Memory Garden Displays. .

Hello, Hello!!

We have had the most spectacular June. .after all that miserable droughting!

I was a little worried the SECOND time we hit 100 degrees in early May. .

about how our summer would go.

But. .it has been great!

We even received another 3 inches of rain a couple nights ago!

WOO HOO!

I'm amazed at how well the plants are doing. .

and how many blooms we are getting.

For the first time. .

I was able to take some landscape views that looked nice. .

with big, green plants. .

complete with flowers!

Moonflowers are already blooming prolifically!! Though my mother in law has a great stand of these. .THIS bunch, actually came about from some shared seeds from Garden on Sherlock Street!!

All the photos today are taken of the Memory Garden. .

which I had started the fall before my dad died. .

and then proceeded to plant in. .

with horticulture gifts and plants that I bought from the generous memorial gifts given to me in his honor from family, friends, and neighbors.

The Blue Atlas Cedar at the far right (a few branches of it anyway) was put in during the fall of 2011.

And continues to anchor this garden with grace and blue beauty!

The lilies have just lit up their little section!

Here they are again in back of the miniature hollyhocks that have gone totally MAD in the back part of the garden!! The original couple plants came from my mom's garden at the farm!

The light pink flowers in the foreground (the hollyhock madness continues in the background) is a more drought tolerant Bee Balm or Monarda.

The hostess of the blog Gaia Garden. .

met this blogging girl in the parking lot of one of my favorite antique places a few years ago. .

and swapped garden plants. .

Oh for the LOVE of technology!!

And plants. .

And sweet people who aren't afraid of strangers!!

You can see. .

that it is doing well in my garden. .

and in the past, has been feeders to my favorite Swallowtail butterflies.

The daisies were purchased last summer. .

and there are both shorter ones as well as some taller ones.

The shorter ones have double petals. .

which I tend to prefer.

I was a little surprised to find this coneflower. .

Obviously it didn't bloom well last summer if at all. .

cause I didn't even remember seeing it. .

let alone planting it!!

I love the pom poms of petals on it!

Speaking of coneflowers. .

This bunch came from a few that I started from seed in the greenhouse several years ago.

I leave the seedheads on at the end of the season for finches to feed on. .

And this patch has mostly self-seeded and looks stunning in real life!!

Truly, the photos do it NO justice!!

You can get a little peek of goldenrod in the background. .

It blurs out the changes that we made to that bed last month!!

Will be bringing those photos soon!

But please don't judge my laziness. .

for putting up a bottle tree. .

without removing the labels from the bottles!!

I figured that they would come off sooner or later. .

really expecting them off SOONER. .

than later!!

Sigh!

Black eyed susans are another favorite of mine. .

which haven't done well in my garden until now!!

Sometimes, a mere change in location will fix the gardening issues. .

I have started all these by seed. .

But have had them in a location that they HATED. .

and subsequently died out in!

These lil guys are pretty tolerant. .

And so I hope. .

that they will flourish and be beautiful in their two new spots.

So far. .

So good!!

Though not officially part of the memory garden. .

My little veggie plot has moved locations and is now directly across the sidewalk from it.

There isn't a lot of room there. .

BUT. .

I have to walk by it multiple times daily now. .

and so the care has improved greatly!!

The three tubs up front hold herbs. .

Sage, chives, thyme, and dill. There is also lemon balm, rosemary, tarragon, and basil (along with some more dill plants) in the ground up front.

The guys built me 4 raised beds this spring to go with the one that we moved last fall and planted garlic in. .

The one to the left has potatoes, some onions and two eggplant bushes. The one on the right has cucumber bushes, several varieties of peppers, and a few more onions. In the back. .there is garlic, onions, spaghetti squash, more basil, and watermelon plants in one bed. .

Various types of tomatoes ranging from early tomatoes to grape tomatoes to heirloom tomatoes to yellow tomatoes. .as well as more watermelon, a few cucumber vines that the cats and chickens haven't ruined, some beets and snow peas.

 

Everything looks so much better than it has in the past. .

I'm sure it is because they are right under my nose. .

and watering is getting done with some regularity. .

The influx of GOD'S natural water. .

has likely helped as well!!

If you kept walking straight through this photo. .

you would walk right into the herb and kitchen garden. .

It's a GREAT view. .

from those two red lounge chairs in the distant background. .

FINALLY. .

I can sit. .

and relax. .

and enjoy the fruits of our labor!!

Until I notice those renegade weeds brought full on. .

by all the rain!!

BUT. .

you won't hear me complaining!!

Enjoy your week!

Wheat Harvest 2014!!

Wheat harvest officially started here in our neck of the woods this week!!

It's REALLY bad!!

Really!!

They were at our house tonight cutting our little patch. .

So after dinner. .

Cami and I walked out back to hitch a ride.

You don't have to be a farmer. .

to notice. .

that the wheat comes up to a 6 year old's knee!!

BAD!! 

Lots of dirt was blowing in the breeze too!!

 

While we stood at the side of the field waiting on Grant to come close enough to hijack. .

I noted some more trees that the drought has gotten!! Some time I'll have to post a picture of where our old tree row USED to stand. .every tree in it perished in the severe drought!!

And it's always a little sad to see more damage!

There is just something sentimental to me about those big ole machines and the huge expanse of blue sky overhead hanging over those amber fields of grain!! 

