New Plants + Bad Storms = Rough Start to Gardening

 It's time to place my seedlings in their permanent homes!

All of my veggies were stared from seeds this year. I had an excellent germination rate by combining the forces of the BioDome and Park Seed Co. quality seeds. Germination was so good, in fact, that I was able to plant everything that I wanted and I had a few extra plants to give to my mom.

I also cheated a bit. Many planting guides suggest putting 2-3 seeds in each hole and then thinning the plants when they get bigger. This seems like homicide! So this year I only planted 1-2 seeds per hole and did just fine. When cases allowed it, I preserved the plant I'd normally thin without hurting the plant I intended to keep.

Warning: this is kinda stupid and only recommended in situations where you can clearly see how to save both plants. If your sponge/starter kit looks like the bed below, just thin the plants and cut your loses!

The roots are too intertwined to separate. Just pinch off the plant you don't want!

If your sponge looks like the one below, with a clearly visible, isolated root system then you might give this little cheating method a try.

Don't kill me. Free me!

First, prepare a damp, empty sponge by cutting it open lengthwise. I used a sponge that had a seedling that didn't make it. (Cat problems.) Then gently cut the sponge to release the seedling that you would otherwise terminate. Slowly remove the seedling and its roots.

Insert the seedling into the open sponge, being sure to enclose the roots.

Gently pinch the sponge closed and insert it back into the BioDome with plenty of water. Let it mellow for at least a week to give it change to acclimate to its new home and reap the benefits of the controlled environment.

I waited two weeks and the plants did just fine! They were ready for transplant along with their brothers and sisters. I was only able to do this twice but that's two more food-bearing plants for my garden :)

The other transplants were less eventful, thinning the tomatoes and peppers so that only the strongest remained by the time that they reached their permanent homes in the soil.

I was fortunately enough to have my niece and her friend help me put the plants into the garden. It was nice to have little helpers, even if one little niece of mine was more fascinated with the wind through the trees than the garden.

Hey, that hat is fabulous. You wish you had one!

My fruit were a bit different. I started the strawberry plants from seeds but ordered my blueberries and blackberries as bare root plants. They looked like something out of an Aliens versus Predator movie, all gnarled, twisted and otherworldly. I swear, I walked by them everyday for about two weeks just waiting for them to do something.

In the beginning, the blackberry bare root plants look like measly sticks. 

Then they sprout thick, fuzzy-looking leaves like the red patch at the bottom right.

Then those weird fuzzy leaves turn into something normal looking like the ones above.

My blueberry bush came as a normal looking bush. It has taken well to its new home.

In any case, we got the plants in the ground just in time for thunderstorms and tornadoes to threaten everything. Yay! NOT. Many of my plants had been in the ground for two weeks but the most recent additions (some peppers) had only been in the ground for three days before "light showers" turned into thunderstorms and tornado warnings on my weather app.

We hadn't ordered our row covers yet so my husband and I got creative. Alejandro had been taking apart pallets for an upcycled table project. Fortunately, those planks were laying around to help us protect the seeds from heavy rains and winds. We created crossbars over the raised beds and then placed planks over the top to protect the plants from the direct impact of rain and wind. Water would still get through but fortunately it would be dispersed enough to avoid problems. The soil in the raised beds drained well by the next morning and the planks were easy enough to remove.

The planks were placed directly over the rows of new transplants.

See the little guys hiding out under there?

This way, the hard rainfall won't beat them into the ground.

For the raised beds with the Florida Weave frames, we just draped a tarp over those and anchored it with little bungee cords. (My husband and in-laws have some of the most helpful, random stuff around this house.)

Our garden got such a bad beat down last year. I am glad that we were able to spare them this time around.

The photos below were taken few days after the thunderstorms. Everyone is starting to perk up! We've had warm weather (high 70s to low 80s), so I've had to give them plenty of water each morning. I'll soon add mulch to keep the soil moist with less watering.

The chives are back this year! There are three that have returned and in between there are a few newbies popping up. (They're too small to see here.) Not sure how the newbies will do but the older plants are doing well. We also have TONS of wild chives in the backyard.

On the left are cilantro seedlings and to the right are the basil. They were slow to start from the Parks Seed Co herb tape but once they got going, they're doing well.  I think I'll thin them this weekend.They can get 6+ hours of sun on the patio but I sometimes give them shade on 80+ days. They need plenty of water.

