I think I love all the nuts. Mmmm, pecans. Pecans sprinkled with cinnamon might be good, too.

Cinnamon sugar and roasted.

Oh, dipped in chocolate sounds scrumptious! I wonder if they lose their health benefits if I did that

I sprinkle cinnamon on all nuts I bake with. Probably wouldn't taste so good with peanuts or cashews although if they weren't salted, maybe it would be good, huh?

I particularly love almonds.
I remember the first time I ever had an almond, I asked for another so I could plant it. I was going to have my own almond tree.
Didn't grow. I was so disappointed, must have been about 5 years old.

I love almonds too Yum!

Funny thing about almonds! Been trying to tell my best friend to eat them for the magnesium & he's like "I can't eat nuts." and then I try to explain that theyre not nuts!

There's a fine line between seeds and nuts.
Most nuts are seeds but not all seeds are nuts.

Gets a little complicated.

Had a good laugh and enjoyed the posts. No old trees left in this part of the world though. All chopped and made into firewood.
Regards,
Arif.

I'm so glad we have a few cedar trees left, and little ones just keep right on springing up around the oldies.

Thanks Arif!

I read your article and you seem to be describing some kind of a heavenly garden surrounded by water. All natural and pristine. You are very lucky to live in an ideal sort of area. You should have a lovely garden with all that moisture from the rivers. Summers must be pleasant and winters horrid in some ways. Peace and solitude with no one to poke their noses in your business. Perfect place for meditation on various things.Heaven on Earth the nearest you can get to Paradise.
Regards,
Arif.

It is a beautiful area that I live in, Arif. The beauty lies in early spring and late fall. In between we have drought. The drought is something new for us, we have a difficult time with the heat and no rain. The water tables are low and the commercial traffic that is normally on the rivers comes to a standstill. Crops fail because the drought caught them before they produced. If we continue this year with the drought, then we must change our planting habits. This year I will move my planting to 2 or 3 weeks earlier than before.

But it is beautiful and the photo of the cedar tree beside the flowers was taken in my back yard in early spring a year or two ago. It is not so pretty during July and August.

How can the water table be low with two rivers flowing, what kind of soil do you have in that area. Heavy clay or water proof substrate lies below?
Planting habits. I also farm and I get to communicate with the local population. Not communicate but eat their heads. Arid zone, rain fed. We were thinking of shifting the wheat planting season a bit, but no luck. Heat starts on time and whatever the condition of the wheat, it starts to ripen. It was a self defeating exercise. This year the wheat is stunted with husk like grains due to lack of rains. Rains are due on Sunday but I do not think there is enough time for the wheat to grow or produce fat grains this season.
Same thing has been happening with our Monsoons crop of corn and other grains for now lets see, three years and winter crop also has been in the doldrums for last three years.
If I say Climate Change then the topic seems to enter politics as to why, I do not understand. As gardeners and farmers we all know Climate change is going on. So, when are we going to face the truth?
Lets see if I can get away with the truth with ancient wizened grownups. One mountain with a complete ecological system, not a field but a mountain and it has one cockroach hiding in a deep burrow. What happens to the mountain and its ecological system if we in order to kill that cockroach drop a bunker buster on it? Are we not taking the axe to our own feet? Multiply it logarithmically with the number of mountains hiding cockroaches and come to your own conclusions.
Crocodile tears is all we can shed.
Regards,
Arif.

There is some clay and a lot of rock, but primarily good soil.
But there has been little rain and no snow.

The ponds are dry, the rivers are low, so low that the commercial traffic on the Mississippi River is stopped. Corn crops that grew in the rich moist bottom lands beside the rivers did not produce.

And yes, the climate has always been changing.

I am surprised that the clouds have missed you this time. There should be something going on. Climate change is not the part that worries me, it is the plants and the seasons. Like I gave the example of wheat and the corn. There was rain but at the wrong time. How to solve that? Garden plants due to our support cope up but rain fed crops cannot. As it is 100 million in this country go to sleep with a hungry belly. Don't ask me why, ask your crooks who support our crooks with spending money in the shape of aid and assistance. Plain bribes to "you turn a blind eye while we have a ball". I wish you would ask them how your hard earned tax money is spent.
Regards,
Arif.

We did receive some rain last night, though not very much.

Surely you don't think I'd be given a true answer to that question, even if I asked.

. Just get rid of things that go bang and the forces that use them. Make the world a loose Federation and let every one live in peace. Money saved from these millions strong forces should be spent on health, education and social services. This modern day and age you cannot have Empires so might as well get rid of the fighting forces. Maybe this slaughter may end. If wishes were horses. Nothing we can do, is there Sharon except wish and pray.
As an aside, India has warned its citizens to dig bunkers and stock food. The Monsoons current will carry it all over the world. Have a peaceful sleep thinking. Good night Sharon.
Regards,
Arif.

Sleep well, Arif.
Fight no battles in your dreams.

Remarkable prophesy, had a bad night full of nightmares. I normally don't dream while sleeping or at least I don't remember.
Regards,
Arif.

Sorry sorry sorry!!! That happens to me sometimes as well.

I hardly slept last night, the wind was fierce. It hasn't slowed down today, but I am so tired I hope I will sleep through it.

When my husband was living we enjoyed years of boating on one of the lakes about 5 miles from here. We had a large houseboat that we kept at a marina a few miles from our home. The boat slips at the marina are covered by a metal roof and last night the straight line winds took the roof off the dock that we used to spend a lot of time on. I don't think the boats were damaged, but the dock is roof-less. I'm so glad I wasn't there but my friends who were there said it sounded much like the roar of a very close train.

It's already tomorrow, I'm on my way to find my pillow. No nightmares for me!
Enjoy your day, Arif.

One boat shed roof flew off. Wish I was there to see it fly. Have not been blown around by the wind for a long long time. Remember once flying of a deck house roof and landing on a upright butterfly screw which went in half inch into the flesh of my butt. Very painful condition that.
So how is it today, cold and blustery with a pinch of rain or snow. I am happy, except these few advances by winter at least the smell of spring is in the air.
Regards,
Arif.