Anticipation!

It's red, firm and unblemished and almost ready to harvest! Yes, my first tomato of the season and the best one I've ever managed to grow. I only hope it tastes as good as it looks. Many, many thanks to Graham for being chief tomato waterer. I think he has earned the first bite!

Large tour group causes traffic jam on new overpass

It was raining as I drove to the shopping mall today and it was also my first trip on the overpass on route 28. I was curious to see it as it just opened recently.


I wasn't expecting to get caught in a traffic jam caused by this group that were touring the new road.

It was quite a large group to be out sightseeing on a rainy Saturday morning. The tour guide must be quite good.

I had to wait through two traffic light cycles before I could continue on my way. Lucky for me, I always have my camera nearby.

Not the usual sights in Historic Leesburg

On a beautiful sunny Saturday we strolled through Leesburg on a photo safari. We took lots of photos of historic houses, but we also encountered some not so expected sights as you can see from these photos.

Ok, this one isn't so unusual. What was unusual, for me, was how unblemished this rose was and how well the photo turned out.

Unusual houseguests

Some unusual houseguests arrived last week and we have no idea how long they will be staying. A persistent pair of birds built a nest on our porch even though in the beginning I kept removing their nest-in-progress.

Eventually I gave up and let them build it and now their babies have hatched. They are brave birds to have their nest so visible in a 2-cat household, but somehow they seemed to know that Dexter and Delilah are not allowed out. Molly, the neighbor cat however, is not so restricted and has taken to camping out in the bushes nearby.

Mom and Dad bird also get stroppy when we go outside. If we are on the porch they fly away, but not too far and they squawk at us trying to make us go back inside.

Anybody have any ideas for names for these two new baby birds?

Beauty in my Backyard

Bright sun, abundantly blooming flowers and a new camera - a wonderful combination! Here are some test shots of flowers in my garden with my new camera. Hope to have more to post soon. Just proves you don't have to wander across the globe to find treasures. Sometimes they are literally in your own backyard!

Wonderful Walk at Ida Lee Park

After 11 straight days of rain, we were treated to a weekend of summer-hot temperatures and blue and sunny skies. We decided to make the most of this weather by going for a stroll around the perimeter of a nearby park, called Ida Lee.
Because of the rain, we were treated to lots of verdant views and the garden had lots of flowers in bloom.
We even sat on a bench in the garden and "crashed" a wedding that was happening next to the garden.

Except for a few damp patches (see Graham leaping one above), it was a wonderful walk with lots to look at from babbling brooks and butterflies to soccer games and the newly built swimming pool. And best of all , it was FREE!

A trip to Turkey without a passport

Thanks to my friend Mehmet, we recently discovered a wonderful restaurant in Herndon (Virginia). TurCuisine is a little bit of Turkey in suburban Virginia. The menu is extensive and according to Mehmet, authentic. The prices were reasonable and everything we ordered was delectable.

The dish pictured above is a Turkish version of pizza spelled Pide (prounounced pee-dah). This vegetarian version is just one of many on the menu. The dough was excellent with just the right amount of chewyness and grease-free. The portions were large and we took home leftovers to be enjoyed later.

Anyone who likes or would like to try Turkish food would love it here. We went at lunchtime on a Saturday and it was uncrowded with a cafe feel with both indoor and outdoor seating. At night they have traditional Turkish entertainment such as belly dancers.

Check out their full menu on their website.