The Inadvertent Farmer

Summer's Random Photos

Welcome to another addition or the world famous 'Silent Saturday' here on the farm blog...

What?  You have never heard of Silent Saturday before?  Golly where have you been my friend?

Well it is a post with few words and lots of photos.  I do it because frankly I figure you all are tired of my going on and on all the time and want to give your ears (actually eyes) a break.

And besides that, I'm busy and don't want to come up with some elaborate post...which frankly I usually don't anyway, not my style.

But anyhow here are the photos in no particular sense or order...

 

Sorry I just had to show you this...although a little gruesome I think its a very interesting shot.  Guess the cat was full.

 

One final photo...any guesses as to what it is?

Splish Splash Taking a Bath, of sorts

Taking a Bath...

Well sort of!

And since you already have the song stuck in your head you might as well hear the original!

Potatoes Plums and other Harvest Pleasures kinderGARDENS week 16

Welcome to another addition of kinderGARDENS its week 16 already...wow!  We are finally in full harvest mode here on the funny farm...

Raspberries sweet and juicy...

It's now that all the hard work of planting and tending pays off!

Digging in the straw for potatoes.  Planting potatoes in straw is by far my favorite way to plant them...they come out clean and no heavy digging involved!

Fresh potatoes roasted on the BBQ with olive oil and spices...somebody just can't wait!

We are still harvesting a few peas, lots of greens and the summer squash is coming on!

I'm lucky to have a sister that does not like plums.

She doesn't like plums you ask?  Yep so we get to pick all the yellow plums on her plum tree...silly girl!

I say 'we' pick, but more accurately 'I' pick and kids watch and play under the great old tree!

What are your going to do with all those plums?

Ah its a secret...you will have to visit next week to find out.  But be assured it involves  tons yummy fruit and lots of sugar!

Finally we have a couple of additions to our maze...

We now have two little red Adirondack chairs to lounge upon while hanging out with the sunflowers!

We also have a pretty little flag fluttering from the top of our maze to go along with the great summer banner!  Now if the plants would just hurry up and grow faster (and the kids slower) the maze would be perfect!

*****

I know this time of year is so very busy for we gardeners, but make sure to share your kindergARDEN posts.  We are getting near the end of our series and will need as many great posts as we can for the final judging!  If you have forgotten what you can win make sure to check back to the first kindergarden post!

*****

Next week we have another wonderful guest writer so make sure to come back ready to learn and share!

50 Simple Things to do this Summer

Ok fellow parents/grandparents/godparents and anyone that has a child, or may someday have a child, or has had a child that is now grown-up, this is for you!

As part of the Summer's Simple Things Series we have been sharing our very best and favorite things to do in the summer.

These things require little to no money and very few if any 'props'.

They are simple old-fashioned straight up fun!

Here is the list I have come up with so far.  I would love to make it bigger and better...so if you can think of anything let me know in the comments and I'll add it (and give credit of course!)

1.       Go for a walk

2.       Blow bubbles

3.       Run through the sprinkler

4.       Grow a garden

5.       Swing

6.       Ride bikes

7.       Outline your family in sidewalk chalk

8.       Finger paint

9.       Make homemade fruitsicles

10.   Go on a picnic

11.   Play in the water (ocean, lake, river)

12.   Go fishing

13.   Go canoeing

14.   Make bread

15.   Go on a photo tour of your hometown

16.   Have a water balloon fight

17.   Visit your library and read a book

18.   Go to a local farmer’s market

19.   Make a homemade slip ‘n slide

20.   Make s’mores

21.   Collect Seashells at the beach

22.   Build a sandcastle

23.   Watch the sunset

24.   Watch the sunrise

25.   Take flowers to a shut-in

26.   Call Grandma

27.   Write a letter to an old friend

28.   Having a watermelon seed spitting contest

29.   Find the constellations in the summer sky

30.   Go grass sledding down a big hill

31.   Play flash light tag

32.   Make Sun tea

33.   Sleep in a tent in your yard

34.   Eat breakfast outside

35.   Float down a lazy river

36.   Climb a tree

37.   Make a daisy chain

38.   Grow a sunflower house

39.   Walk a dog at your local animal shelter

40.   Skip rocks

41.   Play hopscotch

42.   Dance in a summer rain puddle

43.   Find cloud shapes in the sky

44.   Go berry picking

45.   Fly a Kite

46.   Take a nap in a hammock

47.   Play Frisbee

48.   Make Pizza on the BBQ

49.   Make homemade ice cream

50.   Blog about it all!

So what Simple Summer Things can you add to the list?

