Yikes for Florida's avocados!

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs379

I heard of this on FaceBook where I saw terrible pictures of people's Tampa area trees succumbing quickly. I don't think my 15 year old seedling has it but is worrisome....rapid leaf loss and many/most branch dips are very dead....each foot long tip looks very dead, black as if hit by a blow torch.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7543464&page=1

I had to use my zoom lens to capture some of the red passionfruits on the vine now covering my huge Muntingia calabura tree whose tiny fruit taste like a mix of cotton candy and ripe watermelon.

Thanks to Josh Jamison for sharing on FaceBook this grand overview of Agroforestry!

http://library.uniteddiversity.coop/Permaculture/Agroforestry/Tropical_Homegardens-A_Time_Tested_Example_of_Sustainable_Agroforestry.pdf

I bought as usual a 'Caribbean Red' papaya from Publix in March, ate the flesh, and planted the seeds...and for a LONG time nothing happened. But now daily more and more seedlings are emerging to make a virtual "sod" in their pot! I will have tons to plant and share here.

I am down to two chickens and one rooster but I am still getting so many eggs. Lunch today was one half of a three egg omelet with garlic, chopped yellow onion and fresh arugula, salt and pepper, and several small chunks of brie. Life is good at Starnesland!

My giant version of this cornbread turned out wonderful in my new cast iron skillet. I sort of followed the recipe link below, (used a coffee mug vs. a measuring cup) but I used shredded cheddar vs. cottage cheese, half and half instead of broccoli drainings, a small pinch of garlic powder, used less salt and sugar, added a teaspoon of food grade diatomaceous earth for dietary silica, and used aluminum-free baking powder. I used "Bob's Coarse Grind Cornmeal" (yellow) instead of fine, and let the dough sit in the mixing pot for 45 minutes for the cornmeal grains to hydrate before putting it in my huge Lodge cast iron 3.5 quart skillet for baking. The texture and taste is wonderful....THE best cornbread I've ever tasted. This is my second batch of cornbread in my life.....I will never make plain again! I can see why the recipe said to leave it in the oven when baking is "done" for 20 more minutes....the residual heat adds to the browning.

http://sweetsavant.com/2015/07/29/vidalia-onion-upside-down-broccoli-cornbread/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=socialnetwork