Long Shot

My daughter and her husband marked a major milestone this past week.  They closed on their first home.  Now, armed with the energy of youth, they are ready to take on the fun and hard work of making their "new" home, their own.  Their quest for this house began in January.  They had decided they wanted to buy a place of their own, and had started their hunt. One day I got an email from Jenn entitled, "we are in love with this house."  She included the link to the listing and I took a look.  I had to laugh when I saw the name of the road -- Longshot Lane.

In Jenn's mind, certainly, actually getting to the point of owning this home was a long shot. And here they are, just a few months later, starting the million projects process of home ownership. The listing touts it as being 1905 era, but Jenn said the home inspector indicated he believed parts of it dated back to the 1700's.  One BIG difference between their ancient home and ours.... theirs has already been renovated!  I cannot wait to see it in person.

Circa 1905

With Extra Cool Buildings

And a long drive

Meanwhile, back at the old farm house, the gardens are really starting to come alive.  The peas are filling their pods, while the spinach and strawberries continue to produce sufficiently for daily picking.  The zucchini and yellow squash have started producing, though their offerings are still TINY...  The beans are flowering and the cauliflower and kohlrabi are starting to take off.  The asparagus mocks me with the tall feathery stems, knowing full well that I cannot eat any of it until year THREE!  Still, it looks lovely and I have planted tomatoes between the rows of asparagus, just so I can pick SOMETHING from the asparagus patch this year!

The melons, all volunteers from last year's crop, are popping up everywhere and are flourishing.  The carrots, black carrots which I gave NO chance of surviving when I direct sowed the seeds in the ground, are thriving...looking very carrot-y.  Cucumbers, cantaloupe, and honeydew are SLOWLY gaining ground, though they are not the most promising looking things.  In the "so-far-we-are-a-total-flop" department are the eggplant and peppers.

Peas

Beans

Yellow Squash

Zucchini

The grapes, after what seemed forever, are FINALLY "showing."  We became convinced we'd purchased a bunch of dead sticks, so we supplemented our original plants with several hearty looking specimens from the local Southern States.  Once the happy healthy ones were in the ground, those original sticks decided they too could put on some buds and even some leaves. The potatoes, several varieties, and onions are going to town in a major way.  We might not have any crop to eat but the plants themselves are sure pretty!  Corn, on the other hand, is looking suspiciously like it wants to join the eggplant and peppers in the total flop department.

Potatoes

Original grape (stick)

Mulching Gardens

Joe Loading Mulch into Van -- Under New Fig Tree

Loading the Mulch onto Pallets

And in between the veggies, the berries, and the fruit trees, are the variety of flower experiments.  If nothing else, by the end of this summer, we should have a pretty good idea of what grows well here and what is simply a waste of time.

Portulaca

Vulunteer Sunflowers Dwarfing Returning Rudbekia

Moonflower first set of leaves

Zinnia

Marigold

Vinca

Lantana

On my morning walk today, I spied what I thought was a big shovelful of dirt near the fenceline.  I wondered whether Joe had been digging a hole to plant something, and had left the hole open, awaiting that plant.  I decided to examine the hole a little more closely and discovered the "shovelful of dirt: was actually a large turtle.  He was climbing out of the hole HE had dug...right where I had planted bulbs.... He was not the least bit shy, and kept his head out and his eye on me as I snapped his photo.

Big Guy

Climbing out of hole he dug

Keeping his eyes on me

Besides the farming, of course, I am engaged in the ridiculous process of "staging" the pond house.  I have concluded that if three different people tell me how to "stage" the house so that potential buyers will be able to envision themselves and their "stuff" there, I will get three VERY different opinions.  In the end, I opt to simply let the house show as is.  It is spotless, and in like-new condition...

And Saturday I played and sang at a wedding at our church.  The music was wonderful.  However, I have to say, I have never seen a church full of people who looked so unenthusiastic for a wedding... INCLUDING the bride and groom.  It was odd. Nevertheless, they said their vows and will live, I have no doubt, happily ever after.

Another "big thrill" for me this week was picking up my new glasses.  My prescription changed only slightly, but I went ahead and purchased the new glasses.  They came with "snap on" sunglasses, which actually attach to the glasses magnetically.  They are WAY cool, in my book!

Yes, I think last week was a very good week.  This week started off with the start of what promises to be a heat wave (in the 90's all week) so working outside will be exhausting...at least MY outside hours start after my office hours, so I get the cooler temperatures to do my planting (yes we are STILL planting).  Joe is trying to wrap up the trenches and the water lines, etc. so he can put up the pool (end of the day cool down) and the 660 feet of fencing we have ready to go......

Cosmos

More Cosmos

Interesting Sky