Here are some more...keep 'em coming!

  

Go to the zoo

Play in the Rain

Visit a Farm

Go for a Hike

Set up a Lemonade Stand

Host a Tea Party Outdoors

Make a Weather Calendar

Learn to Knit or Crochet (or teach someone)

Hang out under a big old Shade Tree

Stay up late around a campfire (sing a song or two!)

Go pick Wild Berries

    thanks Enya, Alayne and Amanda!

Press some flowers

Make a seed picture

Wash a favorite stuffed animal outside

Thanks Sara...

How to make Homemade Popsicles your Kids will LOVE!

Welcome to our little Tuesday get together here at the farm.

Its called Summer's Simple Things.

This is the day we share the simple things we have been doing for fun this summer.  Those things that require no batteries, remote controls, or electrical outlets. 

Just good old fashioned summer fun!

Today is one of my kids' favorite simple things of summer...

Yummy homemade popsicles...or fruit pops as we call them.  I made 40 of them at a time for the breast cancer fundraiser last week.  As the weather turned a little chilly not many were eaten.  The brownies and peanut butter cookies on the other hand were devoured!

That means my kids have had the difficult task of eating them for me....ahhh poor babies!

I need the freezer room for freezer jam so I have been pushing fruitpops for breakfast lunch and dinner...yep that's the kind of mom I am.

Now you can either make these in plastic popsicle forms or as I did in paper cups.  Even I don't have 40 forms on hand!

My first flavor (and my favorite) is Orange Mango Strawberry Banana.  Start with a small bottle of organic orange mango juice.  Put it in the blender with a peeled, cored mango.

Add strawberries...

And finally a banana.

Whir it up.  You can leave little chunks or make it perfectly smooth...which is what I did.

Pour it into little paper cups. Since I made these for a grownup party I used 5oz cups.  For kids you might want to go with a smaller cup.

Put them on a cookie sheet.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap.

Insert a craft/popsicle stick into the mixture. (if you have really tough plastic you will have to make a tiny slit first to start it, trust me this helps tremendously!)

Pop them in the freezer till solid. (ok, little disclaimer here...I realize that technically this requires an electric cord but at least we don't sit on our butts and watch the freezer)

Peel off the cup to eat.  If it is hard to peel let it sit for a few minutes to soften or if you are in a really big hurry run it under warm water.

Sweet Girl and I liked the Mangosicles!

Baby Boy preferred the Blueberry Pops.

Apple juice, blueberries, banana, and a touch of vanilla

Ya, its a tough job but somebody's got to eat all those leftover frozen treats!

*****

Raspberry patch with new Gravel paths and Gate

Good morning Kim!  What have you been up to?

Well its so nice of you to ask!  I have been working on the raspberry patch...laying fabric and hauling gravel.

But your raspberry patch already has gravel paths.

Ummm well the thing is, I used cheap landscape fabric and weeds, specifically wild blackberry and thistle, have been coming through.  So I'm not fooling around anymore and am using heavy duty fabric from my hubby's work.

Wouldn't it have been better to do it right the first time so you didn't have to redo it?

Yes...thanks for the reminder.

At least I've got help!

Yes he is hauling gravel while eating a fruitcicle (recipes tomorrow)

This is what I have planned.  Another great cranberry colored garden gate, a fence to keep out the chickens with grapes growing on it. And no weeds growing in the paths!

But for now we'll just keep hauling gravel...

And slowly but steadily we'll get it done. Although it would go faster if he still lived here...

But he had to graduate college and get a job and a life...far, far away from his mama.

Sniff...

*****

So do you have any interesting gardening or yard projects going on?  Maybe some raised beds, or a rabbit hutch, or even a lovely gazebo?  Do tell...

Tomatoes, Red Ripe and Ready to Eat

There is nothing better in the gardening world than...

a warm tomato...

eaten out of hand...

while standing in the middle of the tomato patch! 

This is why I garden.

*****

Just in case you were curious...

Silent Saturday, summer garden edition

Welcome to my late July garden...we're way behind due to an unusually wet spring and early summer.  The sun is out to stay at last, I'm sure all of the East Coast can here our collective shout of joy out here on the left!  Our gardens and their owners are so much happier now!

