Diary 7/31/13

My husband brought home a salmon for dinner. He has caught quite a few, but they have to have a certain fin clipped or else they consider them "wild". Weren't they all wild once? I really think they should let fishermen keep the first fish they catch regardless. By the time they fight a salmon to the net, the fish is worn out. Just imagine that poor fish being caught more than once only to be let go because it isn't one of the 1:4 ratio of fish that they tagged at the hatchery. It would be so good for the local economy and everyone's spirits, plus we would get to eat the fish rather than the hatchery getting to sell them for $10 each to some cannery. Confusing. The fish used to go to the penitentiaries! Lucky felons. Hmmmm....

Diary 7/30/13

It is super smokey. There are so many fires around our area, none of them close to us, that no matter which way the wind blows, there will be smokey skies. Now more lightning is due tonight and tomorrow. Hoping it glides over our area and heads out to the desert.

Collecting my wits for attending writer's conference this weekend. Have a chance to pitch my book to two bigwig agents. Not expecting to walk out with a book deal, but I will be oh so wiser about marketing a book by the time I am home again!

Diary 7/28/13

My mother-in-law used to make hollyhock dolls for the kids. Do you remember ever doing that? I will have to put a demo up soon. We sought out the white hollyhocks for brides and the darkest purple ones, which my father-in-law had grown and saved seed for, we used for grooms. The pinks and cherry colored ones were the bridesmaids.

Diary 7/26/13

I have chased Dufus from the garden daily. Here is his girlfriend( I think.). She is also reluctant to leave. She is young and skinny and is not a mom with a fawn in the bushes, so I have been chasing her out also. They have been caught in the upper greenhouse, the one I am letting go for now, and sleeping under the bench as if it were a dog house. They have eaten my watermelons and my sister-in-law's cantaloupe. Venison stew anyone?

Diary 7/24/13

Our first eggplant and some purple basil flower stalks with more zucchini(yikes!) turned into a great spaghetti. Just waiting for our first tomato impatiently!

Diary 7/22/13

Dog days of summer.Watered all day. It is so dry. I would be careful not to bang two rocks together. Picked raspberries and boysenberries to make a batch of jam. Got all ready and I had no sugar. More berries coming in a matter of days so, I just froze them. Moved on to one of the myriad of other projects I was gonna do today like

 house cleaning, laundry, clean refrigerator, put toys away as Garden Girl is gone for awhile, and wash rugs and curtains.Well, I did a bit of all of them, and not completely any of them. One of those days.

Diary 7/21/13

Back from a couple days with some cuties. Saw Oregon's agriculture in full swing. Came back to visible growth on things like corn and pumpkins after only three days!

Diary 7/18/13

Making the rounds with water as it is going to be in the 100's for a few days. So far, so good, with so much less to take care of. I am feeling good about how much I have to take care of and the orchards are happy I am not growing as much produce so they have been getting better care. Goal for next year is to put in more water systems to make it even easier!

The stargazer lilies are blooming. I brought in three flowers and they are smelling up the whole front room. So tropical.

Diary 7/17/13

Played at the creek in the heat of the day. It was so beautiful down there. Still not brave enough to dunk under, but almost. Just a bit cool. Moss will form soon and then it isn't as appealing. Even Garden Dog went swimming today, and he is not a water dog.

Diary 7/15/13

Almost halfway through July! Where is the summer going so fast? The raspberries are kicking in gear, the cherry tomatoes are starting make handfuls, and the cucumbers are more than we can eat. Oh, and don't ask about zucchini! Corn is about to tassel, and there are lots of melons set. I worked on fencing along the side of the greenhouse where Dufus has been getting in to eat the strawberry leaves and lettuce. Hope he sees it tonight. I didn't get to put some flagging tape on it to make it more visible, yet. May find a deer wrapped in netting by morning! Here is a girl

riding her old "tired" horse.

