We’ve had a fair amount of rain this week, and that has kept the forest verdant green. On the veranda, the flowers are still pretty, blooming profusely. These begonias have done really well. I had this one last year and overwintered it in the sunroom.
This pot is filled with begonias grown from seeds. You can see the seeds forming on the plant above, so I’ll get more next year. Growing pot plants from seed is a lot less expensive than buying them from the garden center.
These impatiens were grown from seeds as well. It came up on its own from self-seeding in the pot where I had one last year.
I am watching the torenia closely for seed formation. I scattered the seeds I collected last year in this pot this past spring, and totally forgot about them until the plants were full and lush, and blooming beautifully.
In the kitchen, it is almost too hot to cook. One way around that is by slow cooking a pork roast at a low temperature. This one was rubbed with spices, then cooked at 250º for about 6 hours. After 3 hours, I added a potato on the oven rack so we’d have that cooked at the same time.
Moist and succulent, with the marvelous ‘bark’ which has such flavor. So easy to cook.
Allow it to rest for about 30 minutes covered with foil, and it becomes very easy to slice. Plus the leftovers can be made into several meals with different flavors. See these posts for great recipes using up the leftovers, in quantities suitable for one or two. The first one is Leftover Pork Roast Nachos. Or make Leftover Pork Roast Farfalle Pasta, Leftover Pork Roast Enchiladas, and Pork Potstickers.
We had dinner with friends this week at my favorite restaurant in town, Champa. This was my avocado salad, fresh thin slices of avocado on top of mixed greens with white and black sesame seeds. A few cherry tomatoes were hiding underneath, too.
Then, a shared appetizer for the table of Tuna Tataki, a seared tuna sliced paper thin with green onions and tobiko on top, lightly dressed with ponzu sauce. Delicious!
My entree was a Yummy Yummy roll – shrimp tempura rolled with rice and avocado, topped with spicy tuna and finished with tobiko and oyster sauce. Heavenly!
Late in the week, the small group of three deer came by to munch on my hostas again. There was a significant development with them.
The two males were playfully bumping heads and jumping around the last time they were here. But, with the approach of fall, and the rutting season, their relationship has evidently become more adversarial. The one with the smaller antlers has lost one, likely in a battle for dominance.
The other larger male still has his longer antlers.
They moved off to the side of the driveway, and I eased outside to get a better photo. But they heard me, and quickly moved back into the forest.
This week, I took my camera to the apple orchards to get the final photo for the State Fair photo competition, agriculture category. This isn’t the one I will use, but it does show apples ready to pick. Apple Festival is coming next weekend, and the Honey Crisps will be there. Yum! I haven’t tried the Ginger Gold variety, maybe this year.
If you missed my last post, it is time to come together once more for the Safelight Project. Long time readers know this project well, and we have done it for nine years now. The response on that post has been low, and I hope that it is just the time of year that means readers didn’t see it. I just got an email from the place where I buy the bags that their prices will go up from 20-30% due to tariffs, so I need to get that order in before September 1st. As soon as I have the funds to buy 48 of the nice canvas tote bags, I’ll go ahead and order those. See the Safelight Project 2025 post for more information. Please leave a comment on that post if you can help.
This coming week is pretty open, so lots of time to sew and create for the upcoming Fiber Fair. I’m making some of the things for our Fall Fortnight, too, and plan to have several new ideas and patterns for you. I have a Quilt of Valor presentation on Monday, then maybe a lunch date later in the week. With the Apple Festival beginning, I want to change my tablescape over to that theme as a transition into fall. I am so hoping for cooler weather too!
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Shop the Halloween Bootique at Sulky Threads – Halloween threads and stabilizers 35% off, and 50% off Halloween kits! Plenty of time to stitch up a spooky surprise for Halloween with sparkly threads and cute ideas.
Final days for Fat Quarter Shop August specials – Get 20% off the Basic of the Month – Bee Cross Stitch by Riley Blake, 30% Off the Notions of the Month– stabilizers and notions by Taylor Seville, 30% off Patterns of the Month by Chelsi Stratton, and see the Book of the Month selections from Annie’s Quilting Books. Then, check out Today’s Flash Sale and see the Precuts of the Week. And you can now pre-order the Spooky Mystery Box coming in the fall!
From My Carolina Home 
If this is a duplicate comment post from me, I apologize. I typed in a comment, then poof it was gone. I wanted to let you know I sent a little help for the Safelight project yesterday. I hope the project is able to continue.
I love the photos of the deer, so sweet! Enjoy your week Carole!
Hi Carole,
When and where is the fiber fair?
thanks,
Teri
It is in October, and will be announced soon. Stay tuned to my blog and I will let you all know details as I can.
I love plants that reseed themselves – yours are looking beautiful! Great photos of the young deer, too. Your pork roast meal looks yummy, and the meal out at the restaurant does, too. Have a wonderful Sunday!
I sent you $100 via PayPal for Safelight and I just wanted to be sure you got it. This is such a wonderful service you do for these people.
Lovely flowers! I love to grow from seed as well. Such an amazing thing to watch!
Thank you for continuing the Safelight Project. I’m still not sewing here but I will be sending a check in the mail. I still have your post box address.
Happy Sunday!
Thanks, Loris! For anyone else, my address is on the original Safelight Project 2025 post, as well as my Contact Me page.
Carole. I will have a few cards in the mail to you for safe light by the end of the week. My sewing machine is out for its checkup and tuning so today is a card making day.
Carole, I always look forward to these Sunday posts! I can make up some sets for Safelight. Will a zipped pouch work instead of using velcro? The construction won’t be the same, but the finished size will be. thanks! ~Trish
Yes, I mentioned that in the previous post on the project. Several people prefer using zippers and that is just fine as long as the size is the same. Do see the announcement post Safelight Project 2025 for more information, shipping info and answers to most questions.
The pork roast looks delicious, Carole! Love the photos of the deer. I spotted a doe this morning from my kitchen window. We see them most days in our pastures. Wishing you a lovely week!
Summer must be approaching as it is slightly warmer over the last couple of days. The predicted rain and storms didn’t happen (thank goodness) although sometimes the weather just goes down the other side of the country. Being an island weather incidents usually pass fairly quickly.
I’ve never considered that Begonias seed down. Lucky you to get a lovely show of blooms from ‘free’ plants. I kill mine with kindness by watering too much. They start to droop and I think they need more water until I realise I’ve overdone it again!! 😳
Your Pork dinner looks succulent and worth the wait of a long slow roast. Pork and Lamb are my favourite meats I think. It’s helpful to have a fund of recipes to use up the leftover roast meat.
Pick your own apples makes my mouth water just thinking about them. Lovely fruit straight from the tree to eat, make an Apple pie, cook down to make sauce. Instead of the bruised jobs you pick up in the Supermarket or Vegetable shop! Anyway, I hope your Photo stands above all the others and gets you a rosette! 😂
Mary :))
Your flowers are lovely. I think growing them from seed is fun especially when you don’t know what color they will be. I enjoy your deer pics. I also had a visitor last week -a bear. It decided to literally tear apart an empty flower planter that was sitting in my yard. I hope you have a great week.
That young deer has lovely antlers. Your flowers are beautiful. August gardens are so pretty as summer is fading. My sister started begonias from seeds last year, it was like planting dust. Roast pork is my favorite dinner. I like to put some potatoes in the pan to cook in the juices – better than butter.
HiI will make items for the Safelight Project. I have never seen a deer with only one antler. Interesting.Carol O
I just love your stories of the wildlife and get quite envious at times 😁 We too get wildlife but it is vastly different to that in North America.
And the food you showed from your night out has me salivating!