cahaba

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 07:49:05 GMT

Wow. I can't believe this is my last semester here at UNR. Time has gone by quickly. This semester I'm taking Scott Slovic's Ecocriticism course and Stacy Burton's Literary Theory course, leading two discussion sections of Core Humanities' American Experience course, and working on comps.

Paper on the Rhetoric of Wild Alabama: Publishable?

Thu, 03 May 2007 07:00:22 GMT

Well, maybe all the work I put into the environmental rhet paper will be worth it. J & S think it could easily be turned into a publication. They recommended a couple of journals and even offered to work with me this summer to get it "perfect." So cool!

Happy Earth Day 2007

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 22:22:18 GMT

I'm missing the Idlewild Earth Day Celebration to finish work on this environmental rhetoric paper. Somehow that doesn't seem right... :(
Of course, there have been on and off sleet showers most of the day and it is pretty cold out there, so I suppose it could be more of a torture being stuck at my computer on Earth Day. Last year the kids, my brother and I went to WildLaw Earth Day at Tuskegee N.F. The weather was so nice and warm that we went on a wading adventure down the creek. Sigh. Well, the land in the eastern shadow of the Sierra needs water now to stave off summer drought, and from what I gather the Sierra snowpack has been pretty low this year, so... Happy Earth Day! Bring on the snow, sleet, and/or rain!

Postmodernism according to DeLuca (1999)

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:05:35 GMT

Er, first Jameson: "postmodernism is what you have when the modernization process is complete and nature is gone for good" (1991).

Postmodernism can be characterized in part by the conjunction of the following elements: (1) a decentering of the subject as origin, end, and arbiter of theory and practice; (2) a destabilization or fragmentation of all kinds of identity; (3) a lack of belief in any foundation, totality, transcendental signified, or grand narrative; (4) a move from the domination of sameness to the recognition of difference; (5) a generalized awareness of limits, particularly the limits of reason; (6) a valorization of the local in the face of inexorable globalism; (7) a change in material conditions, including the disappearance of nature as the great referent that ontologically grounds Western epistemology; (8) time-space compression; (9) the displacement of nation-states by transnational corporations; and (10) the rise of both image politics and micropolitics. (66)

Must return to project at hand...

Env. Rhet Random Quotes 1

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 23:01:44 GMT

A draft of my paper for Environmental Rhetoric class is due on Wednesday and so I am madly trying to get my thoughts on the the rhetoric of Wild South (previously Bankhead Monitor/Wild Alabama),McGee's concept of the ideograph, southern identity, and the locus of the irreparable in order and on paper.

Since I have a tendency to be distracted by passages that I run across in my reading, but that really have nothing to do with my current project, I think I'll just type them into my journal and think about them another time.

From DeLuca's Image Politics (1999):
If feminism sees men as the problem and the civil rights movement sees white people as the problem, there would be no common ground that would enable the two struggles to unite and understand how their particular oppressions expose a common relation of dominance within the hegemonic discourse under which both are oppressed.

SEEDS Earth Day & Campus Lockdown

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 06:31:15 GMT

They actually put UNR on lockdown for a few hours this evening due to some man who had graduated from UNR saying that the Virginia Tech shooter was his hero. Evidently he was also wanted for parole violation. A couple of my students emailed me asking if they could skip class tomorrow because of this. Fortunately, the local news just announced that the man has been captured in Carson City.

In other news, the S.E.E.D.S. campus Earth Day Celebration went well this afternoon. K. did a great job organizing it, and it was a lot of fun to help out with. I really enjoyed Action Sound String Band that provided music for us, and I got to announce the raffle winners and help judge the recycled art contest. Hopefully some new faces will be at our next meeting!

