soon there will be mountains

The first tomatoes from the garden. All of my plants are loaded with fruit. I guess I'd better figure out how I'm going to process all of this produce. I want to stew some tomatoes and can some salsa.


What was blooming in the garden on Sunday: hot papaya cone flowers, daisies and some purple spikes that I'm not sure of the name of that were leaning over from the neighbor's side of the fence.



I made a cheesecake yesterday, but I over-cooked it. I was out working in the garden and discovered that my one and only squash plant had a squash plant borer (I will spare you the image in this post) and I had to perform "surgery" to get the bug out of the inside of my squash vine.

So . . . the dessert came out a bit brown, but there was also something more that was "off" with it. I think the graham crackers that I used for the crust had lost their flavor. I guess that's what I get for scrounging around in the cupboard for my ingredients.

Next time I bake a cheesecake, I'll really take care.

trying to stay cool

Surviving a heat wave with no air conditioning is a challenge. Just sitting on my sofa causes me to break into a full body sweat. It's hard to be motivated to do anything - except stand in front of the open fridge.

At least the pictures on it are good.

rainy days are for blogging about the garden

cleome.

snapdragon.

grapette daylily.

canna lily leaf.



tomatoes are towering.




willow tomato cages.




urban raspberry patch next door.




nifty attachment for picking berries
(you wear it around your neck.)





the funniest book I've read in quite awhile.
Home to Woefield, by Susan Juby



hillbilly harvest hand spun
(that's the name of this colorway.)



before I spun it.




when I dyed it.
now . . . what will I make out of it?

up home

Zinnia, lily and cilantro flower arrangement. All from my mother's garden.



G and I went up north this weekend to visit my family. We left mid-day Saturday and arrived in time to hang out for the afternoon and take part in preparing dinner. Late in the afternoon we wandered out to visit the sheep in the pasture.

It was hot up there (just as it is everywhere else in the state.) I was wearing a pair of cut off shorts and the long grasses in the pasture stuck to my legs and made me all scratchy.



I wanted to get a shot of my finished Aidez sweater out in the pasture with the sheep - the yarn came from them after all - but they weren't half as impressed by it as I was.



I couldn't pass up taking a shot of my mother's hillbilly tomato planters. She even had some fruit on.

summer greens

Yesterday afternoon I harvested our first green beans of the season. G and I ate them with grilled salmon, wild rice and a side of fresh salad - also from the garden. I planted three rows of green beans this year, all stringless bush beans because I wasn't in the mood to build something for the plants to climb up.

In a few days I should be up to my ears in green beans. I've been looking into ways to preserve them. So far I'm thinking that freezing them will be the best way to keep them, because I hate mushy canned beans.



I've had salad greens for about a month. I planted five different varieties. So far the Forellenschuss, Flame and Amish Deer Tongue lettuce from Seed Savers Exchange are my favorites. They stay tender, but hold up in a salad - especially the Amish Deer Tongue. My sister visited last week and cut down all the the Deer Tongue . . . but it's coming back.

I'm sure most of the lettuce will bolt and turn bitter here in high summer, so I'm enjoying these greens while I can.



I have my Aidez sweater blocking on the bed behind me as I write this. I won't be able to wear it anytime soon, but I have to say it was a fun and rewarding project. I'm thinking about lining the front inside edges with some ribbon and sewing on eye hooks in case I want to wear it closed on some occasions.



Here's the flower arrangement I threw together this past weekend. I put olives in the pasta salad I brought to the picnic and thought the can was pretty.

it hasn't thrown my gauge off

A few days ago I visited the bridal shop (for the third time in three weeks) and finally selected my wedding gown. The manager of the shop (a very outspoken woman - by the way) pestered me when I first arrived about my hesitation to select a dress.

"A man commits to the marriage when he buys the ring," she told me and my sister, "but a woman commits when she picks out a dress." I guess I agree with her, because over the past few days I've started to pull together all of the strings that will come together when G and I tie the knot this upcoming winter.

But don't worry folks, this isn't about to become a blog about my wedding. I just thought I'd share the news with you. I usually don't wear much jewelry, but I've finally gotten used to my engagement ring.

It hasn't had an effect on my knitting.


I've been working on the Aidez sweater. Only one more sleeve to go.

This 4th of July weekend G and I are camping out and having a bon fire with family and friends. I'm going to try to sneak some knitting into the mix, but I may have to set it aside and join in on some lawn games.


It will be waiting for me when I get home.