Mixed variety lettuce in a container on my balcony. They were started from seeds and I clearly didn't do a good job spacing them, or one patch never grew. The plants are about two weeks old.  I water the container twice a day. They're getting healthier, soon ready to be thinned.

Spinach in container on my balcony, also about three weeks old. It's having a tougher time but doing better than last year. 

Here's a strawberry plant, also started from seed, in a container. This little guy will be less than 1' when fully grown. It's so fragile now! All the plants grown from seeds turned out that way.

This ultra compact cherry tomato plant was crafted for container gardening. It will be about 1' tall fully grown. The seeds I used for this plant and its three siblings were leftover Park Seed from last year and they're doing beautifully! I simply stored the leftover seeds in a Ziploc bag and left it in a cool, dry place over the winter.

These are bell pepper plants that my niece and her friend helped to plant. A few of these were started from seeds that I got last year. I cant' tell the difference between the new and old seeds! These plants have been in the ground for two weeks but were started indoors about six weeks ago. This photo was taken in the early morning but the plants get more sun throughout the day.

My indeterminate tomatoes are loving their home. Like the peppers, they got a head start indoors for six weeks before I planted them in the ground three weeks ago. Most are strong and tall (about 1'+) and are estimated to get four feet tall or taller.

This tomato plant is over 1' tall. He's starting to lean and will definitely need support. I'll start the Florida Weave on this row this weekend.

The plants in these little mounds are the beginnings of three cucumber plants. They're neighbors with the tomatoes. They are only about a week old, though, since I direct sowed them. They got a slow start during the cooler weather right before the storm and they're just now starting to show some spunk.  It's my first time growing cucumbers.

More sweet pepper plants! (The little white strips on the left are where I threw a few pieces of leftover herb tape, basil and cilantro, I think.) That far left row gets the least amount of sunlight, maybe 4-5 hours, so I'm not expecting the plants back there to get very large. 

The peppers grow more slowly than the tomatoes so they're shorter even through they were started indoors at the same time. The stalks are still getting quite strong and tall, 6"-10" now. They've grown several centimeters in the past few days since the storm!

These are extra tomato plants, ones that I didn't think would survive. They're coming up strong! I couldn't toss them out and my mom didn't want them so Alejandro had the idea to plant them in our compost holding cell. I just transplanted them today so we will see how they do!

Little Alley Steak, The Supreme Temptress

I've been so focused on gardening lately that I haven't done a travel or restaurant post. We've tried a few new places recently but nothing left an impression quite like Little Alley Steak in historic Roswell, GA. It's a character-changing experience.

Little Alley Steak is located on Canton Street, one of the few precious areas outside of Atlanta that offers pedestrian-friendly access to dozens of locally owned restaurants and shops. This is the perfect setting for Little Alley Steak, a small restaurant tucked amid several others, including sister restaurant Salt Factory.

I enjoyed the interior which is an arrangement of rustic brick, dark woods, and dim light bulbs that seemed to float in midair. Upon a closer look, you'll see that they're suspended from large butcher hooks, which is its own kind of cool.

There is little about bricks, wood, and sharp metal objects that spells romance but it's definitely a worthy date night location because of the service. Our waiter, who mentioned being new, was great. The manager stopped by our table and genuinely seemed interested in how things were going. We even had a chef pay us a visit; he noticed that my husband had just finished his beer so he retrieved another for him. There was none of that, "Well it isn't my job..." attitude. Everyone was kind, helpful, informative, and yet somehow they seemed to stay out of the way. Perfect combination for a date night.

Food

But you want to know about the food, right? What temptress seduced me back to the land of meat?

For starters, we ordered the Ahi Tuna Tartar. It was scrumptious, like, melt in your mouth tuna. The fun, frou-frou-modern accompaniments made the presentation better, though I would've been fine with traditional wasabi instead of foam. The only surprise is that you're supposed to eat it with a fork rather than toss it on top of some sort of cracker. But the tuna was so fresh and delicious that I can see why it was the star of its own show.

Image via Hunger Maps

And dinner? This gal, who thrives on a largely vegetable-based diet, was tempted--nay coerced by my own senses--into ordering a steak! I saw a few of them pass by our table on the way to other guests. They looked spectacular, presented in cast iron pans and then served with such finesse. I wanted a steak.

