June's Snippets - Lost in the Garden

As is typical here are photos which I intended to or thought I may blog about and didn't get to it in one post. Snippets of ordinary moments in our ordinary lives. LOL 

Where did we go in June? It appears we were lost in the garden! 

It would appear we spent most our time gardening in June. It's a lot of work to keep things going....and that is why the blog disappears each spring summer. LOL 

Dad has a recliner which moved from he and mom's home to Will and Sherri's and then up the Alcan to our home. It's torn and ripped and quite ugly. I covered the tears with duct tape and the tape wore off - leaving a residue one sticks to when sitting in the chair. But, Dad loves his chair. I ordered a simply cover from Amazon. Something got lost in translation when it came time to putting the thing ON the char. Michael persevered. LOL 

June 18th we moved the chicks from their brooder in th garage to half of the chicken yard. The goal is for them to get to use to the older gals and for them to all become one integrated flock at some point. 

Isn't this a great sugar cookie?  

The lilacs are in bloom. 

Allie bought herself a new bike. 

The chickens continue to like Michael best. He shameless bribes them with grubs and treats in exchange for their affection. It's fair, he has to cull any sick ones...

June 21st - finds us STILL wrestling with weeds in the west end of the garden plot. I seriously think we need to call UNCLE and let it go wild...or terrace it and put in all raised beds or what? I don't know how to control the weeds in the ground....we've tried everything we know to try except round up - which we won't do for obvious reasons. 

Combat gardening

We got the first pumpkin patch planted. We shall see. Those 1000 lb pumpkins are grown in bubbles...I honestly think they are. LOL 

We're eating bits and pieces from the garden. Mostly me as the others don't do much salad and greens are about all that is growing. 

Things to come. 

The beets are sprouting. 

We gave up and tilled some of these spots. We are paying for it. The weeds are energized. 

We tried a new way of planting potatoes. 

Oh, how Stacia and I are loving fresh basil! 

Mike prepared a space and planted some raspberry canes Cory gave us....

Mint! Great fresh in tea....

Something outside of the garden!!! We had an incredibly warm June - I heart it was record breaking. 

BreZaak's crew - Gideon, Bella, Annie, Jojo

I want a gazebo in my garden. A place with a bit of shade, seating and such for tea parties, journaling, maro poloing with friends. It is not going to get done this year. One afternoon I put this shade thing up where I thought I may want the gazebo, it stayed here until dip-netting. I learned two things: 1. I LOVE having it here and 2. it needs to be leveled. Sitting down was always risky. LOL  Wait - THREE things - this will be a great idea when I don't have to worry about Dad falling while I sit outside, it's pretty impractical for this summer.

Radishes, Kale and Lettuce

This is the part of the garden we did not attempt to tame this year. We're getting a bit closer to using all the space every year. 

Looking at the garden from the West corner. 1 - is the potato patch, 2 and 3 are the pumpkin patches, this side of the shade cover are flowers and artichokes, the hoop house has tomatoes and cucumbers, on the other side of the shade cover is a squash field and a ring of tires planted with flowers, behind the hoop house are all the raised beds. 

Our first melon...alas none of the melons have set! They all fall off. I just don't think it gets hot enough - even with a warm summer and a greenhouse. I think I'd need to heat the greenhouse and at this point I am wondering just how much I WANT homegrown melons....sort of like the corn. 

I am loving the fireweed in our little meadow. I love it so much I'm happy not to mow back there so it can grow. I wonder if this is the first step to turning part of the yard into a wildflower field. Shhhh don't tell Michael. 

Artichokes - looking back from August and I can report this is one thing that didn't grow well. 

The melons are growing in here - and I have some pots of herbs - but for the most part the greenhouse is cleared out by the end of June. 

I love having a lasagna bed (sheet composting) in the garden each year. This old baptistry will be ready for plants next spring.

We began to get so much mint we couldn't keep up with it - so we dried it and now I have my own home-grown mint tea. 

A chair, some shade, water and a Grandpa monitor. 

We've been working on this dip in the yard for a few years. Michael and Nolan hauled the dirt from the greenhouse to this spot and it still dipped. Stacia and I decided to haul compost here and plant the sunflowers here. The last thing to find a home from the greenhouse. Most our big mammoth sunflower plants died so I'm not quite sure what we will get here....but the sunflowers and some dahlias went here. 

You can see that by June we are accepting we will NOT cultivate the whole garden plot this year. We have settled for clearing enough ground to plant what we need to plant. Here are the artichokes and two pumpkin patches. 

