I’ve concocted a plan to keep the squirrels out of my tomatoes this summer. I’ve started putting my contraption together, but since I don’t have any ripe fruit yet for them to steal, I haven’t been in any hurry to complete my brilliant project.
Today, however, the squirrels are mocking my efforts. Now the gloves are off.
That’s Life in Raleigh.
Squirrel on top of the post by my tomatoes
Here we go again. We get so many accolades around here, that sometimes it’s tough to keep up with all of the lists on which Raleigh ranks high. The latest? Forbes’ list of America’s Most Innovative Cities. No, Raleigh didn’t take the top spot on the list, but we did place at No. 3, after San Jose in California’s Silicon Valley, and Austin, Texas. Trailing after us were cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, and San Diego.
Forbes likes our mix of academia and industry. Factors that went into making this list include patents, rate of creative jobs, tech and science jobs, and venture capital investment. Once again, ranking high on this list comes as no surprise. Take a look around. Here in Raleigh, we’re a hub of innovation and creativity. And it’s great to live in a place like that.
All these lists make it kind of hard for us to be humble.
That’s Life in Raleigh.
You can read the full article here: http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/24/patents-funding-jobs-technology-innovative-cities.html
I was lucky enough to go on a spring tour of the gardens at the N.C. Governor’s Mansion. This was a free event with knowledgeable docents leading groups around the grounds. And the gardens were quite a treat! They’re fanciful and beautiful, yet practical. Everything is beautifully laid out. There’s rose gardens and lawns and everything is perfectly trimmed and maintained. (True fact: The labor is provided by prison inmates.) There’s a koi pond and even play equipment for Governor Purdue’s grandchildren when they visit. Beehives were recently added that are expected to produce six gallons of honey per year. One of the most colorful spots on the grounds was the staging area where hundreds of plants were still in nursery containers waiting to be placed in their proper spot.
The very best part of the gardens to me, though, was the vegetable gardens. There is a very large vegetable garden producing food and herbs that are used in the kitchen of the Governor’s Mansion, with the excess donated to Urban Ministries. It’s the most beautiful vegetable garden I’ve ever seen and the variety is quite impressive. Not only are there plenty of the expected tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, but there’s rattlesnake beans, muscadine grapes, mushrooms, and artichokes. Vegetable crops are grown in the spring, summer, and fall. The head gardener was on hand to share information, advice, and samples of sugar snap beans and strawberries.
I left there inspired to work harder on my own gardens and grounds. But there are a few things I need. For one, I could use some pleasant helpers. When my kids work on our grounds, they don’t act as eager and nice about it as the prisoners at the governor’s place do. Secondly, I could use some of those bees to fly over here in my direction to help me out with my plants. And finally, I wonder if any of those armed security guys could help me out with these squirrels.
That’s Life in Raleigh.
The Governor's Vegetable Patch
The Governor's Gardens May 2010
One of the greatest treasures we have around here is the North Carolina Symphony. The Symphony’s “summer home” is the beautiful amphitheater at Regency Park in Cary, and the Summerfest series is one of the best deals going. The Symphony offers a reasonably-priced, flexible ticket package with 7 concerts to choose from. Well, technically there’s 8, but one of them is free and open to the public. Parking is free. Children 12 and under are free. You can bring your own food and drinks, including alcohol.
Get your tickets now, and I’ll see you there!
Summerfest is comfortable and family-friendly. Incredible music, gorgeous setting, family time together under the stars…….priceless.
That’s Life in Raleigh.
Well, summer’s back already. Yeah, I know today is only May 2nd. But today’s forecast is a MUGGY 94 degrees, with the mercury dipping down into the low 70s overnight. Our house has been cold for months, so we’ve kept our windows closed over the last few days in an attempt to enjoy the chill for a change. Our efforts were in vain, I’m afraid. It’s hot in here today. But after experiencing the coldest winter on record around here, I am not complaining…….yet.
That’s Life in Raleigh.
