Happy 4th of July - Independence Day!

Ok, I'm going to take liberties with the word independence and hopefully you'll indulge me...

Jason and I had a great Independence Day weekend.  Independence from responsibility, as we took the goats to their new "forever home"  with Ross and Julie. (More on this in a moment)... independence from the nasty "lean to" on the back of Kelly's house and independence from having to cook, as our friends Jeff and Karen had us over for dinner and fireworks.  :)

So, about the goats.  I hope this isn't too sad for you, I know I posted pictures of them from time to time.

 But I had to be honest with myself.  We really didn't have shelter for them where they needed to be... in the back pasture.  So, we were feeding them twice a day, which is really not the healthiest thing for them.  And it was a lot of work, with no benefit.  They need roughage and constant access to it at that.  So, my friend Emily's Mom and Step-dad took them.  They were happy to have them and Harold and Maude took to eating the weeds as they were supposed to right away!  Ross built a nice little shelter for them and I hear they're doing well.  :)

Also on our list this weekend was taking down the lean to on Kelly's house.  Dad called and offered to come up and help Monday so we took him up on it.

It was the most disgusting thing ever... rotting insulation and boards.

The skunk aroma that wafted out of the boards every so often, was stifling.  I have to think that Kelly's house is going to smell so much better, just with that simple change!

Anyway, here's to a clean slate!  Hope you've had a great week!

Better Late than Never???

Finally there is something noteworthy in our garden!  They're not ready to harvest yet, but our "Laxton's Progress" peas are doing well.  I'm hoping the heat wave forecast next week doesn't wipe them out.  Do you think I'd be laughed out of town if I put out an umbrella for my peas?  

Also of note are our strawberries!

  

Although they are definitely crowded in their little planter box, they are growing rapidly and have yielded some large beautiful berries. 

 I'm sorry to say, however, that they don't have the same impressive sweetness that they might if we had had the sunny June we can usually count on.  Oh well, we'll take what we can get.  Jason is planning to make homemade strawberry ice cream for his parents' visit tomorrow.  Can't wait!

My other little treasure of the garden is my "Mock Orange" shrub.  It has the most beautiful fragrance.  I wish I put a scratch and sniff spot on the blog so you could enjoy it.  It's just amazingly sweet and fresh.  I wish I had ten of them in the garden.

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I hope you and yours had a wonderful 4th of July.  God Bless America!  

New Arrivals...

So, we have a couple of new arrivals of a different kind, they're actually Kelly's new arrivals...

They're Kelly's new kitties, Gable

and Cody Rae

They are just the cutest things ever!  Hope you enjoy the pics!

I should have some more pics of the garden to add this weekend.  It's been awhile since we've done anything noteworthy, but I'll post something so you can see what's new and growing.  The good news is, it appears that my tomatoes may actually survive the rainy spring... That still remains to be seen.

Have a great day!

Strawberry Hunting

Today was beautiful and fabulous!  Jason and I went to Silverton last night for dinner and an overnight stay at the Oregon Gardens. It was a spur of the moment trip, but well worth the time.

We came back early this morning after a short jaunt to the Oregon City Farmer's market for bread, lettuce and cod.  I know, sounds like a weird combination, but I'm sure it will come together.  :)

Jason made strawberry lemonade and Kelly made spinach cakes for lunch. It was quite decadent; perfect for a sunny day.   Better known in my circle as "awesome!".  

So, today was a day of great accomplishments...Including planting our cane berries...

a nap for Jason and a tanning session for Kelly and I, and a visit with some of my favorite people... My sister-in-law Christine and brother-in-law Mike...

Especially, a visit with some of my favorite short people, their boys, Chase and Derek...

  And they went strawberry hunting...

Look at the big treat we found in the raised bed.  It's not quite ready, and this picture isn't really even showing  how big it is, but it's ginormous and I can't wait to taste it!  

Then there was the visit with the goats.  They're always so curious about the kids, as are the kids about them. 

And of course... a much requested ride with Aunt Debbie on the tractor.  I think it's a toss up as far as who enjoys it more.

