Everything is Growing!

We are picking lots of garlic and Walla Walla onions from the garden.

Everything that we planted this spring is growing very nicely. Love these Knock Out Roses.

All the plants in the window boxes are happy.

Hot Lips have tripled in size.

Tomatoes are almost here......we have eaten about a dozen so far.

I love Mexican Primrose.

We're hoping for potatoes......always a difficult crop for us to grow.

The rock wall is filling in nicely.

These Morning Glories sprang up from last year.....a beautiful tower.

Lots of cherry tomatoes....Black Cherry, Sweet 100s and Matt's.

We even have eaten some raspberries. I had a little bowl for breakfast yesterday.

Yes.....we have an abundance of zucchini and yellow squash. We are headed to the food bank with some of them.

Corn is coming too!!!!! Randy planted the rows at different times but it looks like they are all going to be ready at the same time. Oh well.....

We really have an excellent cucumber crop!

Today's pickings........

Most folks don't have a garden like we do here. It's just a lot of work and the sun can be brutal on plants. We often have to put shade cloth over some of the plants. Everything is on a drip line and watering often is key. Thank goodness for our well.

Little Ayla is growing too! She's three weeks old. Love this photo....taken with an iPhone and great light.

Book Recommendation

I just finished this book and I highly recommend it! Everyone should read it. It is a memoir of Afghanistan written by an Afghan. It is unbelievable what this family had to endure as they tried to escape the regimes and factions that took over their country. They camped in caves behind colossal Buddha statues in Bamyan and took refuge with nomad cousins, herding cattle and sheep. The time of the Taliban was interesting indeed and the author survives a brutal imprisonment. I could go on but I don't want to spoil the book for those of you who have not read it.

I definitely have a better understanding of the Afghan culture and what they have had to endure over the last thirty plus years.

50 Shades of Green — Salad Cooking Class

This was another one of those cooking classes where I was so busy eating that I forgot to take pictures of the food!
We made a goat cheese, pesto and sun-dried tomato terrine, a Brazilian chicken salad sandwich, watermelon rind relish, and a salad with apples, walnuts, dried cherries and herbed baked goat cheese.

I hike with the two gals in the middle of the photo and the gal with the polka dot dress is the dean of our local community college. I have just been asked to be on the community college board that works to fund student scholarships.

I remembered to take out my camera and take a shot of this last dish.........Nicoise Salad with Haricots Verts and Yukon Gold Potatoes. The dish had tuna, capers, cherry tomatoes, olives, anchovies and pickled beets and eggs.

New Granddaughter

Welcome to the world, Ayla (eye-la) Charlotte lloyd! She arrived on the 8th and weighed 7 pounds and 12 ounces.

Mom, Emily, and dad, Alex are doing well. We wish we could hold her but will have to wait a bit as she lives in Wales.

Elk Sightings

We are seeing more and more elk lately. There were two females and two calves strolling by our fence this morning. Cooper and Argo watched them from our west deck. Our neighbor got these shots from his wildlife camera that is posted near a salt lick in his yard. There is no fence around his yard and it backs up into open space.

Check out the jack rabbit to the left of the bull elk. Those rabbits give Cooper his evening exercise. They come out about 7:00 and are everywhere.