Party Time

In the beginning, there were 250 lbs. of crawfish.

The kids were very interested in 'helping' me 'clean' them for the boil.

Cleaned and ready.

Glad I'm not a crawfish.

We managed to get a decent sized batch. Most of the bags were about 18 - 20 per pound with maybe 20 dead per bag. Not too bad really.

Yummy and gone.

How many can you eat? We got plenty.

Another pile ready to boil.

Oh man. Gimme some rice, couple jalapenos, piece of cornbread...

We're lucky people.

Throw in some corn after you get the crawfish out. The water is tasty and ready to flavor the corn.

This went on for some time.

If you've never been to a crawfish boil, I highly recommend it. ,

A New Day in America

Foxhaven Farm

Pictures range from August '07 to January '08.

This is the place I've managed to rent while attending The University.

It's a great place to study, hike, fish, relax and contemplate how much debt I accrue while pursuing a higher degree.

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The Serpent

This serpent is about 8" long. Give it a click for a better pic.

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Snow

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Oh the irony...

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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Spicy Chili Smell Leads to Evacuation

These thai peppers are in my freezer. They are my 'winter' stock. I find this article hilarious because every time I make thai food (which is almost every night) my roommates cough and gag, complain and bitch, turn on the exhaust fans and run. What follows is the entire original news article from Yahoo. ,

By RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press Writer

LONDON - Super spicy chili sauce being cooked at a London Thai restaurant sparked road closures and evacuations after passers-by complained that the smell was burning their throats, police said Wednesday.

London Fire Brigade's chemical response team was called after reports that a strong smell was wafting from the restaurant in the heart of London's Soho district Monday afternoon, a Metropolitan police spokesman said, speaking anonymously in line with force policy.

Authorities sealed off several premises and closed roads. The Times of London described shoppers coughing and spluttering as firefighters wearing special breathing masks sought the source of the smell.

The paper said firefighters smashed down the door of the Thai Cottage restaurant and seized extra-hot bird's eye chilies which had been left dry-frying. It said they were being prepared as part of a batch of Nam Prik Pao, a spicy Thai dip.

"The smoke didn't go up into the sky because of the rain and the heavy air," The Times quoted

Thai Cottage owner Sue Wasboonma as saying. "It's the hottest thing we make."

The police spokesman said no arrests were made in the case.
"As far as I'm aware it's not a criminal offense to cook very strong chili," he said.

Search this blog for 'Thai peppers', 'Vegetable garden' for pics of thai pepper plants and peppers.

Monday Routine

It starts with this view, the beginning of my commute to school.

A few of the many scenes encountered during a typical day on the grounds of the University of Virginia.

It's humbling to be a part of this institution. ,

Despicable Dozen

From Crooks and Liars

From the comment section Peter G. penned:

They’re creepy and they’re kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They’re all together ooky,
The Fascist Family.

Let’s offer a Te Deum
In prayer that we won’t see’em
If not then I will Scream
The Fascist Family

(replete with concrete)

So get a protective tarp on
Some surface you can barf on
Some network they will be on
The Fascist Family

That's hilarious. ,

President Bush - Genius

"Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas," said Mr. Bush. "He was a brutal tyrant who divided people up and split families and people are recovering from this. So there is a psychological recovery that is taking place, and it is hard work for them."

Yeah, he really said that. ,

More Relativity

Ted Rall

Relativity

A Moment of Zen

This is so funny yet incredibly sad. ,

Easter Snow

The "back 40".

It hasn't snowed here all year so I thought I would do my traditional barefoot in the snow thing. It feels pretty good until they start to thaw.

I made a few snowballs and put them in the freezer. I'm thinking a fruity rum drink sometime in July with those snowballs as the ice.

This is why you risk a redo if you put your garden in before the last week of April. Sometimes Mother Nature cooperates and sometimes she reminds us who's boss.

No garden this year anyway.

La maison de jalapeno rouge est à vendre.

La casa de jalapeno rojo es en venta.

Anybody wanna buy it? ,

Mitt Romney Makes it Official

He has officially pronounced his wingnuttiness:

"Her going to a state which is without question a sponsor of terror, and having her picture taken with (Bashar) Assad and being seen in a headscarf and so forth is sending the wrong signal to the people of Syria and to the people of the Middle East," the former Massachusetts governor said while campaigning in Johnston, a Des Moines suburb.

"It's a very bad idea to be carrying out a separate and independent foreign policy from the president of the United States," Romney added. "I just don't know what got into her head, to be completely honest with you. I think it was a huge, huge mistake."


But what about this!

Hmmmmmmmm. ,

End of February

Spring is not too far away, at least in my neck of the woods. ,

End of the Season

Thai Peppers

Click it for sweet hot juicy pepper porn.

Garden Update

This is my attempt at an 'artsy' garden and harvest photograph. That old Caddy in my neighbor's yard helps I guess. Notice the tomatoes...hee hee. I've gotten eight so far and the Fourth of July is tomorrow. Most people 'round these parts don't get ripe tomatos until the end of the first week of July. It's no big deal either way.
The whole shabang.
A tomato close up. It's tomato porn.
Snap beans in between tomatos and zucchini. The zucchini started to acquire this gray mold that we get here so I chopped half of those plants down and tossed them into the compost pile.
This is why I grow zucchini. It's the first week of July, there are about twenty or so in the bottom of my fridge and I've been eating two a day now for about a couple of weeks. I picked some snap beans yesterday but only a handful. Once they start to roll I will probably get rid of all the zucchini plants and maybe throw a more few seeds in the ground for that late season bumper crop. We'll see what happens.

With the world about to come to an end due to the war mongering chimp and Israel about to commit an Adolph Hilter on the Palestinians, this garden is my little oasis. I hope you and yours can find a place of peace, and remember that there are many Iraqi and Palestinian children that have no hope and nowhere to go. ,