The Porch Garden Expansion

Since I have very few tools, I could not install our new window boxes on the porch railing until Kat's Dad's next visit.  I took advantage of the few days' wait to assemble, paint the home-made mounting brackets and hang them out to dry.  I needed 12 nuts and bolts to do the assembly so I was somewhat frustrated to discover that the package I had purchased contained only 11!  Imagine....eleven....which knucklehead in the marketing department came up with that packaging strategy?  Oh, wait a minute, I get it now...if you need an even number of units greater than 11, you must purchase two packages and retain 10 if you only need 12!  Not to be outdone by a sadistic marketing person, I affected the final connection with a couple of cable ties....works just fine and I managed to resist the duct tape!!

Yesterday, Kat's Dad came over for a visit and we installed the new window boxes.  Initially, we had discussed expanding our herb garden and we went to Walmart's Garden Center only to learn that their herbs had, for the most part, been taken away that morning.  We did manage to find some Rosemary and Thyme, picked up more potting soil and some Begonia to introduce a bit of colour to the Porch Garden.  On the way back to the cash I found some Cilantro and Parsley seeds....what a score!

This morning I planted begonias in both window boxes.  I think the effect is rather pleasant.  The begonias came in a 9-pack...what is it about these odd numbers?.....and I had used 8,  What to do with the lonely, leftover begonia?  Realizing we had more than we would be likely to use, we had discussed an adopting-out program.  But there was only one so I decided to pot it thinking we might find a place for it in the apartment or that perhaps Kat's Dad would give it a home.

After a few more transplantations, I decided to start the Cilantro and Parsley seeds.  Hopefully, they will germinate and build sufficient strength to winter over in the apartment.  Our little Porch Garden has grown in so many ways as to provide us with a peaceful, fragrant environment for sitting out in the evening and a good variety of food sources, coupled with the colour and elegance that the begonia provides.  All in all, a very good gardening day.

Excursion to Walmart

With all the growing our little Porch Garden is doing, we needed to do some re-potting and were short of potting soil.  Nevertheless, in my enthusiasm, I had transplanted our rosemary and one of the houseplants, a Croton, and wound up a little short of soil.  This had to be addressed.

Now the good thing about potting soil is that it is readily available.  The bad thing is that the closest bag of soil weighs 100 pounds and is really too heavy to carry home.  We have been enjoying the good graces of Kat's father, who comes to visit regularly and drives us to the various shopping hot spots in the area.  But his next scheduled run out this way would not be until the following week.  So this was going to have to be a journey on the Shuttle Bus.

There is minimal public transportation in Westminster; no municipal bus service as we know it, no taxi service either.  There is a Shuttle provided by the County that caters primarily to senior citizens and does a loop that includes twenty stops and takes approximately an hour and a half to complete.  Wherever one exits the Shuttle, ninety minutes of shopping time is available until the next arrives.  It is a good service for those of us with lots of time on our hands.

I took the Shuttle to Walmart.  The stop is a short walk from the apartment.  I caught it at 12:35 so I reached Walmart at 2 pm.  I was delighted to discover they had window boxes identical to the one I had recently installed in the Porch Garden.  Kat and I had discussed the possibility of mounting two more on the porch rail but our original source was out of them. 

What they did not have at the gardening centre were mounting brackets for the window boxes. This required a visit to the hardware department.  They did not have mounting brackets either so I would need to get creative.  What they did have were 4" angle brackets that were reasonably substantial.   I imagined joining two together such that the window boxes would be supported by the bottom brackets which would be bolted to the top bracket in a straightened out "Z" format.

So I bought angle brackets, nuts, bolts and screws a little heavier-duty than those supplied in the package along with two bags of potting soil and several other items on our wish list.

How would I get this booty home?  I always carry a backpack and the primary section was able to accommodate both bags of soil.  Almost everything else fit into the centre section.  The window boxes and the large pot were in separate plastic bags and easy to manage, even with my cane.  I was good to go with a few minutes to spare.

Kat met me at the Shuttle stop to help carry our purchases home.  Naturally, I could not resist experimenting with the bracket arrangement.

