Maybe the Native Americans Will Save our Asses

We planted a potato this year. And despite our Irish ancestry, our harvest was less than, um, bountiful. If we were among the original settlers in the New World, you could pretty much guarantee we would be the last of our line. Forget making it through the winter, we wouldn't have made it to opening week of the NFL season. (I wonder if the Bengals were as terrible then as they are now?)

Here are the whopping three delicious looking potatoes we hauled in this year.

Not exactly enough to feed a family of six.

And by family of six, I mean six mice.

Yes, those are actual Idaho potatoes (as grown in Ohio).

Julie thinks it's hysterical. Truman wants to know if I grew them small on purpose. Jameson thinks we're going to starve. Personally, I'm optimistic. By this time next year I bet I'll be growing potatoes the size of quarters.

I Dare You to Touch It

I found this hungry fellow roaming my tomato garden. He's now the prime suspect in the destruction of two of my tomato plants.





Luckily, I recently learned a technique for on the fly macro photography. (Check out this cat's work.) Turns out there's a very simple way to achieve a macro effect. Simply remove your standard kit lens on your SLR and flip it around. Hold it tight against the camera body and -- voilà! -- macro photography!

It takes some trial and error, but check out these nasty awesome pictures!

Grandma's House

We went back over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a cookout Sunday. The weather was nice, though a touch on the cool side. The kids had fun as usual. I guess it was an unofficial going away party for my sister, Emily, who is leaving for camp in a little over a week. I'm not exactly sure why, but while we were there Jameson got to plant a small garden in the back yard. And again I'm not exactly sure why, but Jameson surrounded said garden with sticks shoved into the soil. Lots of sticks. Maybe it's to keep the rabbits out? In person it looks like some sort of ceremonial burial ground. I snapped a few photos (shocking, I know).

This little two foot by four foot garden probably has enough seeds in it to cover a quarter acre.
Notice the stick "fence."
Less than an hour later Jameson wanted to "check on the seeds."

Curt climbing a tree while his number one fan watches.

Which of course leads to his number one fan climbing a tree.

The random spider that was greeting us at the garage door when we returned tonight.
Very cool markings on his back.
I wish I'd gotten a better shot.