My carpeted driveway out front is now largely weed free due to spraying with two gallons of food grade potassium chloride two weeks ago, and is stained using a concrete colorant of just iron oxide and water. I really like the new clean look. MUCH cheaper than buying a bunch of bags of red mulch that very likely contains arsenic, nickel and chromium compounds.

Hundreds of new blooms on my Scarlet Plum (Spondias purpurea) to replace the hundreds lost the night I had 30 degrees here. Most of the dropped blooms were on the north side of the tree.

About 10 years ago I had a strip of THIRSTY lawn in front of my front fence that needed constant mowing, so I covered it with carpet and mulch to turn it into a parking space. But over the years weeds have sprouted in the decaying mulch, plus Nut Sedge grew up right through the carpet. I won't use conventional herbicides on the problem. But a heavy spraying of food grade potassium chloride followed by light weeding of my front carpeted driveway seems to have worked (though I still see nut sedge!). I Googled and confirmed that most red mulch is heavy in arsenic, nickel and chromate, so tomorrow I am spraying this older tree mulch with iron oxide concrete stain for a nice color contrast. Both the potassium chloride (aka muriate of potash) and the iron should be good for the roses and papayas.

My dog Cracker got another 3 days of almost total relief from itching due to oak pollen after his 4th bag of Magic 8 Allergy tea mixed into 5 scrambled eggs and fried chicken. By starting earlier this year, a week after the catkins came out, I spared him tons of itching plus he got one sore the size of a nickel on his shoulder, which quickly healed vs.last year's horrible sores on his back. The oaks seem to be done flowering so I will watch and see if he needs a fifth....next spring I will start the tea as soon as the catkins form. I gave 2 bags to my new neighbor Zach southwest of me until he buys a box as prick tests show he is allergic to 30 kinds of pollen plus he just spent $300 on his dog Milo for allergy sores. He said each spring and fall here is hell for him as he is from Pennsylvania. I am SO glad for this tea I get at downtown's Oceanic Market! Four bags gave Cracker 2.5 weeks of relief.

Bad year for some folks and dogs for this allergy. It took some torn up Publix fried chicken and 5 scrambled eggs, but I got that 4th bag of Magic 8 Allergy Tea into Cracker today as he started to itch a little late yesterday, some today but not a lot. The oaks seem almost through blooming so this might be the last bag for him this year. Wonderful stuff! For him, like Sweety, a bag every 4th day gives him 99% relief

I'm trying this recipe.

http://livingtraditionally.com/3-ingredients-that-cure-clogged-arteries-fat-in-the-blood-infections-and-cold/

I love this rice I buy at south Tampa's DoBond Market!

http://twomenandalittlefarm.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-cook-red-cargo-rice.html

Luckily late yesterday I was able to get a third dose of tea of Magic 8 Allergy Tea into Cracker as he was itching up a storm.....he and I slept well all night.....him not itching to make the bed shake. From now on each year I start giving it to him as soon as the oak tree catkins open and he begins to itch to prevent skin sores that afflicted him the three previous springs. That stuff really works.

Truly spring here, so yesterday I stripped the bed, deodorized and vacuumed the mattress, then flip it over to reveal the new side and vacuumed it too, then applied light colored, light weight summer bedding. It might be psychological, but I felt the new side of the mattress gave me better support. I slept well and had a great many cool dreams with the box fan in the bedroom window bringing in cool air aimed right at me and Cracker.

Tuesday morning and Cracker is still enjoy relief from incessant scratching from oak pollen due to that first bag of Magic 8 Allergy Tea 3 days ago. It looks to work as good with him as it did for Sweety. Also, the lack of rain seems to be aiding my experiment of spraying my carpeted parking area out front with a strong solution of food grade potassium chloride from Lowe's water softener department...most broad leaf weeds seem dead though I see signs of life of nut sedge coming up from the carpet itself.

The Magic 8 Allergy Tea works as wonderfully for Cracker as it did for Sweety...he slept soundly last night (as did I since the bed was not shaking from his itching!). I had a wonderful dream....some friends and I plus Cracker were feasting in a very high end restaurant, and the waiters kept bringing plate scraps to Cracker in very elegant "dog bowls" made out of three live tulip plants growing on the side. With Sweety it took a tea bag every 3-4 days to keep her itch free while the oak trees were in bloom....I'll be curious what it takes for Cracker. That one sore spot the size of a nickel that had appeared on one of his shoulders is already healing. My black Honda is now COVERED in yellowish-white oak pollen! John

Here is a nice overview covering various aspects of Filipino cuisine. My gardens grow many of the ingredients.

http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/eat/40-delicious-filipino-dishes-157035

I will see I guess in 1-2 weeks just how well yesterday's afternoon spraying of a strong solution of food grade potassium chloride does on long term weed control, but this morning by 10 AM most of the Florida Pellitory and bidens were already VERY brown and wilted. IF this works this could be a cheap way to control weeds that HELPS the soil. I will keep people posted.

Even though years ago a neighborhood Filipino family, Joe and Margaret, had me over for a spectacular multi-course lunch, I know almost nothing about Filipino cuisine. I think both are from the southern end of the islands, but I gather that the nation includes many cultures and cuisines.

http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/eat/40-delicious-filipino-dishes-157035