Early August

Occasionally I use this blog as a way to note the passing of time and what's up now. If you are looking for a recipe, check out older posts, O.K.?

Let's start with the garden. This year I had knee problems about the time when I would be weeding and getting the garden ready for planting, so none of that happened. The best I could do was to fill three planters with potting soil and then plant one with purchased zucchini plants, one with a purchased tomato plant, and one with cucumber seeds. Later I planted a basil plant from the grocery store and it is very happy.

Because the rain and chilly nights lasted into late April, by the time that I went looking for my favorite tomato as a seedling, the Black Krim, I discovered that it was sold out. This year, instead, we're trying a Russian tomato that is supposed to be similar. So far it's producing tomatoes, but they seem to be golf ball size and are no getting any bigger. They're still green since the plant went in so late. Let's hope that they taste good!

The zucchini hasn't enjoyed the hot summer we've been having, so we've only gotten three mature zucchini. In general there aren't a lot of flowers and most of them are male ones. I recently gave all three pots a good dose of fertilizer, so I'm hoping for improved zucchini production soon.

The happiest plants are the cucumbers. They look good and are growing higher each day. I have a number of bamboo stakes for them to attach to, so I think they will continue to climb. There are lots of flowers, both male and female. So far I've harvested two cucumbers, each about 5 inches long. There should be a lot more soon. (The three in the photo above were harvested after this post was written...they are delicious!)

The lilies have been really lovely this year. We had terra cotta Asiatics, orange day lilies, white and lilac Fortnight lilies (just above this paragraph), and now have some pink and white Asiatics with curving petals (first photo at top). With luck in a few days we'll have my favorites, the peach colored ones. The roses have also been lovely. I really am smitten with this Just Joey peachy one. It was a gift five years ago from brother Jim (below).

Because Charlie's back went out in early May (the drive to and from the Lake Tahoe wedding was no kind to his back), he has not been doing any projects beyond a couple of times using the ride-on mower to keep the grass trimmed. Fortunately our neighbor Bryan has come over at least four times this season with his electric ride-on mower and mowed around the house and around the farmhouse. When they were here in late June, Aaron and Raine used the weed eaters to take care of areas that can't be mowed, so we are in pretty good shape as far as the grass and weed trimming go.

Last week Charlie was feeling much better and did a repair on the window sill in the kitchen fixed window. It looks wonderful and is much sturdier!

I was mildly depressed (feeling blue) for much of May, June, and part of July. I had little interest in my usual pursuits, including watercolor painting, gardening, cooking and baking, sewing, etc. Mostly I just read books and tried to convince myself to go on walks. Fortunately by mid-July I was seeing a good therapist who helped and now I'm pretty much back to my usual positive and interested self.

Our favorite neighbors are having their own trials, too, including COVID for the nearest neighbors, some eye issues by another and hospitalization and bedrest for another. Between that and the heat this summer and my blues, we haven't spent much time with any of them despite some attempts. Hoping that soon we can have porch time with them and enjoy the back deck, too.

On the positive side, I very much enjoyed the visit from the Redmond crew, and the extra time with Raine, followed a few weeks later by a trip to Redmond where we hung out feeding blue jays, saw a black tailed Western weasel on the fence, twice, and watched Raine play basketball (photo above has him in uniform), plus an enjoyable lunch at a nearby winery, 

followed by a visit to a beautiful garden. The backyard at the Redmond house is such a peaceful place to hang out and they have it sheltered by both a shade structure and curtains, so it can be used year round, heated in the cooler months with a fire pit (photo below).

I'm enjoying a visit by Straight Shooter this weekend, followed by a brief visit by Landon and his girlfriend mid-week, and hopefully some time with niece Wendy next week. 

Last, but not least, I'm the hostess for a Paint Party Fun Day at the Masonic Hall this Wednesday, a fundraiser for P.E.O. We'll be painting a Rainbow Elephant in watercolors and having fun.