I ordered the smallest one there, an 8 oz Center Cut Filet and added on a side of Triple Cream Mac and Cheese Mascarpone with black truffle oil. My husband ordered the Ahi Tuna "fire grilled" with garlic spinach, fingerling potatoes, and yuzu-herb beurre blanc. No, we didn't know what that was, either, but I Googled it and beurre blanc is French for a butter and wine sauce. In English, it all translates to:

Bliss.

Every bite of every item that we ordered was delicious. I was looking for something to complain about since I'm always leery of restaurant reviews that seem too perfect but I don't have a single complaint. The steak was exactly what I wanted when I said, "medium." Tender, juicy, flavorful excellence. I've never had macaroni and cheese that was so creamy and delicious. The crunchy breadcrumbs (I think) on top just set it off.

I sampled my husband's dish and relished in that, too. The rare tuna was seasoned well enough to let the fish shine through without it just being a slab of sashimi. I can't go wrong with spinach but I appreciated that it was just wilted, kissed with salt and garlic, and not too oily. The fingerling potatoes could have been an entree in themselves.

As for the wine list, I've got no complaints there, either. They served Silver Oak, which I adore, though I didn't order it because it just wasn't that kind of night. Instead I enjoyed the Peter Freimuth Riesling. There is an interesting assortment of whiskeys for anyone who's into that. My husband found their beer list a bit lacking. He didn't suffer, though. He ordered and enjoyed a Chimay.

We were too stuffed for dessert but we will make room next time! And there will definitely be a next time.

Last but not least comes the pricing. It's old town Roswell. Little Alley Steaks imports its cuts from Meats by Linz in Chicago. It's pricier than the sort of place that I'd usually go on a random date night but I felt the experience, overall, was well worth it. My husband liked it so much that he even brought several executives there when they came to town. Cheers!

It's Spring! Last Minute Tips to Get Your Garden Ready

Welcome to Spring, the official beginning of terrific weather, sunshine and refreshing showers. The southeast has had an abnormally crappy winter (not that the midwest or northeast had it any better) and Spring couldn't come fast enough.

Some of you lost track of the calendar as one bleak, gray day blurred into another. Spring has caught you by surprise--you've got nothing done in your garden but it's not too late! If you start now, you've got plenty of time to get your garden ready for late spring and summer harvests.


It's not too late to start your seeds indoors. Several plants, especially peppers and tomatoes, do well if you start the seeds indoors in a controlled environment . Ideally, you should start 8-10 weeks before the last frost date. (The last frost date for Atlanta/ Zone 7 is listed anywhere between the end of March to the middle of April.) But there is still time! The southeast has a long growing season so you can still get an ample harvest even if you're falling a bit behind schedule.

You can buy a starter kit, which I did this year. I still recommend DIY seed starters to conserve resources. Recycle small plastic containers like yogurt cups, strawberry pints, or the little black containers that plants come in at home supply stores. Just be sure to select a plastic that is easy to cut through when it's time to transplant the seedlings. Also be sure that there is a hole in the bottom for drainage.

Next, fill your container with Fox Farms Light Warrior Seed Starter. It's the best seed starter that I've used, hands down. It's ultra light, making it easy for little sprouts to push through. The material holds the right amount of moisture so you don't have to water  it every day and risk water-logging your seeds. Lastly, it's got good nutrients to give your plants a healthy head start.

I started my seeds in recycled containers filled with Light Warrior and a Bio Dome by Park Seed Co. Both are on top of a heating pad. I put the dome from Park over the seeds in the recycled containers since I started those later and they need  the warmth for a little boost :)

Once your seeds are sown according to their instructions, find a sunny spot near a window and be patient. Lacking sunlight or patience? Put your seed starters over a heating pad or heating blanket. Set the temperature between 65-80 degrees, depending on what you're growing and how much light is available to naturally heat the soil. The additional heat will jump start germination. Even if you have a sunny spot, you can use the pad in the early morning and late evening to prolong the soil's warmth.

Prepare your outdoor soil for direct sowing. Ideally, you'd have your native soil tested in the winter so that you know exactly what your soil needs. Soil testing through a local university extension takes several weeks. Oops. Too late for that. There are ways to work around it.

You can buy a home testing kit for your native soil at a garden supply store or online (expedite the shipping). Those tests can be completed in a day. I recommend working with native soil (at least in part) for gardeners who are working with large spaces since this method can be most cost effective.