Eggplant

Winter Squash

Honey bee on Borage

Garlic

Black Currents

Of course the weeds are thrilled with all the sun too!

Canadian Thistle...

Beautiful be brutal!

So how is your gardening doing this lovely July day?

Are you melting in the heat, cursing the cool weather, or are you just right?

The Conversion is Complete, Friday Funnies

This is the scene I found when I walked around the corner of our house onto the side patio.

Baby boy along with his trusty motorcycle were hanging out by the pool.

Hey baby, watcha' doing?

Playing.

What's with the boots?

Me don't want my feet to get dirty.

So you're wearing your boots while playing in the swimming pool?

They not boots...they my muck boots.

OK...you're wearing your muck boots while playing in the pool?

Yep.

And where are your pants?

Don't know...

The conversion seems complete, we've now officially gone from regular people...

To farm folk...

To complete hicks.

Baby did you know that wearing muck boots and just your underwear makes you a baby hick?

Huhhh?

Never mind...carry on.

*****

What makes it funny that he's wearing boots to avoid getting dirty is that just a couple of hours before he looked like this...

 

As you can see he avoids getting dirty at all times!

*****

 Are you just regular people, maybe a city slicker?  Or are you a country bumpkin...maybe you've gone completely hick too?

So what are you?

Design Tips for Children's Gardens, KinderGARDENS week 15

Happy kinderGARDEN Thursday all!  Today I have the distinct pleasure of welcoming back our esteemed in house garden designer Susan from the Blue Planet Garden Blog.  Not only is she a professional garden designer but she is also one of our judges here at the kinderGARDEN contest...so put on your listening ears kiddies!

*****

I create all kinds of gardens for all kinds of people, and my favorites to design aren’t necessarily those with the biggest budgets or the most innovative features. Instead, I’m most inspired when I’m working on a garden that I know will truly be USED, and families with young children almost always fit that description. While there aren’t any rules for designing a garden that includes kids, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

Think Flexible

A new garden can be expensive, and features that work for families with young children, older children or no children at all make the best investment since a family’s dynamic changes over time. A design strategy I’ve used more than once is what one of my clients dubbed The Racetrack Design, a winding DG path that circles the lawn and weaves in and out of planting beds. For adults, a path like this is a wonderful way to enjoy the garden, while for kids (and dogs) it’s a continuous racetrack, and perfect for wagons, tricycles and games.

Keep it Safe

Are there poisonous plants at a level where very young children can reach them? If you’re not sure, Google “poisonous plants” and all sorts of lists will pop up. Don’t get TOO carried away; many plants rely on some level of toxicity as a natural defense mechanism and for the most part, small children are unlikely to randomly stuff flowers and leaves into their mouths. I try to avoid plants that I know will have an inherent appeal for the curious, such as those with berries that can upset stomachs (like Hollyberries) or ones with sticky sap that may irritate skin or eyes (like Euphorbias). If your child is allergic to bees, be judicious in adding bee-magnets like lavender and catmint close to play areas. To me, a garden isn’t complete without a water feature, but standing water is a big no-no in a garden where small children might play unsupervised. This photo shows a custom fountain I designed for grandparents who regularly babysit for their granddaughters. There’s no above ground reservoir for a child to fall into, but the grandkids quickly learned that a few well placed stones diverts the water from a gentle trickle to a much splashier spray, and they love playing around it on hot days.

Segregate AND Integrate

This photo shows a recently installed children’s play space for one of my favorite clients.

Adjacent to the play structure is a flagstone patio laid out like a giant flower, reached via a miniature maze and half hidden from the rest of the garden. Adults are “invitation only,” and the area is big enough to host different activities as their daughter gets older. On the other hand, we decided NOT to include a special children’s garden. Baby Eme’s mother is a passionate gardener, and she already likes to follow her mom around the garden with an empty watering can and pretend to water. The idea of having a 100% separate children’s garden seemed counter-intuitive to encouraging gardening as a shared family experience. As she gets older, Eme can decide with her mom what to plant in any part of the garden.

And finally, enjoy your garden! If your kids see you spending time outdoors, they won’t need any special additions to enjoy it with you.

*****

So What have you and the kids been up to this week?

Pink Party Decorations easy to make, Corona for the Cure!

OK...so they don't have to be pink!  You could do these any color that tickles your fancy. 

