COLD DARK ROOM

[EllieMay]

That is the fruit of the opuntia plant, called tuna.

But I definitely didn’t know it was called tuna

 

[EllieMay]

@Bee62 I was wondering how Cowboy Ken got a picture of you. He posted this on the pretend chat thread:

Lmao!!! [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[JoesMum]

Good evening all. It’s 11pm here are we’re just back from a jazz concert. American musician Curtis Stigers was performing in our town... someone reasonably famous in Tonbridge for the first time ever!

I’ve caught up, but must turn in for the night now.

The clocks go back an hour for us tonight so, in theory, we get a lie in tomorrow.

 

[CarolM]

And what is the red stuff?? I’m sure I should know but I don’t [emoji15][emoji15]

It is cactus fruit.

 

[CarolM]

The answer is mostly -

• First I give them a good washing, then take a serated type knife blade and rub it back and forth on the pads which pretty much cleans those up on the pad surface.
• Then I take a smaller paring knife and cut off the edge all around the pad, then snip the bottom off.
• By now, I’m done with spine removal and I chop them up into inch squares or so.

Entire process very fast.

Here are some pix of the process

Pad with Spines

View attachment 255376

Washed Pad and Scraped

View attachment 255375

Edges Trimmed Off

View attachment 255377

Cut Up & Ready to Serve

View attachment 255378

Nicely done.

 

[CarolM]

I was assembling all the greens and veggies for tortoise feeding this a.m. and thought, "Why should the tortoises get all the good stuff?" So I got out my pork neck bones and browned them, then set them into the stew pot in chicken broth with onions to boil for a couple hours. When I came in from outside just now I added vinegar and sugar to the pot then a whole bunch of collard greens. My lunch will be ready in another hour! The neck bones aren't ideal for this use as there are too many small, sharp bits, but the butcher didn't have any smoked ham hocks.

Here in my area our first frost usually comes right around Halloween. But so far our night temperatures have been lower 60s and upper 50s (F). It doesn't feel like it's going to drop down into the 30sF in just a couple days. the day temps are still in the 80s.

All I have left to do to winterize the plants is take several into the backyard greenhouse, then wrap the front porch (where the jade plants and a few euphorbias live) in plastic. The plants on the porch aren't all that cold sensitive, but they can't have any frost on them or they will die.

Man, I'm hungry!!

Well hard work requires lots of energy = food.

 

[CarolM]

@Bee62 I was wondering how Cowboy Ken got a picture of you. He posted this on the pretend chat thread:

[emoji23] [emoji23] [emoji23]

 

[CarolM]

Hold on here. We too only have electric yet people tell me all the time that I have Gas!

[emoji23] [emoji23] [emoji23]

 

[Bee62]

Enjoy your wedding. Had a busy morning. Went to the garden centre for some fertilizer for my hibiscus tree. And bought a strawberry bush. Took some more photos of my gang. I can't help it. I will share one with you. The rest are in my normal thread. View attachment 255359

Hi Carol, please feel free to share more than only one photo here with us. I love tort pictures !

 

[Bee62]

Can you guess which blonde is mine [emoji1312][emoji1312][emoji1312]

I know: The one on the left side is your pretty daughter, right ???

 

[Bee62]

You can have me anyday.

Can I have you too ? Only asking....

 

[Bee62]

Ha ha ha. Our spring has just started and I am hating the heat already.

Send some to Germany. I think Linda in England would take some heat too.

 

[Bee62]

Bingo!! I guess I share her a lot!
She’s my sidekick.

She is a younger duplicate of her mommy ....

 

[Bee62]

The answer is mostly -

• First I give them a good washing, then take a serated type knife blade and rub it back and forth on the pads which pretty much cleans those up on the pad surface.
• Then I take a smaller paring knife and cut off the edge all around the pad, then snip the bottom off.
• By now, I’m done with spine removal and I chop them up into inch squares or so.

Entire process very fast.

Here are some pix of the process

Pad with Spines

View attachment 255376

Washed Pad and Scraped

View attachment 255375

Edges Trimmed Off

View attachment 255377

Cut Up & Ready to Serve

View attachment 255378

You are a good tortoise daddy. I would remove the spines too.

 

[Bee62]

That is the fruit of the opuntia plant, called tuna.

I only know that tuna is a big fish .....

 

[Bee62]

I was assembling all the greens and veggies for tortoise feeding this a.m. and thought, "Why should the tortoises get all the good stuff?" So I got out my pork neck bones and browned them, then set them into the stew pot in chicken broth with onions to boil for a couple hours. When I came in from outside just now I added vinegar and sugar to the pot then a whole bunch of collard greens. My lunch will be ready in another hour! The neck bones aren't ideal for this use as there are too many small, sharp bits, but the butcher didn't have any smoked ham hocks.

Here in my area our first frost usually comes right around Halloween. But so far our night temperatures have been lower 60s and upper 50s (F). It doesn't feel like it's going to drop down into the 30sF in just a couple days. the day temps are still in the 80s.

All I have left to do to winterize the plants is take several into the backyard greenhouse, then wrap the front porch (where the jade plants and a few euphorbias live) in plastic. The plants on the porch aren't all that cold sensitive, but they can't have any frost on them or they will die.

Man, I'm hungry!!

Sounds yummy. Good appetite !

 

[Bee62]

@Bee62 I was wondering how Cowboy Ken got a picture of you. He posted this on the pretend chat thread:

Can`t see the picture !

 

[CarolM]

Can I have you too ? Only asking....

Lol. Of course.

 

[CarolM]

Send some to Germany. I think Linda in England would take some heat too.

I am sending to all of you who are cold right now.

 

[Bee62]

Good evening all. It’s 11pm here are we’re just back from a jazz concert. American musician Curtis Stigers was performing in our town... someone reasonably famous in Tonbridge for the first time ever!

I’ve caught up, but must turn in for the night now.

The clocks go back an hour for us tonight so, in theory, we get a lie in tomorrow.

View attachment 255392

OMG ! That is pretty hard stuff to remember.