I think of okra as the raw oyster of vegetables. You either love to eat it, or the thought of doing so makes you sick. It’s just so slimy!! Luckily, I love it. My favorite way to eat it is to make gumbo with it. I also like to boil it or saute it with onions and tomatoes. You can help to make it less slimy by cooking it with tomatoes.
My husband grows lots and lots of okra. There is more in another area of our garden. We freeze it and eat it all year long. The above picture shows our plants when they are small. It is just about time to trim the bottom leaves off the plants. Rubbing up against the leaves makes you itch, so he tries to keep the leaves to a minimum while having enough of them to produce the vegetable.
The actual okra pods start producing from the bottom of the plant and move upward as the year goes by. Okra likes really hot weather, which we have no problem with here in Texas in the summer. It will produce until a frost kills the plants.
I would like to start a photo challenge called Bird of the Day! I would appreciate you following my blog, and whenever you feel like posting, post a picture of a bird. After posting the picture on your site, please tag your photo With Granny Shot It and BOTD along with any other tags you would like to use. If you know the name of the bird, I’m sure everyone would appreciate you adding that to your post. If you don’t know its name, just posting the picture is fine. Let’s just have fun with this! Have a great day!
Crested Caracara
We saw this beautiful bird sitting on a road sign while we were on a trip to North Padre Island and the National Seashore.
One of our favorite places to take the grandkids is the Dallas Zoo. It is always entertaining and fun because even if you’ve seen the animals before, they seem to always be doing something different. The zoo has a carousel which is a favorite with all the kids, young and old alike. Near the entrance, there are usually parrots sitting on some perches. Their bright colors start the day off right.
Then as you go passed the carousel, you arrive at the lemur area on your left. There are several different species of lemurs.
From there, you have to decide whether to go to the area with the larger animals, like elephants, giraffes, etc. or to the original area with the birds, monkeys, etc.
The last time we went, they were having a dinosaur exhibit in the older area. There is also a building that houses snakes, crocodiles, frogs and other reptiles. In the center court, there is a train ride for the smaller children. This area also has a stage where they host a show about different birds, a petting zoo and many other animals.
You enter the newer area by going through a tunnel that goes under a street to see the larger animals. These animals include gorillas, chimpanzies, elephants, giraffes, crocodiles, lions, etc. The last time we were there a female gorilla had had a baby. It was one of the first days that they were able to be seen outside. Another time, there was a baby elephant.
This area has recently opened a rhino area. There is also a monorail that gives you an overview of many of the areas of the zoo. However, the last several times that we have been, the monorail was not working. I don’t know the reason it was closed; or if or when it will reopen.
Another interesting attraction is the ability to feed the giraffes. You are able to get really upclose and personal with them. The following picture does not depict this encounter, just a giraffe.
Many evenings the zoo has special programs. I have only attended one of these, and it was around Christmas. They were supposed to have one million lights, and I believe that they did.
We have spent many enjoyable days at the zoo. It is a wonderful place for families to go for an outing.
Granny Shot It 