Ruby the Researcher & Garden Glory

Did you know Ruby was a scientist? It's true. As I type, she is actively contributing to scientific knowledge. By virtue of being a 19 month old toddler, Ruby is an unwitting participant in an EPA research study. (Al Gore would be proud). Actually, the study doesn't have much to do with the environment at all. For $120 plus a gift certificate to her favorite toy store, Ruby wears an "accelerometer" on a belt around her tummy which records all of her movements (with great precision, I might add). The two young ladies in the photograph are chemists (huh?) from a local research company who have come to transfer the data from her belt-computer onto a laptop. I saw her tantrums (yikes!), her peaceful stroller rides, and even her little nighttime wakings (we all have them, you know!) all there on the computer screen in their stark, empirical glory. The project she's involved in is trying to get data on babies' and toddlers' typical daily movements.

Here you see Ruby enjoying the kiddie pool WHILE doing important research. Don't worry, the accelerometer is waterproof! And surprisingly, it doesn't bother her at all.

On another front, the garden at 740 Williams Circle has (probably) hit its peak. During the cooler part of the growing season we enjoyed peas and about 10 fava beans. We then had quite the bean (green and yellow) harvest, though they've slowed down considerably. These days are all about tomatoes (Early Girl), cherry tomatoes (Sungold - incredible harvest and flavor, and I'll never plant anything else!), crookneck squash, zucchini, cucumbers and a few okras. I planted some basil from seedlings that I started from last year's seeds and have started a perennial herb garden with thyme, chives, sage, lavendar and mint.

Landscape-wise, I planted a couple trees earlier this spring: A red maple (Autumn Glory) for the eventual shade it will provide, along with its autumn glory; and a holly (Nellie R. Stevens) for evergreen privacy from the road. Daran's mom sent me two lilacs, one of which I have planted in a flower bed. I also started doing something cool called lasagna gardening. One such plot is at the bottom of the driveway and will eventually be a vegetable garden and the other is right out by the road and will take a wax myrtle (more privacy) and maybe another evergreen shrub or 2, along with some perennial flowers, or maybe a few other things.