One day I spread bunny poop and then made compost tea. Things grew wonderfully - but we introduced clover and all sorts of new weeds to the raised beds. Grrr. 

I love my pretty work gloves. 

When we got too much to eat, I'd put a bag or two in the freezer...or dehydrate a load or two of herbs or Kale. 

Work and Play

Stacia and I were out in the garden when Arielle and Benny showed up to spend an hour or two helping us. The girls had planned to weed eat around the electric fence and in the garden....BUT we couldn't start either eater....nor the riding mower. In the end Arielle DID mow the orchard. What a blessing. 

I took a mental picture of Benny in the garden. He'd helped pull weeds around the beds, fed the chicken's beet seedlings I had thinned, and helped Stacia place sprinklers. Everyone had left the yard, I came out of the greenhouse, and he was standing in the middle of the garden, hands on hips, just watching the sprinkler, checking out the plants....a gardener may yet be born. Though he insists he doesn't want a garden. 

The storage shed/hoop house in the garden blew away. There was a lot of stuff inside it. When we started to work on that space, the stuff inside the fence, was thrown into the yard. We moved tires, broken pieces of this and that, misc. stuff I haven't a clue about....and in the process I tripped over some rototiller wheels and landed on a rusty t-post.  After lots of icing, I took a hot shower in the middle of the day. LOL 

Bre and the kiddoes came over to play at our park today (yard). I have it on good authority (Bella) that our swings go higher than the ones at the park and so they need to come over here more often. I heartily approve this plan. Anytime....The yard is actually open even if we aren't home. LOL  

📷by BreAnne - Jojo 19 months

Bella, Annie, Gideon 

The kids personalities crack me up. "Grandma push us." 

"Careful, careful Grandma! We could fall off," from Gideon, and "I could smash into Annie," shrieks Bella.

"Higher, Grandma, HIGHER," from Annie, even as I did an underdog with her. LOL Some of it is sure to be due to her toddler swing, but the older two are nurturing and precise with details, Annie is all go - at full speed. 

Annie points out we have "hamMOCKS" and she loves hamMocks! She especially loves to cocoon in a hammock and surprise passerbys. She's convinced it's the best hiding place around. She may be right. 

As the kids grow, our "toys" will probably grow.  We have a trampoline and we've been talking about a zip line....I'd LOVE a spiral slide off the deck, but suspect the zipline would be a better investment.  Everyone is sad Allie is working so often these days, but having Stacia here is a big plus over local parks as well. The kids like playing with the Aunties and it helps to give Moms a break. 

AND, WibblyWobbly Acres Park comes with snacks. I have invested in zbars just for grand gherkins, and added raspberries and strawberries. It didn't take long for Annie to find a solution to the big table....we do have a kids picnic table but it is used for steps to the trampoline. 

Bre brought a couple of frozen pizzas over, I added salad, fruit and pasta to the mix and they stayed for dinner. It was a fun day. Michael was preparing for Sunday morning, Izaak was at a camp out for True North/Alive Alaska, the 3 elder at home gherkins were at work. We worked and played! Great balance. 

Fantastic Friday with some Grand Kids

 I was up at 0430 so I could attend an 0530 meeting AND be ready if GG woke up before I left the house at 0700 for breakfast/study with Stacia.  We beat the waitresses to the cafe today! ::snort:: 

We spent a few hours vibing. Soon Michael was leaving to meet Alex for a lunch/study, Nolan had the day off and came up to stay with GG, Stacia and I took Allie to work and then met up with Bre and the kids from the Friday Fling. 

Jojo (front), Annie, Bella, Gideon, Bre, Stacia

The honey booth was a big hit! I enjoyed asking a few questions. Michael would like to have a hive or two...I told him in TX I would buy a gallon of local honey for $30. HERE a pint is $20 and they don't sell it in the gallon. 

The wooden toy vendor, jewelry and freeze-dried candy vendors were also a hit.  We headed over to the town's museum and garden next. We also walked along the old, rusted farm machinery.  In the photo below I told the kids I was going to take a picture on 3....the girls have the model pose down. LOL 

Bre, not so much. LOL I'm actually not sure what she is doing - but it's the only photo of Jojo I have. 

As we walked down the street towards Bre's car I noted a decorated ROCK...Bella ran to get it for me and it's perfect with my rock cairn at home. 

A few feet further and Bella found her own rock. 

At the next property we found four more rocks. In the end each child took one rock and we hid the rest. 

Bre invited us to join her and the kids at Wendy's. I texted Michael to see what he thought about dinner. He said the men could fend for themselves and we should go out with Bre and kids...which we were happy to do. 