 The more I thought about it, the less satisfied I became with the mounting brackets.  I thought about fastening the window box directly to the porch rail by replacing the uppermost bolt with a screw.  This would be pretty secure.  But after dry-fitting the components, it became clear that this was not practical as the screw could not easily be driven from inside the box.  A trip to
Big Lots produced a set of 3.5" brackets that would extend the bottom support and provide a retaining brace as well.  Drill a few holes in the bottom for cable ties to secure the box to the brackets and we're there.  Pura Vida!

Our little Porch Garden

Getting resettled in Maryland is a challenge after such a long stay in the rainforest.  The amenities are welcome, I must say.  But the last time I lived in an apartment was decades ago, so I require to do some adjusting.  Back in the rainforest, I had built a little raised-bed garden that was producing nicely for me.  Here we have no real estate for gardening so we undertook to create a Porch Garden on the landing that is the entrance to our second-storey home.

When I was visiting last year, I purchased several pots of herbs from a local florist's shop.  We had basil, thyme, oregano and rosemary growing well on the landing and available for some of the recipes we had come to enjoy.  My wife overwintered the herbs indoors.  They were in good shape when I rejoined her last December and we started making plans for an expansion of our incubator herb farm.

We use a lot of mint, basil and rosemary in the preparation of  meals. Hoping to get more herbs, I made another trip to the florist but their selection was very limited. Nevertheless, I snagged some spearmint and some basil and parsley that were ready for transplantation.  A trip to Walmart courtesy of my father-in-law allowed us to secure some large pots, tools and potting soil.  So after a transplantation session, the beginning of our Porch Garden was underway.

We also purchased a tomato plant with the intention of trying a Topsy-Turvy hanging planter.  Unfortunately, the Porch Garden would not accommodate the hanger so we transplanted the tomato in a large pot just for kindness' sake and not really expecting anything of it.

We also started chives from seed I secured on an expedition to Big Lots.  There is a flower box mounted on the porch rail where the landlords normally planted flowers each spring.  They maintain the property in a lovely state with hedge, shrubs and flowering bushes.  We decided to forgo the annual flowers and attacked to flower box with our new cultivator to rid it of last year's debris and prepare the soil for the chives.  To our delight, they sprouted dutifully and are doing just fine.  We look forward to seeing their purple blooms.

On another shopping trip we purchased three houseplants, one of which can be seen hanging out in the herb garden.  It's so uplifting to have plants around.  Our Porch Garden was growing.  And there was yet another opportunity for expansion.  On the main rail were mounting brackets for a second "window box".  We managed to find one at Big Lots and after melting some holes in it, I was able to secure it to the brackets using cable ties.  It has become home to some basil sprouted from a kit, and the spearmint and parsley I got at the florist's.

The next addition to the Porch Garden was a shoe rack - honestly!  We had bought one for the house to accommodate our collection of sandals, flip-flops, sneakers and other footwear.  When I was sitting on the porch watching the plants grow, it occurred to me that a second shoe rack would be perfect to give the garden a makeover.  So the Porch Garden now looks a little more organized and is easier to tend.  And yesterday we discovered some baby tomatoes.  How about that.

Leaving the Rainforest

I have left the rainforest indefinitely and relocated to Maryland USA.  My wife is from here and, after twelve years in the rainforest, she longed to return.  So here we are.  I have applied for status as a resident - the well-known "Green Card".

I had secured residence in Costa Rica.  I brought the required documentation with me from Canada...police report, proof of financial solvency and marriage and divorce certificates.  It took three days of running around San Jose getting copies, stamps and fingerprints for submission.  One month later, I received my residence.

Now to repeat the process in the US.  The Application was easy to find and download online.  We read it through and once the shock wore off, set out to complete and submit it.  But it was clear that this was to be a major project.

First was the gathering of numerous documents; birth certificates, marriage certificates, financial information, affidavits.  Then there was the translation of documents from Spanish to English.

Once the documents had been accumulated, they had to be copied for submission and the originals carefully guarded.

Next came passport-style photos to be included with the application.