I just happened to do pink since they were for our fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  Pink for the cure!

I knew from the beginning pink flowers would play a big part of our back yard soiree...

See that cute little pink bucket full of geraniums hanging from out outside shower? 

Yes indeed it started out as a Corona Bucket.  Oldest son made the fatal mistake of leaving two of these darling little buckets at home when he moved out.  He also knows that anything and everything (except the children) are fair game for mama and her paint can!  This bucket was more fitting for a Jimmy Buffett concert than a party for the cure...no longer!

Corona meet Krylon's Ballet Slipper Pink! (if you like paint projects check out their site!)

Next I put an old window frame to use on the back patio where we all ate...

I found a scrap of hot pink fabric and stapled it to the back of the frame.  Then I trimmed off the excess.

Next I took scrapbook paper and picked the 4 background pieces for each opening.  Then I used more paperto cut out little banners that I would put me words on...

I chose BELIEVE, HOPE, FAITH, and CURE

I believe that we will find a cure.   I have hope that someday breast cancer will be something our daughters will not need to fear.  I have faith that God will bless this important work...

I used punch out letters and glued them on the banners and then glued the banners onto the background paper.  I used little heart stickers around the edges.

I couldn't figure out how I wanted to attach all this the fabric.  I didn't want to glue it because I wanted to be able to reuse the fabric.  I also didn't think it would adhere very well.

I finally came up with the plan of taking a hole punch and punching holes around the edges of the paper.  I then took a large doll makers needle and threaded it with garden twine and I 'sewed' the paper to the fabric!

Even though the twine was a bit hard to pull through the fabric it was the perfect way to attach the paper to the fabric.  I really liked the rustic twine against the pretty pink paper!

I took another sheet of scrapbook paper with letters glued on to cover the ugly yellow cooler I put the blueberry lemonade in...

I again used garden twine to attach it to the cooler along with a bit of pink ribbon.

Altogether I spent less than $20 on decorations...well unless you count the flowers.

But those are considered an investment in my garden.

So they don't count!

 

Mama's Hiding, A Simple Summer Pleasure

This is a little tale about a mama who really, really loves her kids.

She also really, really loves her husband.

She loves her house, her garden, and even all the pesky critters that inhabit her farm.

But sometimes...

Just sometimes...

She needs a little alone time.

A little peace without constant chatter.

A little bit of land that is not screaming to be weeded or watered or harvested.

A place where there are not animals to be fed or tended.

She actually needs to run away and hide... for just a little bit.

So down into the lower pasture...

Hiding in the daisies she goes.

And just between the curvy and straight paths on the way to Grandma's hides she!

Nothing but blue sky, summer breezes and the buzzing of tiny bees surrounded her.

Her silent shadow her only companion...well, that and her camera, which seems to her more like an extension of herself.

The daisies are bobbing their lovely heads in the warm breezes...

Softly dancing a summertime ballet with the grasses...

She can see her house...but those at home cannot see her.  She is close enough if needed but far enough to find just a little solitude.

Until...

The sound of a familiar little girl voice,

 

Mama, mama...where are you?  I'm hungry...can I have ice cream?  My brother wet his pants.  Why are you out here?  Does daddy know where you are?  Will all these bees sting me?  When are you coming in?  Can I sit with you?

And so she sits...

We visit until she convinces me that very important things...pressing mama things...need me back home.

So I follow my sweet daughter back up the hill.

Back to my family, back to the laundry and the dishes. Back to the wet underwear...

Hello dear family...how can I serve you?

*****

But don't worry about me. I will not forget my hiding place, or my few moments of stolen solitude. 

But next time I'm going to hide in with the camel...

Pretty sure they won't think to look there!

*****

So I've shared my simple (and secret) summer pleasure...not its your turn!

Party for the Cure decorations and food Galore!

Whew...what a weekend!

The highlight was certainly the party we held Friday night to benefit the Susan G. Kormen Breast Cancer Foundation.  Family and friends came out to support this great cause. We specifically donated to the local chapter.

Of course with pink being the color of the cause...

It was pretty much everywhere.

Balloons, flowers, buckets...even an old window frame!

Believe, Faith, Hope, CURE!

We held the party on the back patio overlooking our little valley.  We got to watch the hawks soaring overhead, the kids playing in the fields while we ate and fellowshiped.

