Impostor Cucumbers, a Menagerie, and a Disappearance

Happy Monday!

As you may know, the Castle vegetable garden has been growing by leaps and bounds. This year, I'm trying out a new to me plant called an, "Armenian Cucumber." I love cucumbers -especially a cucumber sandwich with a bit of butter!- but here's the thing; Armenian cucumbers aren't cucumbers at all. Seriously! 

First cultivated in Armenia in the 15th century, Armenian cucumbers (also called yard-long cucumbers) are actually not cucumbers at all – they are a ribbed variety of musk melon that tastes similar to a cucumber and looks like a cucumber inside. They are also high in vitamins A, C, and K, and potassium. - Growing in the Garden

They taste so sweet and delicious! Here's a picture of one I harvested this morning from the Castle garden

He went all curly at the top. As they get longer they get sweeter and taste like melons, but when they are shorter they can taste a bit more like a cucumber. This one is about 14" long. 

I also planted some San Marzano tomatoes. They are in pots, and let me tell you, they really like Black Kow manure.

Cross Stitch Update 

It's been a very productive week here at the Castle. First off, I published a new cross stitch chart with a nautical flavor to it. Click here to see that. 

Next is Paris Market: 

Steady progress with the 25/7 method is simple and rewarding! Don't those flowers look pretty? I got to use one stitch of that gorgeous yellow before I had to park it in the adjacent 10 x 10 block. When it says use green floss, you think that the multiple shades of green won't be visible unless you're right up close to the design. But once you start stitching, you realize how necessary that shading is. Wouldn't look the same without it. 

The dragons await:

That third dragon has appeared in no time flat! I like how it's belly is that garnet color but it's neck is a deep, dark red. That's the joy of stitching with variegated floss. Just a bit more to the right, and then it's on to the next band. From now on, I'll be calling this chart "Medieval Menagerie." Link to the chart by Fox and Rabbit Designs is here if you want to add it to your stash. 

Odds & Ends 

Ever heard of Louis Le Prince? If not, then maybe you know about this video:

Louis Le Prince did that. But who was he, and why is there such a mystery around him? 

As soon as he broke this fantastic new ground with his new moving picture invention, Louis Le Prince and his family were ecstatic to set up a showcase of Roundhay Garden Scene in their mansion in New York. But before they could, Le Prince had some matters to attend to in France and the U.K., one of them being to patent his new camera, and eventually boarded a train that he would not exit from ever again.

To answer the above question, though, there isn’t one. As of 2019, there’s no clear-cut answer, and at this point there probably will never be. Whatever happened to Louis Le Prince will forever join the Zodiac Killer and Jack the Ripper echelon of unsolvable mysteries. - William Hopson at Film Inquiry

So who was Le Prince, and why are there rumors swirling around about Thomas Edison being responsible for his disappearance? Read the whole thing here. 

Finish off with some Chopin. This is my favorite interpretation of my favorite nocturne: