summer harvest

This year in the garden we planted beans for the first time. What we learned is that you'd need A LOT more space to make enough beans to save them for the year. Other than that we had a bumper crop of garlic and quite a few onions as well. With the onions we learned that they have to be planted much further apart and thinned after they've started to bulb. Our tomatoes were late but some of the tastiest we've had since we've begun. We're only harvesting those now. Out on our park strip we planted 9 seed potatoes. Top side they look great and we'll be pulling them up soon. We've also already harvested blueberries, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, peas and rhubarb from our yard. In the learning curve of gardening, this year was full of spikes. Upon discovering that rhubarb returns of its own accord nearly twice the size it was last year, we'll be transplanting those two enormous plants into another area.
In other daily news, our three chickens are still thriving and we're getting enough eggs now to occasionally share with friends and neighbors. Our cats Frodo and Golem are a chipper duo (considering they're getting on up there) and, as usual, we three are a happy people. Summer blessings to you and yours.

camping

We just returned from our first camping trip of the summer. We spent four days at Suttle Lake (west of Sisters) from which we also visited Scout Lake and grandma and grandpa. I've been on a quest to find the perfect lake on which to stay. This one would have been close if not for the road across the way that we could hear at night (and also during most of the day). A little cold for swimming in too, but we managed to get in on occasion due to the warm and near perfect weather. For two of the days we had the treat of a two hour thunder storm complete with my favorite weather condition - warm wind.
There's just nothing like warm wind. Mmmmm.
Also, Scout lake is a five minute drive up the road. That one IS perfect for swimming since it's smaller. We've been there for the past three years and it's one of our favorite spots. Warm water, no motor craft and these logs floating like rafts on which anyone can hitch a ride. One can see to the bottom of the lake even in its deepest regions. And oh, what excitement!... All on her own, this time around, Naiya swam! She just lifted up her feet (while wearing her life jacket bathing suit) and started to kick and paddle! She seemed nearly as surprised as we were. We had marshmallows for breakfast and, of course, those mini cereal boxes that I remember us taking camping as kids, hot dogs for dinner and crackers and cheese and fruit all day long. It was a decadent week of sweets and swimming, root beer, fishing and sleeping under the stars.