The menu consisted of BBQ'd locally caught salmon (thanks Mike & Brenda) Teriyaki chicken, veggie hotdogs and burgers, roasted mushrooms, Teriyaki carrots with pineapple, and a whole host of potluck salads!

I even sent the guests into the garden to pick sugar snap peas for dinner...

The garden seemed to be the hot spot of the evening!

Even the teenagers hung out in the garden...and were much more enthusiastic about posing for photos than there adult counterparts!

For dessert we served homemade popcicles (apple blueberry and mango strawberry), brownies, and yummy peanut butter cookies.

Fun and WAY too much food was had by all!

 

Even that cat had a great time!

And all for a marvelous cause!

Thanks everyone who came...luv you all!

I'll post later this week with instructions on the decorations.

 

Silent Saturday...I'm late due to a ruptured Eardrum!

Well I'm posting wayyyy late today.

I blame my husband.

He kept me up part of the night.

And it wasn't doing anything fun!

He awoke in the middle of the night with ear pain.  I got up and got my otoscope and looked in his ear...red and bulging...not a good condition for an eardrum.

He took some aspirin, tried to sleep, got up and paced a little, moaned a few time and gave up and went out to the family room.

I crawled back into bed but didn't sleep well...I got up a few times to check on him. He was watching some old movie and moaning each time I got up.

In the morning the kids and I got ready for church while he tried to get some sleep.  I heard him yell out in his sleep and quickly sit up...not good.

As soon as the urgent care clinic opened he went in and found out that he had an ear infection, had ruptured his ear drum and was bleeding out his ear...again not so good.

So he is chilling on the couch popping antibiotics and pain meds...

I am just now getting around to posting!

What can I say but the is never a dull moment around here!

I'm leaving you with a pictures that 7 year old Sweet Girl took last week while I was weeding.

I may hand over the camera to her more often!

 

Friday Funnies my Messy Monster and the Party

Well today almost 40 people are coming to my rather impromptu BBQ to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Our 1000 cooks for the cure party!

I just filleted a a salmon, I've got teriyaki chicken marinating...

There are veggie burgers and turkey dogs...

The desert is made and the vegetables are all prepared for grilling...

My only problem is...

How do I keep my little messy monster...

Away from...

The white linen tablecloths?

Wait a minute...

I don't have white linen tablecloths.

I have a very good reason for not owning white table linens...

Any guesses as to what it might be?

kinderGARDENS week 14 Corn, Sunflowers and Flags!

Can you believe we are half way through July?  For us here in the Pacific Northwest summer started just about a week ago...which better mean it lasts well into October to be fair!

I wanted to show you something...

 

Our maze has a new decoration!

A great bloggy friend of mine Laura over at Our House of Joyful Noise who has a  lovely blog, she also happens to homeschool, and craft, and garden, and take photos...yes we could be twins.

Well except for the camel thing...

That and she is brunette and I'm blonde

And I'm old...

And she's not.

She's Catholic...

I'm Protestant

Besides that we are exactly alike!

Anyway this is what I won...

Isn't that just about the darn cutest banner you ever saw!  I'm sure that someone came to my blog, say my photo, and used me as a model for that happy summer chick!

Yes I garden in a cute little short dress and darling hat.

I also have legs that are long and skinny just like that...

Really I do!

Moving on...

It is now adorning the entrance to our sunflower maze.  Speaking of...

Now that there is actually some sun our sunflowers are starting to grow...Hallelujah!

And beneath one of the sunflowers there is this...

We have nasturtiums blooming!

This photo actually reminded me of this...

Yes I actually stayed up way to late playing with my computer...no I did not do laundry...or dishes.  But I made swans!

All together now...Ahhhhh.

We also have corn finally coming up after 3 plantings...they all drowned.

We've also had slugs and mosquitoes galore with the very wet spring/early summer.

In fact the top story of the front page in our local newspaper said this...

"Go ahead, gripe about the mosquitoes. You're justified."

Our county has 19 kinds of mosquitoes NINETEEN!  They've all hatched in the last week...seriously!

I hate the little blood suckers...we have had to be so careful with bug spray and such.  We usually don't have many issues with them in July but alas another dreadful side effect of the wet...bleck!

So the slugs are eating my sunflowers and the mosquitoes are sucking my blood...other than that all is peachy!

But the flowers are blooming...

Maximilian sunflower, perennial get over 5' tall!

And the sun is out...so I'm not gonna complain!

