Agave plant firing off it's death bloom. Fear not, there are four pups that are already growing in the ground around it and of the twenty plus pups growing like a Dr. Seuss plant at the top, I have clipped them and planted them in small pots and in Fall here in the US will either transplant to the ground or give them away.

I spent Saturday trimming the Palo Verde tree behind it. There were branches all over the place. The tree had previously grown over twenty feet, collapsed from bugs and rot. I had it cut down to the base. Life finds a way. It has been shooting up since I cut it back.

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Speaking of vodka. I may have a problem

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Couple $2 gameroom light finds at a sale today. Haven't had a lava lamp in years

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Black currant and 2 types of gooseberries

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Took the Achilles (inflatable boat) out on the lake today for a tour with my wife and pup. Little boat, big fun. And just for giggles last nights pizzas. Ooni oven FTW.

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Bourbon and a cigar…enjoying the sunset!

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I saw the ooni on sale for $350 at Costco last week. Almost convinced the wife. We both love pizzas and calzones but she fears we'll be eating them 5x a week

If it’s the Koda for $350 that’s a heck of a deal. I have one, great little oven. I’m gonna upgrade to the Karu 16 so I can cook over wood/crank out some bigger pizzas!

Not sure on the model. Regular price was $450. Saw it in Saskatoon Costco a couple weeks back. The paddle must have been at least 12" wide

Winter in Australia but after much rain a clear 20degC day - pic from my balcony.

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Just looked it up. Yes it was the koda

I love how your winter is 20°. Our summer daytime high tomorrow is 22°. 6 months from now it will be -22°

That's a nice view! I'm looking at that pic thinking you are nowhere near a Costco, but you actually aren't too far away from one.

Yep there is a Costco store at Boolaroo about one hours drive away - actually went there a month or so back.

We took the granddaughter and one of her friends to see the dolphins this morning.

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People love dolphins, i don't know why. Can still picture my ex leaning over the bow of my 14' outboard catamaran at 18 knots touching the dolphins as they played at the front of the boat.

She'd have been fucked if she fell in.

I think its because they seem to like to interact with us stupid humans. But mostly because of flipper. We all love flipper?

Maybe, i remember walking along the beach with the same girl, we were watching some families playing in the small waves on the beach when we spotted three or four dolphins chasing bait and headed for the paddlers. We stood and watched as a grown man went running from the water yelling 'SHARK', leaving his under 10 kids and wife behind.

It was fun watching the people when they slowly realized that the fish were dolphins not sharks and the wonder the showed when they realized they were swimming with dolphins for free.

Not so much fun watching the father deal with what he had just learnt about himself and the family about him.

Neighbor saw this guy (or gal) a couple of times in our small country addition. I *think* it's just a harmless watersnake (there's a pond nearby) from what I saw online. But he sure looks a lot more intimidating than the common garter snakes I see in the yard occasionally.
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Looks well fed. He's coping pretty well. Must be like maybe frogs and lizards, birds and stuff he likes i guess.

I was trimming the dead cattails in the area he probably hangs out at...no shortage of frogs. Must be like a buffet for snakes.

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Looks a bit like a tiger snake I saw while walking the dogs but these aren't harmless .

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Yeah, looks like a northern water snake. The older they get, the darker they get and can become almost be black. Not poisonous but they can bite. We are on a large lake and have lots of these guys roaming around. As the saying goes, they are more scared of you than you are of them.

You guys in Australia have way more than your fair share of highly poisonous snakes, spiders, snails, etc. Seems like everything is trying to kill you there...

Cept our fellow citizens.

I assume you being in IL and I'm in IN, there's a lot of commonality regarding the snakes. Indiana only has 4 poisonous types around, more so in the south and central areas than the northern tip where I'm at.

Personally, I like having them around (the garter snakes)...probably the best free mouse trap you can get.

This is milkweed/butterfly weed - favourite food for monarch butterflies, hard to see but there are maybe a 100 bumblebees on there - it is their go to flower in the yard

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Pool, done.

Now for the mancave

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Arrawarra beach last week.
Near Punkin land.
Northern NSW Australia

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Great night to have the windows open. In a couple of days the AC will be purring.

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About 3 beaches up.

Stopped at a estate sale this morning. Bought a bunch of cool stuff including this machete. She said her parents went on a trip in the 70s and just brought it with them on the plane

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It's my disc now!!!

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Another problem solved with alcohol….kinda.

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This guy has been hanging around the property for the last week or so. Really nice looking deer. Think he’s still pretty young, maybe 3-4 years old? His antlers are still in velvet and should get a little bigger in the next month or so. He’s going to be massive next year as long as nobody poaches him.

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We’ve seen this turtle ramble thru the yard every year for about 20 years now.

The leopard frog or at least that’s what I call them was almost as big as my fist.

The mushrooms popped up overnight the morning after I mowed the yard a few weeks ago. Very cool that they grow so fast!

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That tortoise is absolutely glorious. he'd be a great match for my JP.

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We have these guys all over the yard this time of year. They come up out of the ground during monsoon season when it rains.

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Can't get over that tortoise. Cool. Reminded me of this....

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Went and picked some cherries this morning. Wife spent 2 hrs pitting them

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Got back from a fishing/camping trip on the West Coast of Vancouver Island a few days ago. Put some Chinook in the freezer along with a lingcod and some big rockfish. Most importantly I got to spend some time with my Dad and a great friend and his family who invited us. Nootka Sound, British Columbia on the way out for a fish, and the resort where we had our catch packed up.

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Medicine Hat, Alberta. Couple pics of the south Saskatchewan river.

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Awesome ! well done on your father son time.
Great photos !
Beautiful country
Have to say Canada is at the top of out bucket list for places to visit.
Simply stunning.

Here’s a slightly smaller one that I saw this week. I went and got a strawberry to see if it would eat it. Not interested. I think it was a female looking for a spot to dig a hole and lay eggs. It kept moving around the trunk of a big oak tree.
The other larger turtle was in my front yard the same day chilling in the shade under some big rhododendrons. It’s the first time I ever saw two in the same day.
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Beautiful tortoise.

They are beautiful and surprisingly quick.Normally 10-15 min after I see one they are gone. I only see one a couple times a year. In April/May after heavy rain and then in mid/late July.

I’d probably never see them if I didn’t mow my yard with a walk behind 30” mower and do a little light landscaping/gardening.

On that note here’s the first sunflower of the year. I planted (15) different kinds in early June. Without the fence the deer would eat them. It also helps support them.

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I used to like growing paper daisies and fuchsia's. They're about the only plants i grew that i didn't eat, smoke or drink.