Tikal - Mr. Chocolate's Temple

While visiting my daughter in the country of Guatemala recently, we had the opportunity to visit the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal in the thick jungle of El Petén.  This is the oldest and most impressive ruins in Guatemala, having been inhabited from about 800 BC to 900 AD.  Each King built his own personal temple, so there are many structures (supposedly more than 4000), not all of which have been uncovered.  Unearthing this civilization from the dense jungle that has grown over it is a huge work in process.

This is the Temple of the Great Jaguar, or Temple I (so named because it was the first one uncovered, but not the first one built).  Rising over the canopy of the jungle, it stands over 150 feet tall, and was built about 700 AD for Ah Cacao, whose tomb was discovered inside.  Ah Cacao has been nicknamed Lord Chocolate, I am guessing because of the similarity of his name with cocoa, but I could be wrong.

Karen (a friend from work who joined us for a week), myself & Bethany

We are standing on top of the Temple of the Masks, or Temple II, also constructed about 700 AD by Lord Chocolate for his wife, which is directly across the the Great Plaza from his own temple.

Temple of the Masks (for Mrs Chocolate), standing about 120 feet high

This is the Great Plaza, with the lower part of Lord Chocolate's Temple to the right, and his wife's to the left, out of the picture frame.  We are standing on structures on the south end of the plaza looking to the north side.  Everywhere one finds the structures that appear to be tombs, but in reality are biographical head stones of different important people, with a round sacrificial platform in front of it. Mayan pictographs tell the story of each one. Under those thatched roofs of the middle tier, archaeologists are at work restoring the faces of  two important gods of the Mayans:

Cha ak, the rain god

Kinich ah Hau, the sun god

Directly below us is the sports court.  This is where they play a ball game, trying to bounce it through hoops placed on both sides of the wall.  The winners had the privilege of being killed in sacrifice to the gods!  Not sure I would put much effort into that game!

Summer's Cloak

Soaking up the final summer rays of sun on the soft, bright yellow petals of a Black-eyed Susan :-}  Oh, the luxurious life of the eensy weensy spider...........

A Curse and a Blessing - The Blackberry!

"Picking wild berries is the sweetest and best of our vagrant summer pleasures." ~ Jager

Though we expend much of our summer energy battling back the 3 different varieties of wild blackberries common to the Pacific Northwest, come Fall when we pick the deep purple, succulent berries, the struggles, backaches and bright red scratches all fade from our memory.

The whitish-pink blossoms turn to seed and the berry starts to form.

They turn from bright green to a reddish hue.

Finally, as the sun ripens and sweetens the berries, they deepen to a dark purple, almost black color.

They are ready for the pickin'!

We have had pies, cobblers and crisps from these jewels this fall!  What is it about free berries that make them all the more tempting and delicious?!?!

Gathering of Summer

Hollyhocks are another favorite of mine, stirring up feelings of nostalgia in me, I suppose from different children's books or perhaps gardening ones. Can you see the busy bee gathering pollen?

Here is a closer peek at the buzzing bumble bee!  It hit the jackpot with this flower!

Polpette ala Florentine

A friend shared her recipe for her amazing meatballs with me the other day.  And oh my.  Yes sir, they were delicious!

Here are just a few of the ingredients that went into them.  Onions, basil and parsley all picked fresh from the garden. I totally meant to snap a few photos along the way, but......... well, I forgot.  Hello! Anybody home in that head of mine anymore?!?!?!

I did, however, remember to snap a shot before I dove into them.  At the last minute.  But I remembered, none-the-less.  Big, hearty meatballs cooked in a freshly made tomato-wine sauce and served over fresh noodles smothered in browned sage-butter.  Low fat.  Honest!  Okay, so we over-indulged, but it was way worth it :-)

Garden Bouquet

New Family Addition

Almost 2 years old, Zeke comes to us from my sister who needed to find a new home for him.  He is large for a Rat Terrier, weighing in somewhere in the 30+ lb. range.  Full of bounding energy, I do believe he is the happiest dog we have ever owned!  Exceptionally smart and wanting to please us at every turn, he shadows us both inside and outside.  Thank you for this new friend, Sis.  I know it was hard for you to let him go......