Halfway Through Spring Break

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:15:38 GMT

Ten Things that I have done so far:
1) Finished Linda Hogan's Solar Storms for my Environmental Rhetoric class - loved the book!
2) Went on a hike to Hunter Creek falls with some friends from school - tried to go on to find Hunter Lake, but the trail became too sketchy and we turned back
3) Drank too much cheap wine
4) Slept in - sorta
5) Saw some spring wildflowers on lower slopes of Peavine Peak
6) Went for a picnic with the kids and Mom
7) Found out I have a summer research assistantship with Cheryll Glotfelty - yay! I'll be compiling an annotated list of literature and theory on Environmental Justice for a grad seminar she hopes to teach
8) Started collecting sources for my paper in the Race, Gender, and Environment course
9) Wondered why on earth UNR's Spring Break is not the same week as Washoe County schools' Spring Break
10) Realized that Spring Break needs to be a lot longer if I am going to get to the

Ten Things that still need doing:
1) Register for the ASLE conference
2) Finish 102 lesson plans for the rest of the semester
3) Write paper for Environmental Rhetoric class
4) Polish Essay for Creative Nonfiction class
5) Hike to the top of Peavine
6) Go visit Donner Lake with kids and Mom
7) Get Nevada Driver's license
8) Readings Journal for Race, Gender, Environment course
9) Journal Review for Environmental Rhetoric class
10) Drink more cheap wine

Reno, Nevada

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 04:31:06 GMT

Yes, I did make it out here. I did not drive off the edge of the world. It was a beautiful trip. My apartment is nice. The kids are enjoying their school. I really, really love the L&E program. Teaching isn't as overwhelming as I thought it might be. I really believe that I am in the right place for this time of my life.

I am going to be very, very busy though. I just got the first bunch of essays from my Comp 101 class today. You know, I still really can't believe that I am actually out here doing this - teaching a composition class at the University of Nevada, Reno and taking graduate seminars with some of the most amazing people I've ever met. I'll have to write more often, so I can convince myself that it is real. Or maybe to remember the dream when I wake up from the blur that is grad school...

headed west

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 22:02:16 GMT

RENO OR BUST!!!

Clothesline

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 04:48:00 GMT

I'm really going to miss my clothesline. I actually like to do laundry because I enjoy walking out to the clothesline and hanging up the damp clothes, towels, and sheets. They are so cool compared to the blazing heat of the sun as I drape them over my arm and one by one pin them in a neat line of pinks, blues, tans, or whites to dry. Sometimes Azara helps me, sometimes a cat or two will meow around my feet hoping for a mid-day snack, sometimes a mockingbird will scold from the nearby muscadine vines because he had been using the line to scout for grasshoppers before I came out with those colorful flapping things. The crisp grass and the dust are hot to my bare feet, and I must look out for the prickly pear that pokes out from the grass in spots. The AC feels so good when I get back inside.

I enjoy dashing out at the first splatters of a summershower to madly unpin and gather the sunstiff laundry as dark clouds rumble around me and a cooling breeze begins to stir the leaves of the oak tree. Loose leaves flutter down toward me when the wind comes from the south, and the large plopping raindrops release sunscent from the cloth and from the hot soil beneath my feet. The kids come out to watch me from the porch, but I tell them to get back inside - there's lightning. I see its flash, getting closer. I'd better hurry. Still, I could think of worse ways to go...

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 04:22:33 GMT

It was much cooler today - upper 80s.
So much to do. Almost went ahead and packed up the computer, but decided to wait until Wednesday.

morning glory and wild plum thicket

longleaf pine

Freewrite - because it cannot be thought-said

Sat, 22 Jul 2006 03:15:21 GMT

The vans are packed with yard sale stuff. The house looks so much more empty. And, yes, I am beginning to realize that it is real. I am leaving again. I will do a better job this time. Last time it was one year in Arizona. A beautiful place that made me feel so very, very small. It was so slick. It was a postcard. Could I find any roots in the red, red rock? Rock that slid color-changing through sunsets and sunrises on canyon edge. So beautiful, but never home. All of my sleek young summer memories still creekside Alabama. My ghost I had seen there in fields of moonlight. Ecstatic with night sound.
But now I bring something more than myself and my green-brown-gold-light memories. Small containers. Like basket weave - still being woven. Still the pattern of sun-slant will effect their design. Not rich southern root black soil, but I bring them to desert sand. Where three will make a family. How can we stretch back, how become immortal in such a climate? I cannot create all of the stories they will need...