*****

And some great news!  Susan of the Blue Planet Garden Blog one of our rockin' judges has a post for next week that actually covers designing a gardens with children in mind  She is a professional designer...unlike me who designs by the seat of my pants...so to speak.

So make sure to visit next week for something that is actually constructive!

Here is the link to Susan's first guest post...it was great so in case you missed it, check it out!

*****

So my dear readers and kinderGARDEN participants...what have you been up to this week?

1000 Cooks for the Cure Breast Cancer Fundraiser

Yesterday I found a fundraiser put on by KitchenAid.  This upcoming weekend all across the country people are putting on parties, get together, BBQs that will benefit breast cancer research.  My Grandma had breast cancer as did her sisters.  I'm not sure I know a single family that has not been touched by this disease as the statistics are 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime.

As we love to have friends over in the summer I decided to host a party with a purpose!  Friday we are having a group of friends and neighbors over to BBQ and to raise funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  Our donations will go to our local branch...

Stay tuned next week for photos from the BBQ!

If you are interested in hosting a party go here

If you are curious about Susan G. Komen go here

*****

As I have a very large party to plan as well as a great kinderGARDENS post to get ready for tomorrow I am going to leave you with this...

When I saw this photo this song immediately jumped from my brain through my vocal cords and out of my mouth...

One of these things is not like the others

Which one of these things just doesn't belong?

Can you tell me which thing is not like the others

By the time I finish this song

I seem to have an endless supply of Sesame Street Songs floating around in my brain!

And in case that didn't get the song stuck in your head...

Summer's Sweet Treat Ice Cream!

I cannot imagine a summer without ice cream!  A cold, creamy, sweet, sticky treat enjoyed in the summer sun...perfection!

Does that mean all that healthy vitamin D you are getting from the sun offsets the fat and sugar and indeed makes it a healthy treat?  Just wondering....

(If anyone is interested in the origins of ice cream here is a great link.)

Today it was Blackberry for the little one and Vanilla for the Big one! 

When we don't make our own we purchase Alden's organic ice cream at our local market.

So before we go on...

Does anyone make their own cones?  Is it hard?  Does it require special equipment?  Can they be made organically?

Going on...

Blackberry is yummy...

Blackberry rolled in mini chocolate chips is...

Well divine!

Why do they never look at me with such rapt attention?

Or smile so sweetly when asked to fold the laundry?

Joy is at hand!

So is the mess...

 

The little one made a BIG mess...

The big one only made a little mess!

Sweet Girl knew exactly what to do.

Baby Boy looked at his suspiciously!  Soon he decided that in spite of the coldness it was pretty darn good...

One of summer's simple things!

And one of her messier things!

*****

Just a short not to thank all of you for joining me in this little series.  I have had more fun than I could have imagined not only documenting our own simple summer but have thoroughly enjoyed your's too...thanks!

*****

the Chicken Shadow and my Hungry Kids

I would not do the following because...

Well I just wouldn't.

OK, so yes I would take photos of pretty flowers on my back patio.  In fact I was taking photos of the following little pot of sunshine...

When I noticed a shadow on the wall behind the flowers.

It is this that cracked me up and made me smile this early summer morning...

You see I have this rooster that sits on the back patio, my sister gave him to me.  Each year he has a new pot of flowers inserted in his back. I love my rooster...my sister is pretty cool too!

This particular morning he was casting a shadow that looked more life like than he ever has.

I will admit right here that I am easily amused...it just doesn't take much to entertain me.

What I won't admit is that while I was taking photos of a fake chicken my real chickens were squawking hungrily.   Or that my camel was pacing the fence waiting for breakfast.  Certainly not that my children had there faces pressed to the window mouthing the words...

We're hungry while rubbing their tummies.

No I would never let my kids and animals go hungry so I could take...

Just a couple more shots...

 

And certainly not a few more of a rooster planter!

Not me...I would not do that.

So...what are you NOT doing today?

*****

I'm also over at Not Dabbling in Normal today bragging about some of our kinderGARDEN participants!

Just sittin' in the Sand...feet in the water

We may...

We may not be home anytime soon.

Will someone feed the camel for me?

Thanks...

Hello?

Anyone out there?

Life's a Beach...Silent Saturday

 

We're gone for the weekend...

 

I'll give you three guesses where we've gone...

The first three don't count!

Hope you are having an amazing weekend!

