Long Summer Days

Pretty cute aren't they?  They are getting big.  It's so nice that there are 2 of them.  All young animals need someone their own age to play with!

My week last week was kind of off kilter, so I didn't get around to posting.  My husband and his dad attend an auction together the second Tuesday of each month, which means I go in to our office on Tuesday instead of Thursday that week and it throws off my timing sometimes.  That's my excuse anyway.

The sky is light now until after 9 pm, even down here in the hollow and I love it.  Though I do get tired because we don't even sit down to eat dinner until at least 8 o'clock these days.  Sam likes to get in some time on tractor even after work and our dog walk doesn't usually occur until at least 6 pm, sometimes later (it's cooler then anyway).  There is so much mowing to do when you have 200 acres, even when most of it is trees.  If you don't keep it mowed, the fields and trails you do have open will become overgrown with weeds and sumac and multi-flora roses in no time.
 
On Wednesday, Rowdy went with me to the office and on the way back from getting him a laser treatment on his bad knee, we stopped at a local Amish farm and acquired some wonderful strawberries.








 
So that means on Thursday (since I wasn't at the office)  I spent most of the day canning 2 batches of jam and made 2 wonderful pies, one of which went with me to my spinning guild meeting that night.  Sam and I ate the other one.

Beets

I've been trying to be more diligent about my garden work.  We do not use round up or any other herbicides on our garden.  I just don't think it is healthy, so weeds occur and must be pulled or hoed by hand.  Last time I posted I said that I had had trouble with some of my seeds not coming up, so this week I acquired more seeds and replanted corn and squash and also planted some pumpkins.  My second row of lettuce is coming up, the beets are doing great, as are the tomatoes and I have some pepper plants, which something is eating.

tomatoes

 So for right now, I have the weeds about under control, but I am leaving on Thursday to go to Michigan with my mom and visit my aunt and my cousin, so I am sure I will have my work cut out for me when I return.

My bees seem to be doing well.  I was in the hive yesterday and while I did not see the queen, her handiwork was evident in lots of brood (little baby bee larvae in various stages).  The buckwheat is growing well and will hopefully provide a nectar flow for the bees in a few more weeks.  

 The flooring in the guest house kitchen is done!  I sealed the grout on Saturday.  We plan to go pick up some baseboard materials later today and once everything is trimmed out, it will be ready for cabinetry.  It is looking really good. 

Grover and I continue to enjoy agility classes and are into our second 8 week session.  The instructor complimented us on how well he is doing last week.  I guess our short practice sessions every day help.  Sometimes several times a day.  Here is what my yard looks like these days (until Sam mows).  I have 3 jumps I made and 4 poles for learning weaving.  Not the kind of weaving I usually do.

Remember the Sock Circle I was involved in?  I finally got my completed socks back!  Aren't they cool?  I love the colors.  So I knit the toes and then mailed them off and 6 other knitters each added about 2" of knitting to each sock and I knit on socks for them.  It was fun.  I think I would do it again.  

And then there was my hand-knit beaded  lace shawl that I finished in April.  It is so pretty and I  just love it, but I gave it away.  I gave it to my sister-in-law, Jill last weekend.  She and my brother and their 3 kids just moved to Phoenix AZ and I visited them just before they left.  I decided Jill would have more opportunity to wear the shawl like it should be worn than I will.  I have had a hard time with their leaving Ohio because now I have both my sons in Portland and my youngest niece and nephews in Arizona and I won't get to spend much time with any of them.  But sometimes change has to come and I know it was time for them to make a big change. 

 I did cast something on for myself on Mother's Day.  It is called the Hitofude Cardigan  and is an open front lace sweater in very fine yarn that will be great for cool summer evenings or air-conditioned places.  In purple of course.  I bought several skeins of this yarn last year and just keep using it.  This is going very slowly right now due to all the other knitting I have been trying to get done.