Because all I did today was pack and price yard sale stuff

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 06:08:26 GMT

✓ I go barefoot as often as possible	× I wear dresses more than pants	× My favorite color is pink
✓ I like cats	× I have raised animals for meat	✓ I like to swim
✓ I have owned a horse	✓ I have been to a music festival this year	× I am an only child
× I have owned an exotic pet	× I like small dogs more than big dogs	✓ I have no piercings

* * * * *

✓ I have tried marijuana	✓ I would move to a deserted cabin in the mountains with the right person	✓ I like fried okra
× I never leave home without wearing perfume	× I am totally the City Mouse	✓ I have owned a vehicle that is older than me
× I like expensive gifts	✓ I often stay up later than I should	✓ I love thunderstorms
× I'm good at driving in the snow	× My house is always "company ready"	✓ I like R.W. Emerson's writing
✓ I had a child before I turned 21	✓ I have tried peyote	✓ I have read part of the Bible this year
× I have been to Ireland	× I believe that hell is an actual place where bad folks will go	✓ I once ran away from home
✓ I always read the book before I see the movie	✓ There are people I would love no matter what they did	× I have run in a marathon
× I have always wanted children	✓ I like surprises better than plans	✓ I have gotten lost in the outdoors before and had to camp out unexpectedly
✓ I like spiders in my house if they aren't poisonous	× I have been to Yosemite	✓ I have been to the Grand Canyon
✓ I like meeting new people	✓ I feel that I am better at writing than at speaking	× I love to talk on the phone
✓ I have had a crush on a teacher/professor	✓ I usually prefer older guys/gals	× I loved fairy tales as a child
× I usually get up before 7am	× I have been snow skiing	× I would rather be cold than hot

You can to this meme, or Create your own!

winter clothes and quinoa

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 04:15:29 GMT

OK, the heat and humidity are getting old now. There was a wonderful lightning storm yesterday evening though. Watched it from Mom's back porch. I'll miss that porch.

Went through the kids' winter clothes today. I made them try most of them on. Azara thought it was fun; Tim was less than thrilled. I have Seriously Limited space for packing for this move and I am not about to waste it on clothes that they have outgrown. Azara is right on the edge with many of her winter clothes. They still fit her now, but one small growth spurt before cool weather will have her looking pretty silly. Hmm. Should they stay or should they go?

I'm also trying to use up what is in the pantry. So, does anyone out there have a good vegetarian recipe involving quinoa? I have a good bit of it left and need some new ideas...

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 05:01:31 GMT

Today many family members from the Sullivan side came out to our place for homemade peach ice cream and to wish me luck on my adventure into grad school and the wild west.

On the local news this evening they mentioned that for some reason yellowjackets in the area are making "megaswarms" this summer. One swarm filled the entirety of a '58 Chevrolet and another was the size of a Volkswagen beetle. We have never had such large swarms around here, they went on to say, and they do not know what is causing them. They said it might be the drought-like conditions we've had this summer, but I can't see why a drought would cause a larger than normal swarm. Anyway, all the talk about yellowjackets made me think of the essay eve_prime is working on. I'm looking forward to reading it.

July 4th 2006

Wed, 05 Jul 2006 05:07:20 GMT

Went to a 4th cookout / birthday party / going away party at lunch time. Half-joked about politics / space shuttles / little north korean dudes while half-watching CNN with some colorful family members of four generations. As to why Kim Jong II fired the missiles Uncle K. said, "He just wants some idiot in the U.S. to tattoo his name on their ass." OK... Listened to Uncle K. and Granddad tell about family vacations in the 1950s to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. And, evidently, Mom used to swim with sharks in the 70s when she lived on Grassy Key. My family is crazy. I sure will miss them.

Later, took the kids to see Prattville's firework show. After it was over, we drove up the highest hill in town which overlooks the river and Montgomery and watched its fireworks from a distance. It was nice, but the mosquitoes were pretty bad.