The second option is to start a raised bed or container garden. Fill your bed with store-bought garden soil and fertilizers. Bagged soil has its nutrient composition on the outside of the bag so that you know what you're dealing with already. I recommend this for smaller garden spaces simply because store-brought soil can be quite costly.

A few of my pots, cleaned and ready to go!
My faves are the rustic cauldrons, a gift from my mom.

Are your tools ready for use? Do a walk-through of your garden and gear:

• Check hoses and nozzles for drips, gaps, and other damage that could have occurred during the winter. 
• Sharpen your metal tools--it makes weeding and digging so much easier. 
• Buy your plant supports now since you'll want those in place soon after you transplant the seedlings; if you wait until the plants need the supports, you run the risk of damaging the root system when you shove the support into the ground. 
• If you let soil sit in your planters and pots over winter, dump it out and sterilize the vessel. (A simple clean with warm soapy water will do. Rinse well and let it dry.) Some diseases, bacteria, and harmful pests can overwinter in containers. It's best to start fresh when you can.

Full of Crap: Manure Types for Organic Gardening

This post is all about poop! Using manure as fertilizer is simply a part of composting and organic gardening. Below is a bit that I've learned on different manure options and their benefits/disadvantages. Hopefully this little guide will be helpful!

Please note: Never scoop anything out of an animal's butt and toss it on your edible plants. Ever. All manures should be properly aged and composted, or at least heat treated before use. These methods will prevent the passing of harmful pathogens and parasites. Farm on!

Via Forest Edge

Earthworm Castings Worm castings are one of my absolute favorite soil amendments. It's great for novice gardeners because it's idiot proof: castings don't burn plants in high quantities so there is no need to measure carefully before applying. They don't need to be composted or heat treated. Worm castings are high in macro and micro-nutrients and they stimulate good microbial growth. The only downside is that it's hard to get worms to generate enough poo to fuel a large garden or farm! 

There are low cost castings, like Wiggle Worm, which are created by mixing castings from various sources. Some say this leads to inconsistency in the product but, at the end of the day, it's a decent quality for the price. 

Higher quality castings like Worm Power and Sungro Horticulture Black Gold can be very expensive. You'll get more for your buck by making casting "tea." It's a good way to distribute the dense nutrients over a larger space. 

It's also a good idea to buy your own earthworms and let them do their thing. You have precise control over what they're fed and thus the quality of castings they produce. Earthworms multiple like crazy, making them a worthwhile investment. These critters are all around a good, long-term solution for improving your soil.

Via Chicken Lover Life

Chicken Manure This is arguably the second best option to worm castings. It can be stellar for Georgia clay since many chickens are juiced-up on calcium to make their stronger eggs; this calcium is then passed through their manure and into the clay, helping to break it up.

The downside is that bird manures tend to have relatively high nitrogen content, which can burn seedlings. If using fresh manure, compost it with other organic matter, give it at least three months to mellow, and ration the mixture to mature plants. Or buy prepackaged products like Chickity Doo Doo Organic Fertilizer.

Via Happy Cow Caramels

Cow Manure This is a popular option, readily available at most home and garden supply stores or anywhere within 30  miles of a farm. It's plentiful and therefore quite cost effective. 

Downside: it's relatively low in nutrients. Cows do some serious digestion work on everything that they put in their mouths, so there are fewer nutrients remaining in their manure. Thus fewer nutrients get to your soil. It's still a good option, though, and it won't burn plants. 

Fresh cow manure can be dangerous, not just because of its smell. It can hold a cesspool of nastiness (especially if you aren't familiar with the cows' livelihood) so be sure to heat treat or compost cow manure before applying it to your edible garden.

I couldn't find a widely revered cow manure to suggest; so many gardeners and farmers recommend buying local. We've used Moo-nure in the past and were quite satisfied.

Via iStock

Horse Manure Of all pooping animals, horses are probably my favorite BUT their manure isn't the best option. I daresay it's not even a good option. 

Horse dung can be full of weeds, since seeds aren't broken down in a horse's digestive tract. Many horses are given dewormers. Remnants of the drug are passed through the excrement, which will kill earthworms that are beneficial for your garden and compost bin. Grazing fields are also treated with herbicides to prevent the growth of thistle; this herbicide lingers in the soil after the manure has been applied, damaging a variety of plants including garden favorites like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, many herbs and flowers, and legumes. Lastly, horse manure is rich with magnesium, which is great for short term applications but over time, a build up of magnesium can cause stunted growth in plants. 

