Flower Garden Blooms

I thought I would share some new blooms in the flower gardens today.  Some are not looking great, while others are.  I'm sure it'll all look great after a dose of Mother Nature's rain water.

Journal Junkie at it again and other tidbits

I added this journal to my bookshelf.  Now I can write down steps as I create new items without a pattern.  I have a few Christmas ornaments, and now another new item (nothing spectacular), but it will make it easy to write as I stitch too.

Snap peas are coming on and I picked a handful for snacking.  Soon after this next rain, I should be eating some for meals and freezing some for meals.  

Nothing new going on really.  I spent the entire day doing laundry, now that the washing machine has been fixed, but watered the heck out of the garden.  Weeding resumes today, along with lots of other things, including errands.  Hubby's work gave them today off (new day off for a "holiday" which most likely occurred due to today's crazy times).

I hope to get some photos of my younger hens soon.  There is one that is almost all gray and she is absolutely gorgeous.  I have yet to introduce them to the older hens (still quite young to do that).

Dip Time! ~ Tidbits

Finally!  I made this delicious Garlic Scape-Radish Spread.  We love this, along with radish hashbrowns.  I really should plant 3 rows vs. 2.  Yummo.

We are struggling with lack of rain again.  Weeding daily.

Good news is coming (I hope) about a car for daughter, and a treadmill for me.  Hubby already installed the new washing machine part - laundry will be going strong today.  Woohoo to that!

Oh, and that stray with kittens?  We now visibly see 3 kittens.  She had them under the house (oye) and now they are all out in the old barn rubble.  Hubby said he saw them playing in a tree.  Time will tell if there are more and when it's okay to trap them and find them all a new home.

Exhausted!

The radishes are starting to develop.  Super excited to harvest even a little bit yesterday.  My first day back to reality was exhausting (with a capital "E").  Oh my.  I am weeding the beets and it's not fun.  I really hope we can build a few raised beds for parsnips and beets (and maybe carrots) next year.  It's such a pain in the butt to maintain.

Sitting on the porch early evening, I watched a man walk from one end of the crop field across the road, to the other.  Not sure what he was doing, but when he reached the other side, he bent over to do something in one area.  He then walked all the way back.  Looking for arrow heads, planting marijuana seeds or picking something.  It was strange for sure.

I brought in 10 eggs yesterday morning.  So excited to see that too.  Don't mind my Christmas towel.  I'm still waiting on the washing machine part.  Hopefully the part comes in today and Hubby won't be too tired to install it tonight.

My goal today is to get my spearmint planted, and possible summer savory.  I have yet to do that, as I spent the greater part of the day out in the garden.

Our fair is a go this year, but with many things closed, no rides, no milkshake stand, no homemade foods at all....basically 4-H animals.  Same price to enter, but I'm sure most people won't bother to go.  We won't be.   Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is a go this Sept.  We won't have time to go due to vacation days, but if Ohio Bike week happens in Sept, we do plan to go.

The "Big City" is making changes.  Meijer removed the X's on the floors and Wal-mart removed some barriers.

The "Big City" is planning a "bash" again this coming Sept.  It will be set up in a mall parking lot, so people can do drive thru if they prefer.  Not sure if they will allow homemade foods, but I'm considering doing it for some handiwork sales.  September will be busy, so I'm just not committed yet, but it's free to vendors.  

I'm getting frustrated with the car situation.  I can't get a vehicle to go buy stamps (only open 2 hours of the day) and can't get one to get groceries, pick up strawberries, visit Mom....I'm pushing Hubby to help one daughter get a car first, then mine replaced.  His hours are later this week again and it really messes up our free time to get stuff done.

Well, I better get this posted and get out to the garden.  I have a ton of things that need done inside too.  

Island Time!

We took a hiatus from life and went to the island for the weekend.  Where we are off grid most of the time (love it that way too), and where it was the most normal of normal life.  Peaceful, no protesting,  no rioting, stores open, campground open, beaches open, golf cart rentals going, winery was absolutely packed (they put outside tables all over the property), live music at all our favorite stops, and beautiful scenery.

It's not cheap to eat and drink over there however.  One glass of sangria at the winery is $7.00 and a pitcher $21.00.  We went out for Breakfast one morning and it cost us $70 for the 4 of us.  We packed a lot of food, so we ate at our rental and grilled.  We also brought our own adult beverage.  Breakfast out was biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and a slice of watermelon (and the biscuits and gravy sadly were the worst we have ever had).

We got to stay an extra night.  Oh darn, lol!  Winds were bad on Sunday and the ferry shutdown after about 9:30am.  We had just got in line, but went back to our lodging and we were allowed to stay another night.  No one would be coming over anyway, so most people had a place to stay.  