During the bit of downtime I read some newly published letters by Edward Abbey in Orion magazine. Here are a couple of the quotes I found interesting:

"yes, I do distrust mysticism. I regard it as too easy a way out. Whenever I find myself sliding into mysticism in my writing...I know my mind is relaxing, taking the easy way around a hard pitch of thought. Just as those who casually throw in the word "God" think that they are answering questions which may very well have no answer. Not all questions can be answered. I think that Carl Sagan is a bit naive in his scientific optimism, just as those who call themselves mystics are naive in identifying their personal inner visions with universal reality."

"By submitting to huge hierarchies of power, we gain freedom from personal responsibility for what we do and are forced to do - that is the seduction of it - but we lose the dignity of being real men and women. Power corrupts; attracts the worst and corrupts the best.
So what should we do, here and now, as individuals?...Refuse to participate in evil; insist on taking part in what is healthy, generous, and responsible. Stand up, speak out, and when necessary fight back. Get down off the fence and lend a hand, grab ahold, be a citizen - not a subject."

Kittens

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 21:14:53 GMT

Does anyone want a kitten? We must find homes for these guys and for their mother. There are many strays wandering around near my house. This is the only mother cat that we have been able to tame and help.

The black one and the white one are girls. The orange one is a boy.

Goodbye for now

Sun, 18 Jun 2006 03:17:56 GMT

Well, after putting it off for as long as I could, I finally transferred my insurance from my dear old '78 Buick to the '93 Ford Aerostar. I need to get used to driving it around here before I drive cross-country in it. My Buick may be an evil gas guzzler, but it was sooo comfortable and has character and has been with me through so much that I almost cried after hanging up with the insurance company knowing I will not be able to drive it for almost two years. At least I don't have to sell it. El will look after it for me. Still, how will I find a white mini-van in the grocery store parking lot? Oh, how I will miss the dark rust red shine of its hood matching the autumn leaves as we roll down a country lane or matching the red rocks of Arizona as we go on a grand adventure together... *Sniff*

Because I may never again have an entire hour to waste on "blogthings"

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 03:47:05 GMT

And because I spent too much time today working on apartment hunting and other move related issues and I feel a bit braindead.
But, hey, I found out a lot of things about myself that I didn't know. Heh.

You Are 40% Cynical

Generally you give people the benefit of the doubt. But there are exceptions.
You buy into many of the things that mainstream society believes, but you're not anybody's fool.

How Cynical Are You?

Your Brain is 47% Female, 53% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female
You are both sensitive and savvy
Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed
But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?

You Are Jean Grey

Although your fate is often unknown, you always seem to survive (even after death).
Your mind is your greatest weapon, literally!

Powers: telepathy and telekinesis, the ability to project thoughts into the mind of others, communication with animals

Which of the X-Men Are You?

Your Personality Is Like Acid

A bit wacky, you're very difficult to predict.
One moment you're in your own little happy universe...
And the next, you're on a bad trip to your own personal hell!

What Drug Is Your Personality Like?

People Envy Your Compassion

You have a kind heart and an unusual empathy for all living creatures. You tend to absorb others' happiness and pain.
People envy your compassion, and more importantly, the connections it helps you build. And compassionate as you are, you feel for them.

What Do People Envy About You?

You Should Drive a Saturn Sky

You're sleek and smooth, and you need a car to match your hot persona.
Besides, sometimes you want your top up - and sometimes you want it down.

What 2007 Car Should You Drive?

You Are Rowlf the Dog

Mellow and serious, you enjoy time alone cultivating your talents.
You're a cool dog, and you always present a relaxed vibe.
A talented pianist, you can play almost anything - especially songs by Beethoven.
"My bark is worse than my bite, and my piano playing beats 'em both."

The Muppet Personality Test

Your Mood Ring is Dark Red

Very happy
Love
Passion

Mood Ring Generator

You Are Likely a Second Born

At your darkest moments, you feel inadequate.
At work and school. you do best when you're evaluating.
When you love someone, you offer them constructive criticism.

In friendship, you tend to give a lot of feedback - positive and negative.
Your ideal careers are: accounting, banking, art, carpentry, decorating, teaching, and writing novels.
You will leave your mark on the world with art and creative projects.

