Finally, after waiting--somewhat patiently--all summer...our tomatoes are beginning to ripen. We even resorted to eating fried green tomatoes last week in an attempt to actually eat some this season.
Pumpkin blossoms! At Riley's insistence we planted pumpkins this year. Only two survived at first, with a late bloomer coming up some time later--this one fell victim to Cory's well-meaning weed eating skills... However, these remaining two are beginning to proliferate like mad. We have several baby pumpkins and hope they are given a chance to grow quite large.
We found our Japanese Maple at a bargain price...in Wichita, some 3 hrs away. There was some wind damage to the leaves on our return trip, despite our cautions. We are elated that it seems to have taken nicely to our backyard. This is a sample of some of its first new leaves.
We have bugs. They have taken quite a liking to my squash plants. Cory says they will probably stick to the leaves and let my squash alone, but they may interfere with the blossoms. Alas, I know not what sort they are, nor what measures to take to be rid of them. Perhaps they are weivels? (Not a clue how to spell that one. I thought those were the sort that infest flour and rice...?) In any even, they continue to increase in numbers. Almost daily there is a new batch waging war in my poor garden.
This is George. Cory brought this fellow with him from Colorado. He's some sort of Beagle I'm told... He has a strange habit of weeding for us. He selects a particular weed, then digs out the root and all before devouring it. It is a most peculiar habit, but our grass is benefitting from his unusual tastes. Most recently he's attracted a pair of ticks--and thus has a new tick collar. Both children have had a few and we've resolved we must spray each time we go outdoors. Yesterday I removed a tick from the base of Riley's hair. Last week Kade had one attached to the folds of his ear. We painted his with nail polish in an attempt to get it to let loose. However, not only did we succeed in its demise, but managed to glue it to his ear. Cory had quite a time simply undoing my nail polishing skills.
Finally, after waiting--somewhat patiently--all summer...our tomatoes are beginning to ripen. We even resorted to eating fried green tomatoes last week in an attempt to actually eat some this season. 
Pumpkin blossoms! At Riley's insistence we planted pumpkins this year. Only two survived at first, with a late bloomer coming up some time later--this one fell victim to Cory's well-meaning weed eating skills... However, these remaining two are beginning to proliferate like mad. We have several baby pumpkins and hope they are given a chance to grow quite large.
We found our Japanese Maple at a bargain price...in Wichita, some 3 hrs away. There was some wind damage to the leaves on our return trip, despite our cautions. We are elated that it seems to have taken nicely to our backyard. This is a sample of some of its first new leaves.
We have bugs. They have taken quite a liking to my squash plants. Cory says they will probably stick to the leaves and let my squash alone, but they may interfere with the blossoms. Alas, I know not what sort they are, nor what measures to take to be rid of them. Perhaps they are weivels? (Not a clue how to spell that one. I thought those were the sort that infest flour and rice...?) In any even, they continue to increase in numbers. Almost daily there is a new batch waging war in my poor garden.
This is George. Cory brought this fellow with him from Colorado. He's some sort of Beagle I'm told... He has a strange habit of weeding for us. He selects a particular weed, then digs out the root and all before devouring it. It is a most peculiar habit, but our grass is benefitting from his unusual tastes. Most recently he's attracted a pair of ticks--and thus has a new tick collar. Both children have had a few and we've resolved we must spray each time we go outdoors. Yesterday I removed a tick from the base of Riley's hair. Last week Kade had one attached to the folds of his ear. We painted his with nail polish in an attempt to get it to let loose. However, not only did we succeed in its demise, but managed to glue it to his ear. Cory had quite a time simply undoing my nail polishing skills. 