All in all, today was blissful.  I hope you enjoyed the sunshine too!

Guess What?

We have pumpkins!  I'm so unbelieveably excited!  I really thought that they were done for, with all the rain we've had lately...

but when I came home Sunday, this is what I found...

Yay!  There is still hope for the pumpkin patch this year!

Home Sweet Home... or Not?

So, we arrived home Sunday evening to find this...

Ah yes, my wonderful husband and his sense of humor. :)  He definitely made us laugh though and I know that was the intent.  It was pretty darn funny.

His humor did not continue as we unloaded stuff from the car though.  Not that he was upset, he just doesn't see the point in buying "old stuff".  I guess my rebuttal would be, "I don't see the point in buying new stuff that will be outdated within a matter of months".  No, no that can't be a not-so-hidden reference to electronics.  :)  

Anyway, that tangent aside... Kelly and I really enjoyed the last day of the show.  We only stayed for 2 1/2 hours, but I'm fairly certain I bought the same amount of "stuff" the second day!  The "R" theme continued, but at this point, we were looking for them... 

This was one of our really great finds, cast iron pans, seasoned, for only $12 each, oh and they're marked Wagner.  I've seen them for as much as $125!

I should have posted this the first day, but this is the milk truck that welcomed us as we walked in the front door.  This was the first time I could get a clear shot of it.  

Kip was the "relationship expert" at the hotel where we stayed, Holiday Inn Express.  He was such a sweetie!  

Yes this was "Diego" completely full for the trip home!  He definitely got a work out on this trip!

Here is the little display that Jason wasn't too impressed with, but we were very happy with our finds!  :) 

Hope you had a great weekend too!  

Farm Chicks!!!! (Day 1)

So, in case you're having a hard time visualizing what "Farm Chicks" is all about, here is my little photo commentary and I've attached a link to the website as well. 

 This is the first day the show was open and it was packed to the rafters with people.  It was one of those situations where you wish you could just stretch your arms out to the side and spin like a windmill after telling people "sorry" (for bumping into them) 20 times.  I hope that makes sense... maybe only to those of us who are a little on the claustrophobic side.  

Nonetheless it was a great day and I saw (and purchased) so many unique and wonderful things.  I almost went off the deep end and purchased a sideboard for $850, but I thought better of it.  It was a great price, but I decided the construction wasn't as attractive as the details.  

There were so many amazing things to see.  This Cashier's counter was so unique and had beautiful, intricate details.  I bought a picnic basket and a couple of apple baskets from this nice "cashier".   Her husband was so helpful, he even helped us carry things out to the curb so we didn't have to lumber through the hall with our finds.  .  

Enamelware comes in so many different shapes and sizes and this is probably the biggest display I've ever seen.  There were so many different pieces.  

The couple that was selling the peanut brittle at this stand was so cute and friendly.  You can see that he really loves what he does...

The letter "R" seemed to be the theme of the day.  We found a huge one from an old marquee, then this smaller one that was just the coolest thing.  For the bargain price of $200 (it was copper), however,  it got to stay with it's exhibitor. 

 It was just funny how many R's we saw today.  Actually, I guess it could be the theme of the weekend, Rest, Relax, Recuperate, Retreat.  Oh and our maiden names both start with an R.  

I just thought these little parfait dishes were beautiful and deserved a photo.  :) 

This artist had a very cool style.  We're going back tomorrow for a couple of hours, so I'll have to catch her name and post it.   I can easily see her are featured in a magazine.  

Last but not least, one of my favorite artisans was there again, Alyson someone from Montana.  I bought some earrings from her when I visited four years ago and I was delighted to find her booth again.  I didn't get a photo of any of the earrings I bought, but I'll try to catch one tomorrow.  

We ended the day in true "Farm Chicks" fashion, with a little pampering... manicures and pedicures, a glass of wine and a good dinner.  I hope your day was as joyful and productive as mine. 

Rest well, there's another big day ahead tomorrow; for us Farm Chicks anyway. :)