The Birth Order Predictor

You Were A Jaguar

A shapeshifter that understands the patterns of chaos.
You are powerful and move without fear in dark places.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You're a great thinker and a true philosopher.
You'd make a talented professor or writer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is an incubator for good ideas, it just takes a while for them to develop.
But when you think of something, watch out!
Your thoughts tend to be huge, and they come on quickly - like an explosion.
You tend to be quiet around others, unless you're inspired by your next big idea.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

Your Birth Month is January

You are a natural leader who is able to stand up when no one else can.
Strong and powerful, you tend to overshadow those around you.

Your soul reflects: deep love, fascination with life, and a distinctive persona

Your gemstone: Garnet

Your flower: Snowdrop

Your colors: Black, dark red, and dark blue

What Does Your Birth Month Mean?

You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch.
Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes.
You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them.
You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

Your Love Life Secrets Are

Looking back on your life, you will have a few true loves.

You're a little scarred from your past relationships, but who isn't?

It's important to you that your lover is very attractive. You like to have someone to show off.

In fights, you are able to walk away and calm down. You are able to weather the storm.

Getting over a break-up doesn't take long. Easy come, easy go.

Your Love Life Secrets, Revealed

American Cities That Best Fit You::

70% Austin

65% Atlanta

60% San Diego

55% Denver

55% Honolulu

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

Your Life Path Number is 7

Your purpose in life is to find truth and meaning

You are very spiritual, and you are interested in the mysteries of life.
You are quite analytical and a great thinker. You have many theories and insights.
A life of solitude is perfect for you. You need time to think and do things your way.

In love, you are quite charming. You attract many with your confidence and wit.

While you enjoy being alone, sometimes you take it to an extreme.
You can become too isolated, shutting out loved ones and friends.
Express yourself a little bit more, and you'll be surprised where it takes you!

What Is Your Life Path Number?

Your Inner Child Is Surprised

You see many things through the eyes of a child.
Meaning, you're rarely cynical or jaded.
You cherish all of the details in life.
Easily fascinated, you enjoy experiencing new things.

How Is Your Inner Child?

You Belong in Amsterdam

A little old fashioned, a little modern - you're the best of both worlds. And so is Amsterdam.
Whether you want to be a squatter graffiti artist or a great novelist, Amsterdam has all that you want in Europe (in one small city).

What European City Do You Belong In?

Your Hillbilly Name Is...

Mary Lou Rambler

Hillbilly Name Generator

You Are 30% Vain

Okay, so you're slightly vain from time to time, but you're not superficial at all.
You are realistic. You know that looks matter. You just try to make them matter less.

How Vain Are You?

Everything Pizza

Diverse and adaptable
You enjoy the full buffet of life
It's hard to you play favorites with friends... or flavors
There's very little that you dislike!

What's Your Pizza Personality?

How You Life Your Life

You are honest and direct. You tell it like it is.
You tend to avoid confrontation and stay away from sticky situations.
Your friends tend to be a as quirky as you are - which is saying a lot!
You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable.

How Do You Live Your Life?

You Have A Type B+ Personality

You're a pro at going with the flow
You love to kick back and take in everything life has to offer
A total joy to be around, people crave your stability.

While you're totally laid back, you can have bouts of hyperactivity.
Get into a project you love, and you won't stop until it's done
You're passionate - just selective about your passions

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 03:36:51 GMT

The shot I got yesterday for school made me feel sore and exhausted yesterday afternoon and this morning, but by mid-day the negative effects seemed to have worn off. I managed to do most of my weekly cleaning and pack for the beach.

We finally had some decent rain today. Yay! Now the grass won't be all crisp and crunchy when I walk barefoot. I want this summer to be as green and lush as possible. I want to drink in all the thick, humid greenness that I can before moving to the desert edge....

And what is with Timmers suddenly saying yuck to kisses? He seems to think that since he is almost five now he has to get all "big boy" on me. Noooo.