*****

I'm also over Not Dabbling in Normal today sharing a rockin' review of 'the Flavor Bible'.  A book that will take you on culinary adventures beyond your wildest dreams...

Seriously this book will rock your kitchen!

Slugs on a Fork, the Friday Funnies

Although not as 'out there' as the marinaded mice...

I still am issuing a warning on this post.

Just a small warning...

If you are squeamish about slugs.

Especially those that are impaled.

Then you might want to go to yesterday's posts with the lovely strawberries...

Those are not dirt clods on my pitchfork...

They are not even bits of manure.

Yes I'm raising her right!  A good Pacific Northwest farm girl taking care of business.

And if you're from PETA...I don't want to hear about it.

It is them or my beans.

I side with the beans.

Now if I could just train Chester the Cat to be as enthused about catching slugs as he is mice I would be set!

But as you can see I'm not getting very far with that...

I Believe in Tomatoes, kinderGARDENS week 13!

After enduring one of the very wettest spring/early summers on record I still hold tight to some steadfast beliefs of my garden...

I believe that the tomatoes will eventually ripen...

I believe that after months of rain that the sun will always come out and warm my soul...

I'm sure that our 4th and final planting of beans will actually sprout instead of rot.

Well pretty sure....

I have faith that the slugs won't get all the strawberries...

And I believe that they are better eaten out of hand...a dirty hand to be specific!

I desperately believe that honey bees will rebound...

And lastly I believe that there are indeed monsters in my garden!

So what do you believe this week?

the Early Bird Catches the, glowing dawn daisy!

Yesterday morning I was up at 4 am to see my #3 son off to college...sniff.

But I don't want to talk about it...darn kids keep leaving me...sob.

Since I was up I decided to go out early and feed the critters...I of course took my camera.

I walked through the field and into the garden just before sunrise.

The barely there light was just lovely...

Warning, a crazy amount of daisy photos ahead!

Early morning light is my favorite for photos...

The sun had not peeked over the fir trees at the edge of the pasture yet.

The whole field was completely blanketed in daisies shimmering with morning dew.

I really thought this predawn light was the loveliest ever.

I was wrong!

The sun rose above the trees and this happened...

Suddenly the whole field of flowers was back-lit by the dawn!

My heart literally skipped a beat...

I then proceeded to take 100's of photos...my poor hard drive!

So although I'm not sure I'll make a habit of getting up at 4am...I will certainly try to go out at dawn more often.

You might want to get up early too...just don't forget your camera!

Hmmm, maybe we should think about doing this once a month.

Maybe we can call it '7th Day Sunrise Photos' or something like that. We could share photos taken at sunrise on the 7th of each month.

What do you think?  Would you like to join me?  I think it would be fun to have a reason to get up early and exercise our creative photo skills.

How about we think about a great name for the series and then meet back here in 1 month to share our photos!

Not that you have to wait a whole month to come back and visit me...

I think if you all stayed away for a whole month I would cry!

I've had enough people leaving me lately...

You not allowed to be among them!

*****

This is what I came back into the house to find...

In case you were looking for another reason to get up early...

A few minutes of peace and quiet!

Sidewalk Chalk a Simple Thing of Summer

Happy Tuesday all!

We're here today with another installment of 'Summer's Simple Things'!

(to find out what the series is about and how you can join go here)

We are going no farther than the front driveway with nothing more than a few sticks of chalk...

Insert kid...

Hey mama...that me!  Me BIG!

Yes Baby and you are allowed to get no bigger.

Mama!

I'm serious...

Insert next kid...

Wook mama...its my sister.  She BIG too!

Yep...and she's not allowed to get any bigger either!

Mama!

I'm serious.

Here is my quandry...

Edit out the old car with the wheels off in the background so you all don't think we're hicks.

Or leave the car in and prove to be true what you probably guessed already...

So in the spirit of keeping it real...

The car remains...hicksville here we come!

Anyone looking for an old car for parts?

But you can't have my old truck...I love that truck.

Hey Baby...what is that long thing coming out of your head?

It Psghetti mama!

That's a lot of spaghetti!

Me really, really hungry...

Oh, I see.

Kids + Chalk + Driveway/sidewalk =

One of Summer's Simple Things!

So do you have any simple thing to share? 

And don't forget to visit over at MommyTopics to join in her fun 'Summer Family Fun Blog Hop' (or click on the button in my sidebar)