I included this super pathetic picture for my farm rooted family back in the land of rain. .

This shows how miserable the wheat was in a LOT of spots. .

this has NOT been cut yet. .

NOR was it at the edge of the field like you might expect to see. .it was in the middle!

YUCK! 

This is what the entire field should look more like!!

Even though at closer viewing. .

it is not really impressive either!!

As I sat on in the jump seat watching. .

round after round. .

I couldn't help. .

but remember when I used to ride shotgun with my dad during harvest. .

and then riding shotgun with my love as a newlywed. .

and NOW. .I am riding shotgun with my CHILD!! 

He LOVES harvest. .

everything about it!!

Down to enjoying his sister's endless rattling mouth every evening!

(Though he will tell you he doesn't!) 

Uncle Joe runs the other combine. 

Jeremy and Cami have been checking out the harvest action every evening this week. .

And today, he has been helping them to move equipment to different fields. .

They have to take those tremendously long headers off. .

and put them on the long trailers to fit down the roads.

Papa is the supervisor. .

He also trucks all the grain to town!

Devin has also gotten initiated. .

much to his eleven year old delight!!

He is being taught how to run the grain cart. .

And seems to have the job spoken for already for next summer!!

Tractor safety course. .

Here he comes!!

 

As soon as it came. .

Harvest will be over!!

Flower photos are taken. .

And will be shown soon!!

Enjoy your weekend, ya'll!!

Hello. .Remember Me?

Hello people. .

remember me??

I used to frequent this site. .

And I nearly forgot how to navigate!!

I believe that it has been since last October that I posted anything related to my family. .

So I thought. .

while I had a few minutes. .

I would offer a catch up. .

for anyone that still drops by occasionally!

Last day of school for these 2 high schoolers. .
you'll note. .Tristan is no longer the tallest!!

It's been a great year. .

with lots of activity. .

some trials. .

and growth. .physical and spiritual!

These two sassy kids were no less than ecstatic to be done with school! They could hardly contain their excitement!!

Fresh out of school. .

These four are trying not to consider the upcoming year. .

until August!!

It's hard to believe. .

that we will have a SENIOR. .

as well as a Junior, 6th grader (which constitutes middle school around here), and a 1st grader!

Tristan waits his turn during the golf meet

Tristan is working full time for our carpenter friend. .

Seems that he has picked up some skills. .

and is feeling good about that.

He and Grant attended a camp at K-State as a part of 4-H.

They really loved it (everything except the cafeteria food).

Soon it will be time to consider senior pictures. .

but, since he gave himself a "no-hair" hair cut. .

that WON'T be any time soon!!

Good thing that Grant could keep an eye on where his ball landed. .this golfing mom could NEVER keep track!

Grant is working full time for his dad in the mechanic shop. .

and about 3 days into their Manhattan camp. .

his dad really was missing his right hand shop man!

Both the older boys went to 4-H camp last week as counselors. .

They are fun to watch. .

And they really enjoy that experience!

Neither boy is planning on playing football next year. .

But Grant is toying with the idea of running cross country. .

and both of them would like to spend the extra time after school practicing their golf games. .

which has really turned out to be a new love for them!!

Devin is being allowed to go along this summer, and so it will only be a matter of time until they talk Jeremy into joining them. .

Don't tell HIM that!

As he will adamantly deny it!

First time in 12 play days. .that we had a kid do the long jump!! What flying form he has!!

Devin has been having a busy summer so far. .

He has already been to art camp, Vacation Bible School, and 4-H camp this summer!

He was able to take his bike to town. .

as well as his dad's cell phone. .

And enjoyed a tiny taste of independence!!

He's been loving the pool too!

Now that his schedule is winding down some. .

we hope to train him into some more household and garden responsibilities. .

since he will be home.

That is an aggravation to him. .

and consequently. .to US!

It may be a loooonng summer ;-)

5o meter shuttle relay. .with her tongue hangin out!!

And this one. .

Is losing teeth faster than she is gaining them back!!

Still no sign of the two top teeth that were removed by the dentist last summer when she also removed an accessory tooth that was going to cause issues for her.

She can eat anything. .

and caused us quite a bit of chuckling a few weeks back when we ate corn on the cob for dinner. .

She had it right up to her mouth. .

and wondered out loud. .

"Now. .HOW am I gonna eat THIS?"

Needless to say. .

she managed to get all the kernels gnawed off that ole cob with no further discussion!

She has been working on some lemon blueberry muffins to enter in open class at the fair. .

I would have never considered that for any of the other kids. .

but SHE. .

is just ready for that!!

 

No photos uploaded of the old people that live around the house. .

but we look about the same!!

And we are still tied into much the same day to day activities. .

One exciting thing going for us. .

This summer marks the celebration of our TWENTIETH anniversary. .

WOW. .

Where did it go??

We are taking a short. .

adult only. .

vacay to Boston next month. .

Labstah. .

yum!

 

I have been meaning to photograph the gardens. .

which are looking surprisingly well despite the drought. .

We have been blessed with some rain. .

But. .

the winds are touted to blow day and night this week. .

so. .

not sure that the photos will come to you this week.

 

I would like to post a little more regularly again. .

but find myself unable to completely commit to doing it. .

If you happen to catch this post. .

and would like an email warning from me when I post. .

holler at me and I will be glad to give you a shout out!!

 

Have a GREAT week!