And the Jungle Is Less Wild

August 1, 2026 On July 30, in the late afternoon and early evening, Bruce used the leaf sweeper mower attachment for sweeping the hay from mowing. Bruce used his soaked water vest to keep cool. While Bruce was sweeping the yard, he saw a mouse. He said the mouse ran away from him and stuck […]

And Now, Back to the Present

July 30, 2026 On July 26, we started to try to tame jungle Blackberry Homestead had become. We had an overnight thunderstorm that knocked down an old branch from the oak. Bruce mowed at the highest setting on the mower deck. There was no speed mowing that Bruce normally enjoys. It was slow going and […]

Still Back in Time to the Middle of July

July 27, 2026 On July 9, there was more rain in the early morning. After everything dried out from the rain, I headed out to the garden. I picked tomatoes. I spotted this cutie on a bean leaf. The sunset was gorgeous over the house. We headed out to hunt hornworms. A toad was sitting […]

Catching a Ride on the TARDIS, Going Back in Time

July 26, 2026 On July 5, I was in the garden watering the plants. I saw this little bird hiding behind the tomato plants. I also noticed another bird on one of the T-Post. The tomato cages didn’t hold up. I now realize that if I want to grow tomatoes in cages, I’ll need to […]

Our Fourth of July

July 13, 2026 As I was sitting on the back step putting on my rubber boots, I looked over at the bucket brigade of peppers. What did I see, to my horror, a very large hornworm hanging out of a half eaten bell pepper. Noooo! The hornworms are on my peppers. Bruce was also appalled […]

The Harvest Basket with Vegetables from the Garden

July 11, 2026 On July 2, I did my normal routine in the garden. Afterwards, I harvested several vegetables from the garden. Bruce noticed the Japanese eggplant was ready, and he cut the stem and placed it in the basket. He asked what I was going to do with the eggplant. I mentioned a stir […]

Sweet Potato Blooms and Fallen Tomato Cage

July 9, 2026 On June 30, I proceeded with the morning tasks. The sweet potatoes have started blooming. I cannot get the tomato cage upright. To get to the tomatoes underneath, I pull the cage upright and pick tomatoes as fast as I can. The trellis in the middle of the beds works great. I […]

A Restful Day

July 9, 2026 On June 27, I did my normal morning task. “the new normal. Walking around the garden, collecting Japanese beetles, eating strawberries, picking tomatoes, looking for hornworm damage, looking for hornworms, picking beans, and squash. Bruce and I also go look at the orchard and pick blueberries.” Then, I went inside and read […]

Digging Up More Potatoes

July 7, 2026 On June 21, I did the new normal. Walking around the garden, collecting Japanese beetles, eating strawberries, picking tomatoes, looking for hornworm damage, looking for hornworms, picking beans, and squash. Bruce and I also go look at the orchard and pick blueberries. In walking in the orchard area, I noticed this dragonfly. […]

Japanese Beetles Doing Japanese Beetle Things

July 6, 2026 On June 20, we picked blueberries. I am so glad we selected early, mid, and late-season berries. This has given us a steady crop of blueberries. The mid-season has produced the most berries. I picked some ripe tomatoes. The Clint Eastwood Rowdy Red is a delicious variety. The cherry tomatoes are very […]