flowers up to 14 inches across. A friend just sent us a photo of us planting the seedlings in the ground just a few months ago. Well, the tallest so far is up about 9 feet. Next summer we'll make sure to stake them a little better, as they seem to lean toward the sun and just lean in general when they hit the higher elevations. Of all the plants we've started from seed in our garden this year, this is perhaps the most satisfying because its rapid growth is so fun to follow. The slow blooming of the flowers is pretty grand, too.
Also, we choose this variety so that we'll be able to collect, dry and eat the large seeds. Will post on that soon.

Sharon Montrose

We're fortunate to have a wonderful cousin who's also an amazing photographer. Sharon and Spencer visited us last week, and now we have some beautiful Polaroids of the kid.

The Urban Homestead

This is Nusia holding garlic she just picked from Kelly and Erik's garden. It was my first time eating fresh garlic--roasted and spread on bread--and it was, of course, delicious.
Kelly and Erik's book, The Urban Homestead was just released. It's "Your guide to self-sufficient living in the city," and I could easily go on all day singing this wonderful book's praises, but I'll keep it brief. The book is positive and encouraging and easy to read and fun and it will teach you how to grow lettuce and preserve food and make beer and start a compost pile and clean your house with homemade nontoxic cleaners and live a little more engaged with the world and people around you.

Chocolate Cake

We appreciated its beauty for a moment, and then devoured it. The kid insisted.

Yes We Will Miss Polaroid

Russian Mammoth

Sunflower anticipation is building in our garden. This is the first of eight Russian Mammoths in the early stages of blooming. The seed packet told us to expect a plant that could grow up to 12 feet high. It looks more likely to top out at about 7 feet, which is still quite a sight. It's already about half a foot taller than me, and the first hints of yellow were spotted just yesterday.

Sparkling Wine

The man in the photo in this photo is toasting you/me/us with a glass of sparkling wine. What that says to me is, "I'm going to make so much money off of you, I'll be drinking sparkling wine." I wouldn't want to say that to my clients. Maybe I'd pose with some Odwalla Strawberry Lemonade Seasonal, but nothing fancier than that. I think lifting a glass of bubbly in this context is somewhat off-putting. It's at odds with the surrounding shrubs, too. Additionally, the real estate market being what it is at the moment, perhaps it's not an appropriate time for toasts. You have to stay positive, of course, but with a little restraint and propriety. Don't you think?

Happy Mothers Day

"I don't like the clown."

Post-birthday party car nap.

Width of a Circle

Toddler Motion

Poppies

Pizza

"This One."

More Banality

Or at least pictures in that theme.

Nusia

Banality Series

So, no one really needs another series, but sometimes we start taking pictures and they become a series and then we have another series.
Welcome to the banality series. All of these photos have been and will be taken in a specific place, which I'd rather not identify for a number of reasons. More posts from this project here, here and here. And many more to come. I hope to post every day for a bit, so please visit again soon.
Thank you.

Pride

This Kid

This is the kid.

You Be the Monkey

Photo Booth #2

Jed set me up with another photo booth opportunity, this time at a CD release party for Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys. With foredrops created by David Barlia, we recreated Coney Island at the Steve Allen Theater.
Sort of. This unsavory character wouldn't give his name, but did share knowledge of this with us, and for that we are grateful.
More photos from this fun event coming soon.

Another Picture(s)

"Hey, Everyguys!"

And a Doorstop

Ugly More

Not of the Garden

The Kid and Our Carrots

She likes to lay them out for photography before we bring them in the house to rinse and eat. They smell good, like earth and carrots, but richer and sweeter.

Seedlings

Not that it's ever not planting season here in Picfair Village, but spring is here and the startings of summer seedlings are following the sunlight through the south-facing rooms of our home.
This post--like so many on this humble blog--was inspired (OK, I stole their idea outright) by some instructive pirate gardeners.

And Now a Moment for Ugly

Her Enthusiasm Is Contagious!

Brussels Sprouts

From the garden to the table.

She's Two Years Old!

And is still not so cool with us brushing her hair.

Nusia: Tifosa

Nusia took Bryn and me to cheer on the bedraggled racers at the final stage of the Tour of California in Pasadena today. She's a force to be reckoned with when she's got her cowbells.

Scale

In my last post I mentioned that the smallness of those delicious cupcakes was lost in that photo. This photo here is meant to give some sense of scale to the golden beet of two posts ago. From the bottom of the taproot to the top of the greens, the whole plant was (it has since been appreciatively devoured) just about Nusia's height. Our sugar snap pea plants are now about a foot taller than me.
Scale.

Minicupcakes

Nusia is about to turn two. Wow. She and Bryn--mostly Bryn, really--made cupcakes to take to school to celebrate the occasion. You can't tell from this photo, but the cupcakes are very, very small. I wanted to have someone stand in this photo to give a sense of scale, but was concerned their clothing would date the image.

Golden Beet

Nusia and I harvested a beet this morning. And a rather pale carrot. And two peas.

You Can't Compost Concrete on KCET.org

The Echo Park Film Center curated a collection of short films called Sustainable LA for the Silver Lake Film Festival last year; I made a short called You Can't Compost Concrete to be part of the program. Making the film--with much editing help from Lisa at the EPFC--was very fun, and it made me appreciate that much more what she and Paolo and the other supercool folks over there do for the community teaching filmmaking to kids and seniors for free and others for almost free. They also have a wonderful microcinema screening noncommercial gems you simply could not view anywhere else.
If you weren't one of the 15 or so people who got up on a Sunday morning to watch the Sustainable LA program when it was shown on a big screen in Los Feliz, now's your chance to catch a bunch of green-themed shorts, including You Can't Compost Concrete and How to Build a Self-Watering Container by my heros at Survive LA streaming at KCET.org.

Eva Playing the Hurdy Gurdy

This image is part of a very slowly growing group of portraits I've been working on over the past couple of years, shot on Polaroid Type 55 positive-negative film, which includes Kelly and Erik, Matt and the Birthday Robots.

Brussels Sprouts

—the sprouts themselves—start like this.

Purple Kohlrabi

isn't purple inside.

Sugar Snap Peas

flower. I didn't know that.

UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden

This garden is one of my favorite places in LA. Nusia enjoys it quite a bit, too.

Splashing

Nusia was reluctant at first, but she has learned the joy of splashing in puddles while wearing boots. And there is no turning back.