Thursday, September 16, 2021

My husband enjoys gardening, not so much the tending of plants as the exploration of plants that might grow in our environment. Besides garlic, asparagus, onions, yams and potatoes, he has several grape vines (both for wine and for eating) and a few fruit trees. We have apple, pear, plum, and apricot trees that can survive in our grow zone, which seems to straddle zones 3 and 4.

Gardeners will know that many plants and trees are simply not sturdy enough for Minnesota winters, but Mark remains optimistic, constantly searching for what will work here. In his research, he often comes across something intriguing, something to pursue. The most recent example is the Pawpaw tree, a fruit tree that is indigenous to the United States, primarily in a band from the mid-Atlantic states to the bottom half of the mid-Western states, notably far south of Minnesota. The tree bears a fruit that has been described as a cross between a mango and a banana. The fruit doesn’t travel well, so is rarely available outside of that area or at any other time of year than now.

We haven’t had the opportunity to try this intriguing plant, so we are heading to Frederick, Maryland, for their 6th Annual PawPaw Fest!! in a few days

We flew to Baltimore today, our first flight in over a year and a half. I’m surprised we still knew where to go and what to do. The flight crew were all very welcoming, even acknowledging the length of time since our last flight. We kept our masks on, and found that, although a little inconvenient, it really wasn’t onerous.

We’ll spend a little time checking out some of the sights in this beautiful city before heading to PawPaw country.. Our hotel is conveniently located near the waterfront, and just a few blocks from the National Aquarium and Marine Mammal Pavilion.

While taking a short walk in the afternoon, I came across The Inner Harbor Water Wheel, aka Mr. Trash Wheel, one of two such waterwheels that were designed to remove trash from the harbor. As water flows through a raking system that diverts the trash to the wheel, which pulls it up a conveyor belt, and dumps it into a dumpster barge. Pretty cool!

Mostly we relaxed after a long travel day. Dinner tonight was at McCormick & Schmick’s on the Waterfront. We were joined by a cousin, and had a fabulous evening, with good company, good wine and good food.