So basically, love the horses and leave their poop alone. At least for edible gardens, anyway...

 Got questions about manure for gardening? Let me know and I'll do my best to find an answer for you!

Spring Garden 2014: Bring it.

Spring is near! The chilly, gray weather outside of my window isn't too promising but unless the globe comes screeching to a halt, spring is indeed on its way. Time to revamp the vegetable gardens!

There are a few things that we're doing differently this year.

• Wooden raised beds in the old garden and adding a new raised bed near our garage
• Improving soil composition
• Focusing on the health and strength of seedlings
• Adding fruit to garden
 

 

So...we've got some work to do.

Raised Bed Plans, Phase I and II

Our 4' x 16' bed frames, on their sides

Last year, we started raised beds made of compacted clay. Fail. This season, we're building proper raised beds out of wood. These won't get washed away and they look prettier. We're also hoping that raised beds and better soil composition will promote better drainage and root health.

We will have two main raised beds that are 4'x16'. Those two will be 1' deep. We're also adding an L-shaped raised bed near the garage that has 8' and 10' legs, each 2' wide. One leg of the L is 1.5 feet deep and the other leg is 1', just for aesthetic purposes.

Though the frames could fit through our basement door, we had to cut the 4'x16's in half so that I could help carry them out. (All the working out in the world hasn't enabled me to lift something like that!) It turned out to be a great decision; they were easier to carry and my husband had the splendid idea to terrace two levels of one bed. That bed fits into the natural landscape better that way.

Original garden during winter, 3 rows. The plastic garden trim prevented the garden soil from washing away during our rough fall and winter storms. That plastic will be repurposed for the flower gardens (mostly buried as a border). We will reposition the deer fencing later.

We created two large rows instead of three small ones. The row closest to the house barely got any sun, anyway. This design also allows for 3 large walking aisles. In this photo, we added the first raised bed, moved the compost bin closer, and added a compost mixing box.

Two beds installed, along with supports for tomatos.

Almost done! Just need to add sisal rope for Florida Weave tomato support system.

This used to be a flat grassy area near the garage. It gets tons of sun so we added two raised beds for growing space.

Filling the Garden Beds

The native clay sucks. The first problem is that it is acidic, hard, clumpy clay. The second problem is that there are TONS of rocks in it, even after the hand sorting that we did last year. My husband made two sifters that we will use to get the rocks out and break up the clay. This will help us to evenly integrate the soil amendments.

The sifted clay will be mixed with homemade organic compost, cow and chicken manure, lime, Fox Farm Happy Frog Soil Conditioner and a bit of Ocean Forest Garden Soil, and Miracle Grow Organic Choice garden soil. To estimate, the soil will be 40% clay and 60% good stuff. We will leave 1"-2" at the top of each bed for light mulch.

Starting the Seeds

Last year, I did it all wrong. I started the seeds in native clay, blended with a smidgen of potting mix. Most seedlings developed but they were weak. Between flash floods, weeks of drought and scorching temperatures most plants struggled to survive. Only my bell peppers and tomatoes produced anything worth talking about.

This year, I brought a Bio Dome to start the seeds. There are a few cheaper styles out there but since I'm starting seeds in full view of my kitchenette, I wanted something that looked nice. Once the seedlings can be hardened off, transporting the Bio Dome outside will be a lot easier that moving all the tiny recycled plastic cups that I had last year. (I didn't have a rolling table.) I loved the idea of using recycled materials but the convenience and aesthetics of the dome won.

Giving the seeds a good start in the BioDome sponges should help strengthen them until I learn to master my own seedling starter mix.

Garden Layout

I don't have much diversity. This season, I'm aiming to master a few things, especially peppers. For one, I love them. Secondly, organic peppers are expensive so growing our own makes sense ($3-$4 each at Kroger. Ew!) The spring/summer garden will contain:

• Marketmore Organic Cucumbers
• Mater Sandwich Organic Tomatoes
• Moneymaker Organic Tomatoes
• Sweet N' Neat Hybrid Cherry Tomatoes
• Carmen Hybrid Red Pepper
• Cayenne Blend Organic Peppers
• Sweet Rainbow Blend Peppers
• Strawberry Rainbow Treasure 
• Hull Blackberry Shrub
• Sunshine Blueberry Bush
• Organic Chives
• Organic Basil
• Organic Cilantro
• Organic Parlsey
• Organic Dill
• Organic Garlic
• Spinach and lettuce

Most will be grown in the raised beds, though the leafy greens, herbs, and strawberries will be grown in containers on the patio.