A Day Full of Family Connecting

I am amazed at how much thought has to go into simply getting out of the house these days. 😏  I knew Allie and I wanted to leave at 0900 for our breakfast study.  GG wakes up anywhere from 6 - 10 and when he wakes up it's a solid hour - 90 minutes to get "all the things" settled. I SHOULD be able to get up at 0800 and leave the house at 0900...in reality I have to shower at 0500 to be sure I'm ready for the wake up call from GG. It wouldn't be a problem except Michael is a night owl and I am regularly staying up until after midnight.  Now that I'm acknowledging the facts, mornings are going much smoother. LOL 

Allie and I enjoyed the chance to connect this morning. The chances are precious with her out of the house working so much this summer. While we enjoyed breakfast Stacia had gone with Arielle and the boys to a park day organized by some mothers at Arielle's church.  Allie and I decided to drive over to Wasilla and join them, after a quick trip to buy more chicken feed.  Altogether this resulted in a total of an hour behind the wheel for Allie...another trip to Wasilla and lots of practice with "demon circles" - something we'd wanted to spend some concentrated time working on. I think she's feeling more comfortable with how they work after doing so many in one day. 

A fun part of being a grandma (Baachan) at the park is I can watch the drama and not feel compelled to get involved. This is the moment Danny realized the child next to us had brought Goldfish. Look at how nonchalantly he walks to the blanket and starts toddler chattering to the mom. 😂

"Ma'am, someone appears to have left a cup of perfectly good goldfish crackers here. I can help you out with those." 

SCORE. The nice mama let him take them. 

Meanwhile, Benny asked Alli to play Frisby with him. Here Benny explains his unique take on playing Frisby. He would toss it as far as he could and then they'd both run and find it. 😂

Of COURSE, Danny joined the fun! 

Benny walked his bike back to their van AND lifted it into the back. I was telling him how strong he was when he assumed this stance. Check out his muscles! 

I was excited to have Carrie and Liv stop by today. In general, it is harder to connect with the Gherkins in the summer....we're off hiking, fishing, camping, paddle boarding, ATVing...and there is simply less time when our schedules match up well.  They'd been missing us and we have certainly been missing them. We snatched a few hours when they could drive out and we would be at home.  Carrie and I talked while I got a casserole ready for the guys. 

I zipped Allie to work, and Stacia and I met Krista for her and I to get a pedi. I had given all the girls certificates for pedicures for mother's day....and this was our chance. We had planned to do it with Larissa, Carrie, Krista and I  today, but schedules...(Arielle, Bre and I did it in May). I'm glad Krista and I decided to go ahead...and glad Stacia joined us. 

Michael put in a lovely ceiling fan/light in our room! He also took Grandpa for his second infusion. The rest of the day is a blur. My love tank is full - it was a day of connecting with family in various ways. 

Breakfast Companions

My highlight today was a massage - I have not one photo to show for it. My only complaint is she spent a lot of time working on my neck which resulted in wild, oily hair...a style I had to wear through Bible study tonight. LOL My back feels much better today. 

The second highlight of the day came as Grandpa came to the table for breakfast! Look who joined us! Dad saw one first and said - "Look, a baby Caribao!" Caribou are not native to Alaska, though they are to the Philippines.  

Via Google photos

It took just a second to realize there must be a baby moose...and then he noted two and I knew Mama had to be nearby. Can you spot all three in the photo below? 

In a matter of minutes all three were clearly seen...and they were great breakfast companions indeed! 

They are welcome as long as they stay out of the orchard and the garden, and away from the Aspen trees. They were well-behaved today. 

Michael installed a fan in Dad's room and is working on one for our room.  

Dad/Grandpa was up a lot last night...2:45, 5:00, 6:30...I finally told him to take a shower at 8:00 and come have breakfast.  In any event, I'm too old to be up all night long...I HAD to grab a quick nap. 

Here are some shots from the garden today....I still don't trust that I understand the growing season around here...not sure if anything will produce. Last year it was cool, we had lots of GREEN but not a lot of food. It has been hot but this past week was cool and rainy. I think things are doing o.k. Although I think the squash is getting too much water - not much I can do about the rain. 

Tomatoes

Dragon Eggs coming along

This new bed survived the rain 

Kale

I think I can start harvesting baby greens any day. 

I have no idea if Bok Choy SHOULD be flowering at this point. I don't see anything that looks remotely like Bok Choy in the store.  LOL 

C'mon melons! 

I up planted some sunflowers...and watered everything...that's about all I did today. These are the remaining plants to transplant into the garden space.