Close Up Tuesdays

Having seen the "Macro Monday" post by DBM, I thought I might check my photos to see if I had one or two shots that might qualify. My photographic equipment is not up to the quality that DBM has, but what I lack in equipment, I make up for in effort. Right.
Anyway, here is the only shot I thought might qualify. Sorry I cannot identify the little devil, but I am sure DBM will have all the answers, should you feel they are necessary.

Merry Christmas

Another holiday season. Time to eat too much rich food and drink too many wonderful beverages (of the alcoholic variety, I suspect).

It is also a time to share your good fortune with those who have less. Time to share hugs and smiles with friends (although all of mine are now so far away that I doubt my arms will reach!). And time to reconnect with family.

Best wishes to all of you, and may you have a Merry Christmas and a safe a prosperous New Year.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms, mushrooms everywhere!

Just outside our new offices, there is a small strip of grass between the parking lot and the Fraser River. This little strip of green is home to the biggest mushrooms I have ever seen. Some of these monsters measure up to 8" in diameter.

If some appear to be damaged, they are, as I forgot to look where I was walking.


The come in a variety of shapes and sizes, domes, cups, flat, big and small (although I suspect the small ones are just catching up). And different colors as well. I wonder if the vibrant color means "Don't dare eat me!" like it usually does with frogs, toads and numerous insects. How does one tell which mushrooms one can make into a soup or include in a steak and mushroom pie?



Perhaps the best thing is to leave them where they are, and purchase my veggies from the supermarket.

Summer Splendor

Thought I should dabble a bit with the blog once again, if only to prove that I had not passed on to the great compost heap in the sky! Not just yet, I am still kicking and playing in the garden, where I must admit I have enjoyed some success. As a complete rookie at this, I am somewhat surprised that things have turned out as well as they have.

The question now is, are they ready, and what do I do next? Any advice?




Now, these little devils (hot peppers!) still have a way to go before they get plucked, but their fate is ordained. They will flavor many a dish of Chinese mixed veggies, rice noodles, sweet and sour pork and "multiple mushroom soup". I can hardly wait for their contribution.







And these lovely little cabbages are have only one fate: to become the main ingredient in a friends' special cabbage roll recipe.








I have thoroughly enjoyed my little vegetable garden. It has provided me with a purpose when I stand in the back garden, a lovely bit of beef on the BBQ and a pint of beer in one hand, because I now needed to move around and water the veggies with my free hand. Creating life, and exercising all at the same time. Life is grand.

Garden Success

I have tried my hand at a bit of gardening this year. I have always liked puttering around in the back yard, but have always restricted myself to planting flowers. After all, I am not known to be a great lover of vegetables, so why bother?

This year however, Mr. DBM really decided to get into vegetable gardening, and kindly offered to supply me with some home grown plants that I could start in my own garden. How could I refuse?




My tomatoes are a bit small at this juncture, but my peas have been going great guns, and have been harvested once, and are now producing a second batch! Who would have believed this?


And my broccoli, although just beginning to peek out at the world, is showing some promise.


And lastly, because the cabbage and peppers and green onions have a way to go before I dare show them to anyone, here is my pumpkin. What the Hell am I going to do with a pumkin??

Munchies in the Middle Kingdom

Well, here I am with a bit of time on my hands, watching the financial news on television, and feeling a bit better about the economy and the future - bloody optimist! So, back to reality, or what passes for reality in China.

Now don't get me wrong, if you visit that amazing country you will find grocery superstores that put anything here in Vancouver to shame, in terms of size and product diversity, and wonderful little shops that specialize in all manner of foodstuffs. But you will also find, if you go down some of the side streets, some of the most amazing little street markets selling the staples, fresh meat and veggies, and some truly bizarre items.