Diart 7/14/13

I spent way too much time chasing Dufus and his girlfriend around today. I have never been so close to a deer before. I am putting netting up across the sides of the greenhouse tomorrow. I have it over the door, but they are getting in on the sides. After that, I don't know what they will do. Eat the corn? Hope not...venison...

The poor pepper plants were trying to support these fruits and they are not big enough yet, so I harvested. Chili verde, anyone?

Diary 7/12/13

Busy day starting early with a cow elk walking through the yard, a load of 12"x12" cants being delivered, oil change for my car, errands, writing, watering, chasing Dufus around,

my self-sowed forest of marigolds

 and realizing I have only two weeks to do a summer house cleaning before house guests will be arriving...Ut oh~

Diary 7/11/13

Water Boy went home yesterday after a three day visit with homesickness building. He did better than his mother, I think. Garden Girl is visiting relatives over the weekend, so it is going to be quieter for a few days. Today was such a nice day. Felt good to sit in the yard and admire the clean-up we have been doing. Still need to finish around the grapes, but there is a thick mat of grass there that doesn't pull easily. I may have to just mow it as short as possible for the grapes to rise above. I picked the first quart of raspberries for the freezer. There are gallons coming,but the baby birds are still coming to them for an easy meal.

 In fact, they were hiding here and there in the tall canes and fluttered out ahead of me as I picked. More nice days ahead and then hot again, but not triple digits.

Diary 7/10/13

Still busy with grandchildren. I have chased deer away from the garden twice. Tilled the outside areas again so not attractive to any of the various ranging critters. The cows have been around, but mostly down on the road, thank goodness. Eating some of our last broccoli for awhile. Need to clean up some bug infested plants. There are other choices for now and more plants coming for fall. Hot day, and soon to be cool again, like 78 degrees! Then back up hot again. Crazy.

Short harvest with the kiddos

Diary 7/8/13

Long time, no blog! Have gotten busy with summer activities, 4 year old birthday party and warm and fuzzy get togethers. We have Water Boy and Garden Girl here for a few days. Not planning on getting much accomplished. Very busy!!!

Diary 7/3/13

Another hot day. Weeded a little and watered alot. Have green beans just about ready to pick. Picked our second cucumber and there will be a handful of cherry tomatoes tomorrow. We missed the thunderstorms, so no new fires here. Hope everyone is careful tomorrow. It is so dry.

Diary 7/2/13

There are raspberries to pick, but if I don't get out there early, it is too hot by 10:30. There is this little time in the evening to do a little something, but then there are mosquitoes...Heat will back off by Thursday and stay OK until next week, so hope to catch up again.

Diary 7/1/13

Went out to open the chicken's door and turn on some waters at 6:30 this morning as I pretty much do every morning. I had not had a cup of coffee or even a drink of water, but I heard the rooster crowing and I knew he wanted out. I opened the door and I turned to get a bucket of scratch to feed them; the normal routine that I follow each day. I opened the top of the bag as I had a mouse in it last week that crawled up my hand when I was scooping corn and wheat out, so I was closing the bag tightly each day. I flipped open a flap of the bag without thinking and something slid off the top with a plop. When I looked down, this guy was coiled up there, cool and sleepy, but oh so close...My husband eliminated him from our eco system as he can't live in the chicken pen. Not that he wants chicken. No, he is there to get that mouse, but it just doesn't work for me and the grand kids(whose mothers are cringing as they read this...) who feed the chickens. The head was buried as the venom is stored up inside the hollow fangs and can still infect anyone who comes in contact. Even tire guys have had venom effects from tires that either ran over snakes or were bitten by a rattler somehow.  He is beautiful and has his place in the big picture here, but not in our personal space.

Just want to say that my heart and prayers go out to the families of the hotshot crew from Prescott Arizona that lost their lives in a blow up fire yesterday. I know too much about fires, and I can only believe it was an incredible combination of fire and wind that caused the disaster.