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Fig Raiders, Part 2

18 Apr

The battle with the fig raiders has become a daily affair because the plants are fruiting. So far, I think the score is even. Hubby harvested some ripened figs, and the garden squirrel ate some from the plant. Hrmph.

We have resorted to a new method, wrapping the fruit with takeaway brown paper bags. Stapled for added strength, we hope this will protect the fruit. But alas, the rain came down yesterday evening, and the bag got wet and weakened. Oh no!

The netting bags have not been much good in protecting the figs, hence the raids now and then. Maybe I add brown bags to the netting bags for reinforcement? Hmm, whatever it takes to prevent the fig raiders, we will do it.

Precious fruits

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The Heat is On, Part 2

17 Apr

It has been hot and uncomfortable these past few days. And to make matters worst, the haze is coming back! Ugh. When it is so hot, many vulnerable areas will be prone to open burning, and this will lead to the occurrence of haze. I guess donning the mask again when being outdoors is best.

We are currently experiencing a heatwave due to less rainfall. Funny how quickly situations change with a shift in the weather pattern. Thankfully this would not last because we expect rain in the next few days. But until then, I am staying indoors as much as possible.

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The Heat is On

14 Apr

When it rains, I complain; when it doesn’t, I complain too. It’s a never-ending love-hate cycle as far as Mother Nature and the weather is concerned. The constant rain pre- and post-Chinese New Year has subsided; now it’s the heat! Unbearable. Cities nationwide and in South East Asia are recording crazy high numbers on the heat index.

I feel like I’m living in a giant oven despite being indoors at home with high ceilings and open windows for ventilation. This week, I’m taking a break from golf, so minimal exposure to the outdoors. It is mind-numbing heat that makes me want to stay home.

However, being indoors, sitting and staying put, and working on my miniatures, is no better. It is just as hot! And hiding in the air-con bedroom 24/7 is not the solution. When will this end? Sigh.

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Fig Raiders

10 Apr

The darn garden squirrels are at it again, beating us to the fruits! Aaargh. Last week, when we were away, several figs were ripening on one fig plant. But we couldn’t get to harvest them on time upon our return.

The four-legged furries were faster than us and helped themselves to not one or two but four figs on the plant. Four figs! They must be hungry or very daring. Unfortunately, hubby did not cover the fruits with netting bags, so the fruits were exposed.

Evidence of the raid. Hrmph

But even the netting bags cannot deter these darn fig raiders, for we have seen fig fruits disappear inside a bag, still intact in its place! We have even tied old CDs as light reflectors to scare the raiders, but this method is not working too. Sigh.

We need new methods to prevent the fig-raiding squirrels from eating the fresh figs off the plants. Any ideas?

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A Pineapple Disaster

27 Mar

Every morning, when I look out my kitchen window, I see the pineapple in the garden growing beautifully. It crosses my mind daily, will we get to savor the fruit this time? The garden squirrel got to the last ripened fruit before us, eating it until the core.

Well, horrors of all horrors, history has repeated itself! The heavy pineapple somehow fell to the ground despite being propped up with a stick. And the garden squirrel started on it as the wire mesh fell off, devouring about a third of the fruit before being discovered. Hrmph.

The mesh, the fruit and the fruitless plant

We have decided not to plant pineapples anymore after this latest mishap. They take too long even though we don’t have to care for the growth constantly. And when it comes time to harvest, the garden squirrels are a tad too fast for us. Sigh.

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Oh My Ferragamo!

17 Mar

Recently, at the wedding, I decided to wear heels to match my outfit, but I was in a bind. I didn’t think I could balance on either the black three-inch or the bling-bling four-inch dinner stilettoes. It’s been ages since I wore these!

So I decided to don my Ferragamo shoes instead. It was either the classic Vara pumps or the Artiste block heels. I prefer the Vara over the Artiste, and the ever-reliable Vara pumps have held up after all these years. Perhaps a tad hardened on the insides that I have to grit my teeth when I walk, but what’s a little pain for a night of glam?