These markets can be small, comprising just one enterprising farmer, or they can be quite massive, stretching for many city blocks and offering foodstuffs and almost anything a small entrepreneur can manufacture. Many are obviously well established, and you can buy almost anything you might want, fresh (read live here) or fully cleaned and dressed. And everything is purchased through the art of bartering, so do not purchase if you do not have a local in tow, or you will definitely pay way too much!
















I did inquire as to whether or not the sellers of fresh and processed meats were regulated, their product inspected, and the product safe to consume. The safety aspect was confirmed, but regulation and inspection was greeted with laughter. Oh well, given recent problems around the world lately with government inspected meat sold in refrigerated display cases in air conditioned supermarkets, I wonder if buying meat in this type of market is any more risky than what we "westerners" are accustomed to?



So, you can get a bit of a feel for what can be purchased in the markets. These are the ultimate farmer's market, although I suspect that this form of food distribution is much more common than I suspect, and is the norm rather than the exception in many countries. It's just that this is the first time I had been exposed to it.


One could spend many hours walking around these stalls (although the meat stalls soon become a bit odorous), but the veggies and fruits are great. I gave the specialty booths a bit of a wide berth, as I was not particularly interested in snake, bugs, turtles, live chickens etc. etc. One thing I did notice here is that the sellers are very composed and polite. No hawking or screaming at potential buyers. Unlike the sellers who after tourists, as they can be quite verbally aggressive, and very loud indeed.

That, however, is another adventure altogether.

X'ian China

I have a few moments free this morning, so thought I would try to continue my posts on my not so recent trip to The Middle Kingdom. The second city visited was X'ian, southwest of Beijing, and a trip I was really looking forward to. The beginning of the adventure was not that auspicious, as we arrived at the Beijing airport in the middle of a snow storm. Two hours early for our flight, we were told by a very helpful agent that our flight might not leave due to the snow, but she could get us on the plane leaving in about 10 minutes, if we hurried.

Our luggage was taken from us and we literally ran through the airport, accompanied by two uniformed security guards, through security and to the gate. Onto the plane, pulled away from the gate, and then sat on the taxiway for 5 hours due to a shortage of de-icing facilities. Not happy! At any rate, we arrived in X'ian in late afternoon and were met by persistant rain. We checked into our hotel in the 'old city', and prepared to take in the sites the next day.




Our first side trip was to the Ming Dynasty tombs, which they wouldn't let tourists into, but the little museum and the local entertainers were both fun and informative. The weather had improved, now it was just misting as opposed to raining, so we spent the better part of the morning here.


Then it was back to X'ian for an afternoon of sightseeing. The city is one of the oldest in China, and was the site of the Qin Dynasty, the first Emperors of a unified China. It remained the centre of Chinese political and cultural life up until the time of the construction of the Forbidden City in what is now Beijing. In 1370 AD a new wall was constructed around the main city, and remains to this day. Obviously repaired and reinforced, we circumnavigated the top of the wall (about 12 km) and were able to see much of the ancient city. Although the ancient city has now been replaced by a very modern metropolis.


This is the entrance to the South Gate. From here we were able to get to the top of the wall, and begin our rather chilly and wet trip. We saw both the new and the old from the wall, a pub, an outdoor market (protected from the rain by tarps), the old buildings and the new.


This a photo of the outdoor market. These can be found almost everywhere in China, and are quite fascinating places to visit, if you can stand the crowds. Many times I had to step aside and find a little space to call my own, just to get my breath back. Whatever one is used to, I guess.



This of course is the pub, which unfortunately did not stock my brand of ale, but it sufficed!


Then off again around the wall. We did discover the X'ian Railway Station. Not a fun thing to find, as M. Cortes informed me that she had no interest in flying to Shanghai, not after our last experience from Beijing. We were going to go by overnight train! God Bless - I cannot even describe this experience. I suspect I am not one of those travelers who wants to immerse himself in local culture. I much prefer my human comforts. Anyway, by train we went. But Shanghai is another story. We still have to visit the Terracotta Warriors just outside X'ian. That is for another day.