Harvest time! 

 And supper time!

Bruschetta made with 

fresh tomatoes and herbs

with beef tips, mushrooms and onions

Recent Shots

ELVIS lives on as Tony Rocker!  

And his performance came just in 

time to start my birthday celebration. 

Then we hit the road and headed further north 

("we" as in my hubby and I - not "Elvis" and I) 

Up to the shores of Lake Superior. 

Enjoying the scenery 

and we can't forget the 

"pound a piece"

 cinnamon rolls 

and the country roads to home again! 

Bee Balm

Bee Balm

Herbs

The house smells so good,

I’m dehydrating herbs! 

                                             Clockwise from top: 

Spearmint, thyme, bee balm, parsley, stevia, oregano & basil

Peas and a couple spears of asparagus for fresh eating. 

Today we enjoyed yet another great performance at The Crystal Theatre right here in our little city of Crystal Falls, Michigan.  Bill and Kate Isle sang, played guitar and banjo along with Loy Larson on the fiddle and mandolin.

But the performer that blew our socks off was a 14 year old girl who played the bass fiddle. Unfortunately her name escapes me at this time.  During the intermission I asked her how long she'd been playing and I was shocked by her answer of two years.  She started 'on the road' with the Isles a couple of months ago.  You would never have thought she was new to performing on stage, her timing and tone was perfection.

To give you a glimpse into some of Loy's talent click on this link: Loy Larson  and listen through to the end.  It was a joy to hear him in person.  

Family Weekend

We had such a wonderful weekend! 

Spending time with family

  playing in the woods

and swimming

and more swimming

 and getting caught off guard

and watching the sun set. 

Quick Update

Green Garden Gate Update 

Rainy day shot taken through the window 

Green Gate Garden (click on pictures to enlarge)

 The pictures of the 'Green Gate Garden'

were taken exactly one month

after planting.

Because of sandy soil

we decided years ago to

build raised beds

 I can't wait until the cucumbers

climb up the arched trellis

The peas are doing well. 

Carrots, chives, garlic and pok choi 

make great companions.

One of our 28 tomato plants

with Bee Balm backdrop.

The potatoes seem to love the tires.

Buzz on little fella, buzz on! 

The day lilies are about to burst with color! 

And the squash are crawling out of the boxes.

Tree swallow's on guard duty ~ 

but she needs to be fired as the 

deer have eaten my Hardy Hibiscus 

Maybe I should hire these guys instead! 

Persistance Pays Off

We planted grapes last year in hopes that they would survive our northern winters.  This spring we had what we called "the winter that would never end."

When it kept on snowing and snowing and snowing well beyond normal, I commented to my husband that when it would finally melt that the grapes should benefit from the slow melting and deep root watering.

I guess I was right ~ the grapes are coming along nicely! 

And those wonderful little pollinators showed up right on schedule.  I've noticed that we have a lot of bees this year, and several different types.  Buzz on little guys, buzz on! 

And being that I'm into 'companion gardening' you know - planting things that enhance each other - I discovered that chives do well with grapes! They're supposed to help each other in one way or another.  Don't ask how or why, I just follow a guide I found on the internet. And if it's on the internet it can't be wrong - can it? 

Look out arbor, we're about to cover you!  And check out those teensy-weensy clusters of grapes!

Taco Dip

Refried beans, lettuce, taco meat,

 salsa, sour cream, black beans, corn,

 onions and Frito scoops

And don’t forget the

Beer and margaritas! 

Slytherin House

 Welcome to Slytherin

Or our version of it!

Common Garter Snake

Full Moon

Did you happen to see

The Moon last night?   

 If not

I will rewind

The zoom

 For you!