Next was a medical examination administered by a certified physician.  In our case, the nearest certified clinic was located in a community an hour's drive from home.  This required renting a car.  The up side was that there was an Asian market at the same location and we were able to secure some ingredients unavailable in our neighbourhood.

Also necessary were flu and pneumonia shots.  These were secured at a nearby pharmacy on the return trip to pick up the medical report.  This required another car rental.

Armed with all the required documentation, we were finally able to submit the Green Card Application.

Then came the first "hiccup".  We received a notification that the financial confirmation we had submitted was not acceptable.  Homeland Security required transcripts from the IRS in spite of the fact that in the application it indicated these could be presented at the interview which was to come later, because it took a long time for IRS to process transcript requests. 

Online once again, we submitted a request for transcripts.  Upon receipt, we sent a copy to Homeland Security.

The next step was the collection of "biometrics".  We received notification of my appointment in the mail.  This could only be done at a designated location in Baltimore.  To get there we had to hire a service we had used previously to go to the airport.  The appointment went smoothly.  They took a digital photo and digital fingerprints.  I was in and out within a half-hour and we drove home.

I was astonished to receive in the mail, within a week, an official ID card that was also an Employment Authorization.  I had no idea this was part of the process.  I have no recollection of any reference to this authorization.  But, of course, it is happily accepted and suggests to me that, for the most part, my application is in order.

Two days ago, I received notification of our interview - once again in Baltimore.  This is a major event.  The purpose is to determine whether or not our marriage is legitimate and not simply for the purpose of obtaining a Green Card.  To this end, we have another monumental session of data collection before us.  We have been provided with a checklist of documentation that we must bring to the interview. 

It is curious to be asked to demonstrate the legitimacy or normality of a relationship.  We have been led to believe that they ask very specific questions regarding information partners should have about one another.  I understand why, of course, but it is a little daunting to accept that my future will ultimately rest in the hands of one individual.  I take some comfort in the fact that the interview is scheduled early in the morning on a Thursday, not a Monday or a Friday!

So we will have to hire the service once again to get to the interview and hope this is the final step.  Although the application suggested the process could take up to a year, so far from downloading the application to the scheduled interview, it has been less than six months.  And I guess I can work if I choose to...that's a good thing.

It's a lot different from living in the rainforest.

Saturday and Valerian Root

Saturday is the day my Housekeeper comes to give my dwelling a once-over-lightly cleanin

So now it's back to the old routine.

I am now petless.  My dear old Gracie had to be put down.  With her gone, Missy was totally lost and needed much more company and of a different type than I could provide.  The wonderful lady who gave her to me was delighted to take her back where she has been reunited with her family of 14 dogs on a large property well out in  the country.  She is much happier.

I had a great trip to Liberia on Wednesday.  A friend drove us to the airport and then we went for lunch before departure following which we went on an extended shopping trip.  Arnold goes to Liberia once a month and has a circuit of shops where he picks up supplies.  Although I had no shopping plans, I made a few purchases including Valerian Root. 

I was familiar with Valerian but had never tried it.  I have had trouble sleeping as a result of a personal crisis.  Consequently, I have been tired, out of sorts and perhaps even a little cranky.  With Valerian I sleep like a baby....highly recommended.

Way too long

It has been way too long since I have posted something.  My Garden has been a great success.  My compost has been a great success.  I have resigned my position with the water association here after a tenure of ten years.  I am now free to travel and plan to do so this year,  I have not left Potrero for twelve years.  It's time to scrape the moss off and start rolling again.

Wireless

I am now totally wireless.  I explained some of the IT misery I have suffered recently. The third time my desktop crashed, I ran out and bought a laptop, a router and an external hard drive.  I then proceeded to set up a home office network,  I was almost there when,,,guess what....my desktop crashed again....fatally!!!

So I am now able to work in the comfort of my living room  which is nice for the kind of work I do.  But the niftiest thing is the wireless capability.  I have an HP iPAQ that we use to collect the water meter readings every month.  It has wifi capability and I can use it to check my email and to access the web wherever I am,  I am increasing degrees of freedom dramatically.

I have so far managed to do without a cellphone but I will be getting one this year to create total freedom.  I am my office!