However, the other pair of Ferragamo has suffered a terrible fate. With two years upended by the pandemic, traveling and meeting people was out of the question. Furthermore, there have not been many new business opportunity meetings, so wearing good shoes were not required.

Anyway, my Artiste Ferragamo shoes suffered massive hydrolysis on the bottom. It’s like a replay of my Blundstone boots, only this time, it’s my designer label heels. The rubber underside of the shoes exploded to smithereens! The only consolation is that the shoebox contained the mess.

The awful state of the Artiste

I am not upset, but wondering if I bring the shoes to the Ferragamo store, can anything be done to save them? Would I be accorded a solution or a replacement (wishful thinking here) like Blundstone Australia did? Hmm.

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Double Happiness

14 Mar

Double happiness is when two people discover each other for a lifetime together. Double happiness also means during the wedding, the extended families can gather merrily for a happy celebration.

Two nights ago, my nephew tied the knot. Congratulations to him and his beautiful bride! My heart is bursting with love for the newest member of our family!

It was a heartfelt, joyous occasion for everyone present. The younger twin of my only sibling is now a married man and will be starting his family soon. There was so much love and affection throughout the Chinese tea ceremony, which was steep in tradition. A boisterous close family affair that morning.

Then the wedding dinner that night was equally a heartfelt and joyous occasion for the family. I was ecstatic when I reconnected with my cousins again, having not seen them for ages. It was such a nostalgic trip down memory lane as we caught up, reminisced, squealed, and giggled like teenagers until we teared up about the growing-up years with our grandpa around.

Grandpa was the center of our universe, but there was so much fear in us whenever we visited him and Grandma. Nonetheless, my cousins and I have happy childhood memories. Now only our memories remind us because, during the dinosaur era, smartphones to record every moment did not exist yet. Today, the wedding is a memory filed away but captured in print, video, and almost everyone’s smartphones.

As I have said, there was double happiness for everyone during the wedding dinner – not just for the newlyweds but for all the aunts and uncles meeting up again. Many a time, I felt emotionally moved to see the elderlies hugging each other affectionately and catching up, something we all could not do, especially during the peak of Covid. It takes a happy occasion to reconnect with everybody again. And it takes a pandemic to reevaluate the importance of family and being in touch.

A cousin lamented that the clan should not meet only for weddings and, sadly, at times, for funerals, but it should be more frequent now that there are no longer lockdowns and restrictions. Time is precious, likewise family members and our extended families too.

As such, efforts are underway to spur the next generation of cousins to get to know each other better and ensure their bond grows, just like it has been for my cousins and me. As for the newlyweds, a toast to their happiness and the start of a beautiful life together.

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Itsy No More

13 Mar

Weeks have passed, and sadly, Itsy the Golden Orb Silk Weaver spider is gone! Recently, the gardeners spruced up the perimeter greenery area, and Itsy’s branches were affected.

Initially, when we relocated her there, we felt that area would be a haven for her with lots of insects for food. It never crossed our mind that the gardeners would trim the branches. So now, it is a clearing with lesser branches and foliage. Fewer insects and pests for humans, I suppose.

With her web destroyed, I presume her demise as well. How unfortunate.

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Is It March or November?

3 Mar

Time has flown by so fast that it is March already! But it does not feel like it. Typically, during this time of the year, especially after the Lunar New Year, it is hot and dry, and doing the laundry is great. All the clothes have that sun-soaked smell. I love it.

This year, however, it is cold and wet. And doing laundry is a bane. The clothes don’t get that sun-soaked opportunity, and they smell. Ugh. So yea, it’s weird because it feels more like November than March.

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Winning Again

28 Feb

It is nice to be able to play good golf. It is even better to play well and win! After several games, I have finally gotten my golf mojo back. And it sure feels great, pocketing some dough along the way, coming out tops during our weekly Tuesday group game.

I hope to maintain the momentum, for this Saturday is the Monthly Medal tournament at my Golf Club. While I don’t expect to win because the field has more and stronger players, I hope I can play to my handicap; that’s all I ask.

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