Monday however, they ran one ferry.  We got in line and were told 4-5 hours.  An hour later they had 3 ferries running and 2 hours later we were back on the mainland.

I wasn't worried.  I have a crochet project and a pack of cards.  The girls played cards in the back of the truck while we waited.  Some people got out and had a picnic in the grass with their family.  We were all patient, except for the store workers in the marina store at the ferry.  They were furious (and very rude) with the onslaught of sales while we all waiting.  By the way, we had access to public restrooms, a restaurant and store at the marina where the ferry pulls in.  It all worked out.

Lots of wild life over there too.  Saw many deer, raccoons, rabbits and lots of birds, including Boston orioles.

The island has an eagle nest too.  They have 3 babies in the nest.  So cool!

Upon arrival home, our mailbox was bashed in with what we believe was a baseball bat.  We have a USA flag cover on it, and feel it was because of that and a lot of vandalism in an neighboring town (someone on a 4 wheeler at night).  They also stole one of my nice solar lights I had in a flower pot (which has glass panels on it).  I'm so mad about it, so we will be adding more security cameras.  Next time we go away, we'll have a house sitter too.  We had someone come to feed animals, but they we will hire someone to stay the night from now on.  

I already want to go back to the island....vandalism at our home, news, media, more protesting, vandalism nearby, stupidity regarding flying our America flag (by the way our flag pole was laying in the bushes, and it appears the flag pole holder was beat off the porch post).  I have another place to put it up today, and I dare them to come back and beat it down again.  America is not the land of freedom any longer.  It's home of a bunch of idiots and other words I can't put on this post.

On top of dealing with that, the washer drain pump broke the night before we left.  The new pump arrives tomorrow.  No laundry today.  On top of that...yes there is more...we have 2 vehicles and 3 people working today.  Hubby took the Harley to work.  My car is done.  He drove it last night and said, "it's done."  We will be car shopping in a hurry this week.  If it rains, we are in a huge pickle.

The septic guy came Monday.  I had to find a location on the island to get a signal to call and explain our situation and where to locate the septic.  Got home and found he located it and emptied it.  That is off the to-do list now.

Deer have located our tomatoes and ate the tops off some and most of the others down to the quick.  It could be the year of no tomatoes again. I am walking the dogs around the back of the homestead to leave scent and keep the deer off.  In all the years we've lived here, we've never had a problem with the deer (other than the eat pears, but always leave plenty for us).

So, while we got a weekend of rest, we are back to one big headache here on the homestead.  I'm so tired of the way Americans are acting right now, tired of the media, news, and now this vandalism that happened on our very own property.  It's time to get the back stop up and some shooting practice going. If things continue like the are, we'll need the practice.

I hope you enjoyed my weekend retreat photos.  I'm about to go take a peek at the tomatoes and get my late day started.

It Arrived! ~ Restocked Lip Balm ~ Woodpecker ~ Feverfew

Finally!  After 2 1/2 months, my pressure canner has arrived.  We are still waiting on about 3-4 more orders from months ago.

I accidentally made the first batch Calendula (because I was reading my recipe.  I re-wrote it now, so I reads "Lemon Balm Oil" as well.  I have to put the lemon balm in tubes, so I can take them on motorcycle rides.  The slide trays work at home though.  Not sure where I got my recipe.

\Red bellied woodpecker?

My feverfew bloomed for the first time ever!

We got a 10 minute rain storm late evening.  Thankful for the rain.  However, all day they kept saying an all night threatening storm.  I stripped my porch, took hanging pots down etc.  Now I have to put it all back.  All for 10 minutes of rain.  No 70mph winds they kept saying we'd have.  Oh, and no tornadoes.

Garlic Scapes ~ Tidbits

Guess what is ready already?  My garlic scapes.  First time it's ever been ready before the radishes were ready to harvest.

Dinner last night - apples, cranberries, pecans and chicken were added when we ate.  There is blue cheese in there.   So good for a hot day.  We hit a heat index of 101°F yesterday.  Then the temperature started to go down.

Does anyone know what this flower is called?  It's not bluebells.  The flowers are upward.  I moved them from the last home and they are still blooming.  My blue daisy plant died sadly.  

We got some rain last night and we hope to get some today, but it may come with storms.  I'm thankful, as I do not have to water again.  

New carnation for the flower bed.  I'll plant it this morning.

We now have spotted 2 kittens, but Romeo scared them and poof, they went under the house so that will be watched today.  I see Momma is hanging around, so hopefully she'll call them back out.  It will definitely be hot under there.