The New Back Patio

Here it is: a couple of months' worth of work, finally giving us a back patio. (It's actually Phase I of several years' work.) Thanks to Jay, Sharon, Jordan, and Dave for their help in making this happen.
[Hold your mouse pointer over the pictures for captions.]
~ emrys

In the Tall Grass

Strawberry farmers plant in rows. The plants grow in lines separated by about twelve inches of space through which you walk when you go to pick the sweet and succulent dilectibles. This late in June, however, most of the obvious strawberries have gone away to the kitchens and stomachs of earlier pickers. But there are more to be found . . .

Not much weeding seems to happen in the strawberry fields. Thus in certain stretches of strawberry rows grass grows thick and high over the fruiting plants. Most pickers, it seems, pass by these tufts of weedy growth in order to find more readily accessible fruit. To do so, we found this morning, is a mistake. For within the patches of high, thick grass those strawberry plants keep on bearing. What's more, the strands of grass, though they hide the red jewels from the untrained eye, also keep the plump morsels off the ground and therefore protected from quick rotting.

To put one's hand through a tuft of grass is to find hidden treasures of bright red sweetness, even when the rest of the field has been harvested dry of berries. By putting our hands through grass and weeds, we found about ten pounds of diamonds in the rough. Ah, the joy of fresh-picked strawberries! Let me share with you a vision of this joy--I apologize that our photos cannot convey the smell nor the taste. I'd tell you to satisfy the craving which is certain to arise in your tongue by going out to get some strawberries at the supermarket; but it just wouldn't be the same.

~ emrys

Patio Phase I- Complete!

Today hit 98 degrees! A bit toasty! We've been busy around here! Below are pictures of the completed Phase I of the patio - Emrys worked really hard and many thanks to our friends Jay & Sharon who helped a lot as well! The veggies are doing their thing - growing. We picked the first strawberry today - yum! We'll have Alaska peas soon. We're still getting spinach and asparagus and I even have a head of broccoli getting started! I keep looking at the loaded blueberry bush but unfortunately they're still green-berries. :( Everything in due season!

(Scroll over the pictures with your mouse for the captions)

Let it Rain, Let it Rain, Let it Rain!

We've had such a dry spring and start of summer. The ground's been dry and the grass wilting and all the water for our garden is hauled out there. God's helping us out tonight. We're getting soaked! So the last load of laundry had to go in the dryer instead of the line - oh well - I'm thankful for the rain. And as an added bonus - it arrived with thunder & lightning :)

Fruits & Veggies

Summer is here and in our yard that means GARDENING! We have vegetable beds and patios in progress - and just so we don't get lazy, we have deadlines of summer entertaining planned so that the projects get done! We also have some crazy animal that keeps punching holes in our screened in porch! Never a dull moment!

We're enjoying fresh spinach, lettuce and asparagus and strawberries and blueberries are working on "growing up" for us to eat! We also have raspberry/blackberry all over our property and we're just waiting to find out which one is which!