An Inside Job, the Heat Is On

July 9, 2026 Updated July 9, 2026 On June 28, I did my new normal garden task before it got into the high 90s. I also checked on the melons. Here’s the cute formally hairy watermelon. It has gone bald. The globe basil is trying to sneak into the picture. I don’t recall what type […]

Flood Damage to Driveway

June 21, 2026 After the flood we had on June 7, on June 8, we took a look at the damage to the driveway. The flood water caused the gravel to wash from the driveway into the grass. The grass caught in the cage from the flood water was 20 to 26 inches high on […]

Blueberry, Peach, and Tomato Harvest and Next Day Flooding

On June 6, Bruce and I picked blueberries. Butterflies flittered through the back field. A variegated fritillary landed next to us while we picked blueberries. The pink blueberries are from the pink lemonade blueberry plant. One of the flat aka Saturn peaches was ripe. The cherry tomatoes have large numbers of green tomatoes on the […]

Back on the Tractor Again

June 5, 2026 On May 25, 2026, we had a break in the rain. It didn’t start raining until the late evening. This allowed Bruce to get back on the tractor. He had placed large branches in several piles around Pine Tree Two. These piles needed to be dealt with. Bruce sorted the piles into […]

Not Doing a Lot

June 5, 2026 Between May 20th and May 24th, I made an effort to stop pushing myself too hard. I walked around the yard a couple of times each day in between rainstorms to get my walking in. It started raining in May 21 and rained on and off until May 24. Here are some […]

Cold Weather Heading Our Way

March 12, 2026 We’ve been having lovely days. The temperatures have been getting into the high 70s and just brushing 80F. The days have been mostly sunny with rain sometimes. Perfect weather to enjoy gardening. The cold is coming. I am going to wait until tomorrow to plant radishes. I had hoped we were done […]

Planting an Asparagus Bed for Blackberry Homestead

March 11, 2026 On March 8 (Sunday), Bruce and I walked around Blackberry Homestead to see how things were growing. I took pictures of the work Bruce did with his chainsaw. He cut up more of the tree trunks than I realized. The peaches and blueberries are blooming. March 9 (Monday), I went to see […]

What Did I Do While Bruce Was Gone?

January 30, 2026 After we moved into the house at Blackberry Homestead, I unboxed the books we kept, mostly my cookbooks. As I opened the boxes, I put the books in the rotating bookcases that I had put together. I sorted the non-cookbooks as I unpacked the boxes. I put my cookbooks in any which […]

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2026 I wish everyone a healthy, happy New Year! May 2026 be a great year for you! I realize my last few posts have been full of worry about the ups and downs of my father-in-law’s health issues. I thought I would share more positive items from December 28 onwards. On December 28, […]

Harvest Before the Bitter Cold

December 18, 2025 December 14 (Sunday), was an overcast day, with the polar vortex expected to arrive by Monday morning. With temperatures expected to get down to a low of 17F, I needed to get the garden prepared. Harvesting the garden was a high priority!! I harvested all the radishes that were ready. I harvested […]