Fall Colors

Each year the landscape makes a beautiful change of colors that brings me joy beyond measure! I know there are some who love to drive around and look at Christmas lights, or to enjoy spring flowers... me? I want to drive around and Oooo and Ahhhh at people's tree choices and absorb the peaceful feeling and beauty that is  Fall.

I love it! It's my most favorite time of the year!!

And so... here is a little glimpse of the beauty I enjoy when I come home each day...

 

 

Squash Bugs

These are the culprits. They ruined most of my squash plants last year.

We have found 8 in the garden so far this year. They have been put to death. They are hard to squish because their backs are hard as shells and they can live through quite a lot!

And then their little eggs get cut off the leaves of my plants. I could use a poison to kill them... but doesn't that nix the whole point of growing my own food? lol

But this is what happens within a week if they are left un-checked. Wish us luck with these rotten bugs! *sniff*

...how does your garden grow?

I took these photos a few days ago... and already it looks so much better!

Our cabbage looks ready to pick, we have 21 tomato plants, 12 Pepper plants,

8 Zuchinni, 3 Yellow Squash and

8 cucumber plants...

The peas are going great!

The beans just came up a few days ago (after soaking them for almost 2 days they germinated FAST!) and they look fab-O!

Jess had a bowl of starwberries with some milk

And LOOK! He planted these just a month ago and there are berries!

I feel so very blessed and tickled all in one to be able to have a garden this year and to have the strength and health to tend it!! I can't wait for canning season!! *GRIN*

Happy Earth Day!!

Yesterday was a perfect earth day!

We mowed the grass for the first time & played on it forever...

Rolling, sommersaulting, running & jumping...

And "went green" for earth day!! *grin*

Wordless Wednesday

Uh? Cucumbers anyone?

Ah... my sweet husband is awesome! He has really gotten excited and passionate about our garden this year - he even spent 3 days tilling the garden with a tiller that will only work for 5 minutes at a time and then has to sit for 30 minutes. (talk about ANNOYING!! :P )

We have planted 6 rows of 2 different kinds of peas, 1 each of spinach, cabbage and 2 rows of lettuce! It has been so fun to work together and plan this out! He is having a blast!

But then the planting bug was still going strong so, while the kids and I played at the Rock and Gem Show 2 Saturdays ago, he took old flower planting containers, filled them with dirt and planted seeds. *HE* loves cucumbers. He does. He eats pickles like crazy... he loves fresh ones soaked in vinegar. They make him happy! So of course! Why not plant cucumbers?

Well... I am not sure it sunk in...

Now... would you please count with me? Yes. Your counting is correct. This photo shows 5 6-packs of cucumbers! Only one in this picture is winter squash... the rest are cucumbers. LOL!!! What in the world are we going to do with 30 cucumber plants?? Bwahahaha

Ahhh.. .he makes me laugh!

Luckily he also planted some zuchinni, jelly bean tomatoes, baby girl tomatoes, beef steak tomatoes and some Italian Ice tomatoes...

Guess I am going to be learning how to share the wealth... and to bottle our own pickles! Go me! *GRIN*

Tractor Surfing...

Jestin and the neighbor were having WAY too much fun yesterday! (THANK YOU Brett!!) He got the ground all broken up in our backyard so the weeds are more manageble and we can get it leveled out better! The men with the fence posts come tommorow!! SO excited!! Thank heavens for tax relief! We are thrilled to get our fence... maybe I can train the princess to start going potty outside... instead of being pad trained inside! (One can hope!) *grin*

Yeehaw!! See my garden in the back ground? The garden and the fruit trees survived the "waves"...

YEEHAW!! Jess had a blast! The boys kept beggin' to go join him! LOL!

Our Garden - May 2008

Just what you've all been waiting for I know! LOL! Here are some pics of my neighbor Amy's and my pride and joys! (ok! so our kids are our pride and joy...but these little "babies" give us much pleasure to watch them grow and mature!

Here is our long awaited lettuce...or is it spinach? Not sure 'til it gets bigger... *grin*

Peas. We LOVE peas. Enough said.

(Notice the dogie footprints through the middle...grrrr...there were carrots down the middle...*sniff*)
Green beans. These little beans are being so picky! We have two rows of them...and they are taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r to come up... Can't wait to can them!

Mr. Stripey. He is an heirloom tomato. We speak often of Mr. Stripey. Mostly because his name is so fun to say! LOL!

Here are the babies. They have guardians... keep them aphids away little marigolds...

This is MY favorite little plant. I never knew how much I enjoyed cilantro. Yum. Now I have 2 cilantro plants... fresh salsa, yummy eggs, (and any other recipes you all want to send me) to use this tasty plant would be appreciated! *grin*

Peppers! They are happy little peppers! We have a small variety... Salsa will be so fun this fall! And BBQed Anaheim's are Jestin's fav!

The little pumpkin that could... He keeps trying... I think any moment he is going to take off and we are going to wish he were small again! Tee hee!

This is Jestin's courtesy Corn. He buried corn cobs last year (fertilizer you know...) and did you know that corn would go crazy if you planted the whole cob?? We keep pulling these little corn babies... it is a hoot!

Winter squash. Not sure what he will look like exactly. Hoping it's like the big pink banana squash... but I am going to plant some seeds of that kind just in case. *wink* (the more the merrier right?)

Tomatoes! Oh my! Do you see them?? Do you see our tomatoes??

Zucchini. Now I will say this now... we have 3 zucchini plants. We love zucchini. Come the end of summer though... if you leave your windows down on your car... no. ...it was not us that left zucchini on your car seat. We would never follow in the grand Utah tradition. (bwahahahaha)

Yellow squash. (oh boy!) To go with the Zucchini. BBQer here we come! YUM!!

MORE tomatoes!! These are the kidlets plants. They have grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and yellow pear tomatoes (though they may have to fight Amy for them...she LOVED those last year! LOL!)

And last but not least...my strawberries. They have gone a little crazy in their tubs... time to get a flower bed ready for transplant later this year. SO FUN!! Jestin has 3 blueberry bushes, 2 pear trees and a row of pretty sad but struggling sweet potatoes. We have really enjoyed this gardening stuff this year! We are using our tax relief check to put up the remaining fence in the back yard to keep the wandering children and dogs out of this wonderful pass time of ours. This fall is going to be SO awesome!! YUM YUM YUM!!