Hello, Summer!

      I can hardly believe it's summer! Wow! What warm temps we're having! It's been in the nineties for about a month! When summer hits the South, it really hits! From nice cooler weather and rain, to BAM! Heatwave! At least we've been having nice breezes! And the humidity hasn't been as bad on some days. We have been to the beach; celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, and celebrated Father's Day. Not to mention Yasmine and Mother's birthdays! Now, we have 4th of July and my sister's birthday to celebrate.

      My garden is doing good, what survived that is. For some reason my two squash plants just killed over! I'm still trying to grow some in the grow bags. Almost everything is doing good in the grow bags. The tomatoes and pepper plants are flourishing, as are the cucumbers. The sweet potatoes and strawberries are as well. I've really enjoyed summer so far! I have harvested almost two gallons of blackberries! That was not fun, as I always get chiggers! Still have them! I'm sure there are more blackberries that need picking; I'm just not sure if it's worth getting more chiggers! The eggplant plants are producing eggplants! I haven't harvested one yet, as I want them to get just a bit larger.

      I've been suffering with a terrible chest cold this week. I hate being sick, especially during summer when there's so much to do! I hope this stuff leaves my body soon! But even with that, I am so blessed! I just have to stop and look at God's creation to realize it. Everything around me is so beautiful! The hanging baskets, daylilies, green grass and trees! There's beauty in them thar' hills! Thanks, ya'll for reading my blog! Have a healthy and safe 4th! Blessings from Bama! Update!: I just came in from doing chores and my chest feels so much better! I'm beginning to heal, Praise the Lord!

Love this view!

Randy in his new recliner for Father's Day/Twenty-fifth anniversary!

Randy and Gavyn in the old chair.

I made this for a friend.

These beauties rode with us all the way to the beach! What were we thinking?

Our favorite spot at the beach!

Randy and Riley with Winterlynn in background.

Me and Gavyn had a good time on the Sea Dragon!

The three younger pirates.

The little bit older pirate.

What fun at the amusement park!

A deer right outside the camper! They were so tame!

I love this picture! They are all asleep on the way home from the beach! I guess the trip wore them out!

Loving all my pretty plants!

These beauties are going into hanging baskets.

One of the eggplant plants. 

The grow bag garden. Sorry it's sideways! Taken from my phone.

Adding on to the garden.

      The hubs finally had a chance to til another area so we can plant corn and purple-hull peas. We ran out of room inside the fenced garden, so he tilled up an area below the chicken yard. The dirt is somewhat 'chirty' so I don't know how it will grow. I added some manure this morning and hope to plant the seeds when the sun goes behind the trees. We are in summer now and experiencing temps in the eighties everyday. There is no rain in the forecast until Wednesday of next week! That's a long time to go without rain for a garden! (Of course, the weather could change, since showers are common this time of year.) That could explain why some of the plants are looking pale. I had to come in out of the heat (humidity!) so I hope to water this evening. I would like to have another area or two so we could plant melons in one patch, and pumpkins in another. Maybe next year!


      It's hard to believe that school is almost out for the summer! Just when I get used to one season, another one begins! Oh well, life would be very boring without change! How do ya'll like my new header? It took me awhile using Picasa, but I finally got it! 


      I just had to run outside and make an after photo and it was sprinkling rain! Maybe we'll get one of those showers today! Also, our friend's wife just gave birth to their second baby girl, 6 pounds, 15 and a half ounces! Welcome baby Cassie! Have a great weekend! Blessings from Bama!

A new recipe: Chicken Dip. It tastes delicious!

Small, wild plums I foraged from a neighbor who lives down the road.

I love sunflowers!

This day lily is actually a little pinker that the one after this photo.

Oh yes, it shows up in the photo.

That is a different type of sunflower next to this one. They will both be lovely when in bloom at the same time!

Pretty as a picture!

I decided to do a before photo. How embarrassing that I have something looking like this in my garden! Doesn't take long to get like that though!

I got to visit with Yasmine a couple of days this week.

She loves to swing!

Just look at the cute baby, not the porch!

These sisters love to run and play at aunt FeFe's!

Layla with her baby.

There is a bird nest in the top of this stroller! She's saying: "Eeewww!"

A Cardinal in a nest in the butterfly bush!

I don't know what kind of bird built this nest.

The tree  is slowly getting cleaned up. Got a nice pile of firewood cut for the winter, if we have one this year! The new tilled area is just below that fence, under the tree.

The pile of manure I'm working with.

Close up.

I lost count how many times I took these buckets to the new garden.

The newly tilled area.

I'm skipping some spots that had ants or were too rocky.

Look at all of these blackberries! They'll be turning soon!

I have a lot of picking to do.

A lot of 'trash' to reach through to get to the berries!

I'm standing next to the berries looking back at the newly tilled area. I walked the buckets from that little shed, which is the hen house, all the way down here.

I just love the color of these day lilies!

Isn't she lovely?

A few small irises blooming.

The after shot that I almost forgot. Looks so much better now!

I couldn't resist taking another shot of the bees! I need to pull that weed!

      

Sweet Summertime!

      I love summer! I've been so busy lately with my latest infatuation, canning. My sister and I canned ten quarts of tomatoes and okra (out of her garden!) yesterday and it took all day! I never dreamed it would take that long, but we did it at her house on her older stove that I'm not familiar with. I was a little apprehensive about turning the eye all the way up, so I kept it on seven. It seemed to take forever to reach ten pounds pressure. Then we had to do a second batch, but it didn't take as long. I got to spend some time with Winterlynn while I was there, so that made everything better.
      My garden is kind of at a stand still, except for the figs. My pepper and eggplants are growing nicely, though. I am dehydrating some figs now. I've found that with the way the figs are coming in, a few at a time, that is the best way to preserve them. I can make fig preserves using dried figs. There are also many other recipes I have that use dried figs. I'm really happy about my summer food preservation. I have more things  canned than I thought I would. There are also things that I would like to have, but didn't get, such as corn. We didn't plant any this year because we are still working on our raised beds. Hubby put in another one this evening. The farm where I purchased tomatoes doesn't have any either. Guess is wasn't a good year for corn around here.
      I can't forget to mention that I scored lately at the thrift store, purchasing a Zojirushi bread machine for $9.88! I was so excited because I had looked for one a couple months ago, but they didn't have one, so I got a bread machine from my sister. Now I can give hers back. Another thing I scored on was sheets. I have gotten interested in sewing again, even signed up for a class. Simplicity has their patterns on sale this week for 99*, so I scored at Hobby Lobby, too! I got two for the kiddos and two for me. The sheets are for making pillowcase dresses that I've never made, but I think I can!
      We're also getting ready for school to start Monday, so school supplies had to be purchased, as well. I finally got the disk from my Dad that has the birthday pics of Layla's first birthday. Have a great weekend! Oh, I'm going to sell my tanning bed, if anyone is interested. Leave me a comment on my blog or call if you have my #.

Yasmine and Uncle Ran watching the chickens.

She's so skinny!

She's shy.

Layla's first birthday cake.

Layla, Yasmine's sister.

Three good men.

Sweet family.

Eden and Canisha. Eden is Yasmine's best friend.

Layla loves her Nanny!

Winterlynn and MeMe.

Layla's personal cake.

Mommy and Layla.

Layla's dad Betiff and Yasmine.

She got all in that cake.

What a sweet face!

Layla and aunt FeFe.

Yasmine and Eden playing on the slide.