Our ROI

This year, I'm keeping track of how much we spend on the garden updates. I'm going to compare that against this year's yields, pricing out each harvest as if I'd brought it at Kroger. This will give me an idea of how quickly the garden will pay for itself.

So far, we've already saved money by DIYing the garden. We created 164 square feet of garden space, a compost mixing box, and two sifters. We spent $550 on building materials. We spent $165 on soil, seeds, and fertilizer. DIY Total is $715.

Home Depot sells a 80sq. ft raised garden frame for $285. Buying our square footage in garden space would be $570. Add 4 coated galvanized steel tomato and that's $28. (Not exactly comparable.) Buying our raised beds and cages would be $598. 4'x4' wooden frame for compost mixing would be $40. Two metal sifters would cost $302! (Ridiculous.) Add $165 for soil, fertilizer, and seeds. Store-bought Total: $1,105

On the surface, we saved $390. That's enough to make me happy. But upon closer look, I think we got an even bigger value. Our tomato cages will last longer than the flimsy wire ones from the store. Our sifters are larger, of higher quality, and attach to our wheelbarrow. (They will get plenty of use--going to do flower gardens in the front and back yards.) We got to customize the style and dimensions of our beds. Lastly and most importantly, my husband had a great time playing with his toys :) I couldn't be prouder.

And...we're ready for spring!

Lamanai Ruins and River Safari

The day of our Lamanai Ruins tour didn't look too promising. The temperatures were in the low 70s, which isn't bad until the wind and cloud cover were factored in. We left the Jewel with a backpack stuffed with rain gear, light jackets, and anything else we would need might the weather change for the worse.

We took a small ferry across the choppy waters to the port. If that wasn't stomach churning enough, we then hopped on a Cold War era Grayhound bus. I was expecting it to break down the entire time but it didn't. Captain Chino (yes, that's what he wanted us to call him) handled the details well and got us safely to our destination.

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The first stop was a small, open-air restaurant that overlooked a small lake. We channeled through the restaurant and loaded onto a speedboat. There were a few older couples who were surprised that this was a speedboat tour--they were thinking a river cruise ship--so the cold winds, cramped quarters and lack of cocktails took them by surprise.

During the river safari, Captain Chino pointed out numerous plants and trees. That's interesting and everything but I was most excited about the animals! We spotted a few bird species, two iguanas chillin' in the trees, and a monkey. He was my absolute favorite.

Mr. Monkey had an agenda. I think he knew that the tourist come through that way because he was sitting on a low branch waiting on us. The skipper from the boat ahead of us handed him some fruit and the little monkey paused for his photo op. He was adorable though not as wild as I would have thought.

After a 40 minute ride through the winding channels of New River, we reached the Lamanai Visitors Center. It serves as a gateway to the three major points of interest in the Lamani complex. The first is the Jaguar Temple, which I think was the prettiest. The worn, moss-covered rocks were beautiful. I later learned that most of this temple is still underground. If fully excavated, it would be the tallest temple in the complex. (So dig it up already!) Only downside: I could've lived without the cheesy growling jaguar sounds looping from speakers.

Next came High Temple at Lamanai, the submerged crocodile. It's nearly 10 stories high and is the best excavated of the three. It's the one that most tourist want to climb. Once at the top, we were rewarded with stunning view of the New River, nearby lagoon, and lush jungle.

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The stairs are incredibly steep and narrow, so many people crawled up like spiders and came down sideways. There was one older woman who slid down step-by-step on her butt, which was funny, and incredibly smart for anyone with weak knees.

The last stop on the tour was the Masks Temple, which is tiny compared to the other two but it has the best preserved mask carvings on either side. They're about 8' tall, I think, and quite fascinating.

I don't have any photos of the ride back because it started to rain the second that we got on the speedboat. It was the longest, wettest, coldest boa tride that I've ever had in my life. So worth it! The ruins were beautiful and really spoke to the skill of the Mayans. They were inspirational for a book that I'm working on and the images will stay with me forever.