May books - 50 book goal

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 16:48:16 GMT

So I have ADD when it comes to reading books. I read bits and pieces of lots and lots of nonfiction and poetry books, but I don't read nearly as many books cover to cover as I think I should. So here's the first month's worth of my trying to make sure I get through at least fifty books cover to cover this year in addition to my disordered book rambling:

1. GIFT FROM THE SEA by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1955)
A woman's (writer, wife, and mother) meditations on the way she lives her life and how
she wants to shape her life for balance and beauty. She uses the beauty of the shells
that she finds during her time at the seaside as a catalyst for these meditations.

2. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee (1960)
I'd read this book a long time ago, but figured it was worth a reread before I left
Alabama. I'm glad I did. I liked it even better this time around. Although the thing
about the mockingbird being harmless and never eating anyone's garden like the other birds
- well tell that to the crazy mockingbird who ate every single blueberry off my bush this
year.

3. A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L'Engle (1962)
I though it started out pretty slow, but about midway through I really started to enjoy it.
My six year old daughter enjoyed it too - but it was a little over her head at times.

x-posted to 50bookchallenge

Acoustic Cafe 2006 and First loose tooth

Tue, 30 May 2006 16:43:31 GMT

Azara has her first loose tooth!!! *sniff*

Acoustic Cafe was sooo much fun this year. The kids and I arrived on Saturday morning - I thought two nights of camping might be a little much for them since highs were in the 90s and lows in the upper 70s. Sandy, Sheila, Jon and Drew had come up on Friday and saved me a camping spot.
The music was wonderful - Dread Clampitt, Brennen Leigh, the Lovell Sisters, the Waybacks! Around dusk we left the stage area and hiked back up the hill to cook some dinner. When we came back down to our quilt the lights strung from tree to tree were on, DC was playing, all of the beautiful mountain / hippie people were dancing - from tiny little girls to young handsome men and women to gray-bearded men and graceful gray-haired women. It was so happy! Azara got out her bubble wand and added bubbles for all to dance through.
When Brennen Leigh's beautiful voice filled the air the kids settled onto the quilt and fell asleep. Sandy and Steve joined us for the Waybacks. Steve really did a good job of bringing this together this year (Acoustic Cafe's 10th anniversary!). After I managed to get the kids back up the hill (Tim is getting realllly heavy) and into the tent I listened as notes from fiddle and guitar drifted through the forest from various camps long into night.

Horse Whisperer

Thu, 25 May 2006 04:41:00 GMT

This evening we went to the Autaugaville arena and saw the Horse Whisperer do his thing (actually his daughter did most of the work). It was very interesting to watch a young horse go from wild to ridable in about two hours. It was just a little sad to me somehow to watch him submit, though. They were not rough with him at all, but just watched his signals, showed him that he wasn't going anywhere and they weren't going anywhere until he relaxed and worked with them, and little by little got him used to ropes, human touch, saddle pad, saddle, being turned by rein-ropes, and finally a rider. The kids were pretty interested, but they got restless at times when it took the horse awhile to get used to any one thing.

It was pretty hot in the arena too. Today has been the hottest day of the year so far - 94 degrees. Its still hot in the house now. I think I'll head outside for some night air, stars, and whip-por-will song.

Tue, 23 May 2006 04:27:22 GMT

Today was Granny's 73rd birthday, so the kids and I made cards and went up to share cake and celebrate. Uncle K. and Aunt S. were there. So was Mom.
Mom says, "E. was just lying around in the hammock all weekend. He said he had the lazys. I told him that he better enjoy it while he can because if he ever gets married his wife won't let him lay around all day. She'd be complaining at him."
Uncle K. says. "Oh I'll tell him about it. I'll tell him that is exactly what they made boats for. And why God made big 'ol looong rivers."

Mon, 22 May 2006 04:50:30 GMT

Visited with Granny for an hour or so today. She told me that the old timers in Georgia always called the kind of cool weather we had last week "Blackberry Winter." There is often a brief cold snap in May after it has been hot for a while. This cold snap lets you know that it is time to start picking blackberries. Azara, Tim, and I picked a good many last week near our mailbox. The ones in the backyard are not quite ripe yet, though.