bittersweet goodbye

This morning our Em leaves for BC...a seven day road trip with R and B and then a new life in a new city. I know it's nerve-wracking and exciting for them at the same time....lots of new doors opening and new experiences. So we are happy for them.....but with that, comes some sadness. I will miss them. Thankfully we have phones, email and I'm seriously thinking of getting skype! So keep a good thought for Em and R and B and I will say a little prayer to keep them safe and sound as they venture off...

here's some pics of the 'adventures'

we had with them just before they left......

Bon voyage...safe journey...

tomatoes......

Lee in the garden:) I am appreciating every single tomato that our plants produce. Winter will be here all too soon and a fresh, yummy tomato will be difficult to find! Eating warm tomatoes straight from the garden is such a treat! The tomatoes and basil in my hand are going into a pasta salad for lunch.

This juliet tomato plant is as high as the swing set that it is trellised to. This is the most prolific variety I have ever had. Sungold comes in a close second!

A little picnic that we enjoyed at a playground by the library. Annie is volunteering in the morning and then has an hour off before she takes part in a program for older kids. More homegrown tomatoes in the form of salsa, cheese and crackers and oranges.....a perfect, light summery lunch.

Pick blueberries...check

Lee here...the girls and I picked 6 quarts of blueberries the other day and plan on going back for more. We ate them all fresh but I would like to put away a couple of freezer bags full at least. I'm not sure if that will happen. I really want to plant 6 bushes in the spring...I think that would be plenty! Imagine going out to our own back yard to nibble on some berries!

August

The month is flying by...I have been picking loads of veggies from the garden...mostly zuchinni and cukes and beans right now...and freezing and pickling as much as I can fit into the day. I LOVE being able to pull a jar of mustard beans off the shelf when Thanksgiving comes around. It's been a great garden year for some things and absolutely terrible for others...I'm getting tomatoes, but not as many as we usually do, thanks to the beds we put them in. (At the top of the list for garden jobs this fall is to renovate the garden beds/dig trenches for better drainage next year.) I have melons this year though! Canteloupe that is just about ready to pick, and some little Sugar baby watermelons. The peppers are starting to turn red and I am harvesting a few eggplant at a time...enough for some batches of baba ganooche! I thinned carrots yesterday and filled a 4 litre basket. They're not really big yet, but SO tasty! I want to start another planting of greens and chards for the cooler weather ahead. Here's a photo of the first batch of pesto I made along with a mix of sweet tomatoes...we made pesto pizzas with them...pitas with pesto, grated mozzarella and chopped fresh tomatoes; red and yellow and green ones...THAT for me is the taste of summer.

To Do

Lee here...summer is going by fast!

August To Do List..

*go on a few picnics..even just along the canal in Campbellford..watch some boats go by
*walk around the Peterborough Zoo and go for a ride on the little train
*Meet friends at Charleston Lake
*do an outside craft like cement poetry stones..I bought the kit years ago and its under my bed, unused!
*water balloons with the girls
*spend more time reading in the hammock
*pick blueberries
*take out paints or pencils and do some artwork outside
*appreciate being a stay at home mom and having time to do whatever I want

my stash....

of dried oregano from our garden. I am moving the oregano to another spot in the yard since it is taking over an entire 4x8 raised bed.
Annie up in the tree... Chris has a little tent that fits perfectly on her platform for when she wants a little shelter..it's too bad it doesn't have a window on the side facing out.

Lee

Annie in her treehouse

Lee here. This is such a pretty plant but I can't remember what it is...help!
Annie decided to leave her "treehouse" as a platform. It's not a huge space and she likes being able to see all around. She can pull the bucket up with a pulley thats up in the tree. FYI, the cat will not go into the bucket so he can be hoisted up. This is sturdy and high enough for her liking, and her dad is going to build a little perch so she can sit in the "crotch" of the tree that is about 5 feet higher. We would like to scout out some sort of net climbing rope thing for the side...just to provide some variety. We still have to clean up under it.

I'm really impressed with it and plan on using it myself even tho it's high and I can't look up!