Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The Joy of Working With Friends.

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We had a really nice day yesterday. Here is Leah, being introduced to Kohlrabi. :)





We got up, did our usual morning stuff of straightening up, Bible study, prayer; then we went out to begin working. Leah came by around noonish and we worked outdoors until dark, with a brief interlude during some showers when Michael played his pirates game and Leah and I watched "The Belly Button Song" on YouTube, an interesting video about prophecy and possible ties to eclipses, and studied up on some herb questions we had.

The Japanese Beetles are not bothering the vineyard too badly, since Michael sprayed it, but they'd moved over to the Doyle Thornless blackberry row, so that got sprayed. We had to removed some of the grape clusters, due to Black Rot, but not too many. We've got more grapes than we've ever gotten before, but I've been ruthless in cutting off, pulling off, and spraying. Next year, I can't wait to eat grapes!

Mowing took hours again, so did weeding the herb garden, pruning and tying up blackberries and grapes, and tying up cucumbers. Then it was dark. LOL

For anyone who does not know kohlrabi, it's a brassica, so it tastes remarkably like broccoli. However, you can serve this at parties and not worry about having broccoli stuck in your teeth. That is note-worthy in my book!





Just cut off the exterior, slice, chill, and serve these crisp and crunchy bulbs with veggie dip.





We have so much to begin picking right now. The broccoli is about ready.





The cauliflower is making an appearance.





The piricicaba is showing up.





The piricicaba is getting away.






Piricicaba ~ There's something funny going on in the broccoli patch.


Working our way downhill, we were planning on documenting the progress of the Mockingbird chicks, but when we got to the sunflowers, look what we found.





It sat there for the longest time, exhausted, I'm sure, from learning to fly. It's parents sitting up on the overhead wires, were quite concerned, but knew there was nothing they could do. They probably gave up hope, but after we all just looked at each other for a while, we got back to work.





We stayed up til about 1 am, trying to see stars. Michael stayed up with us. With the light cloud cover and the two-doors-down neighbors yard spotlights, it was difficult to get good viewing, but we had fun playing games, making up limericks, and imagining all sorts of odd adventures in between clear spots.

We never made it to the tomatoes, so that's first on the list this morning. I may be able to gather my first sunflower bouquet, I'm hoping. And I need to make pickles. The counter is absolutely COVERED in cukes.

Later today we are going to help some friends with some chores, then hopefully, go the the movies together. We've not been to the movies in a while, but the theater is having discounts on Tuesdays, so if they are showing Night At the Museum 2, we'll go.

I better check the movie schedule!

Have a great day! Humidity is supposed to be lower all over. Yay!

Faith

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6 comments:

  1. Sounds like you all had a wonderful day...and isn't it nice to get some help now and then???

    I hope you are right on the humidity....it feels like we are living in a sauna down here in this hollow!

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  2. WOW! Your garden is amazing. Ours is still just in the growing stage, not even the blooming stage.

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

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  3. What a gorgeous garden you have! I so love coming to your blog-I am always blessed or inspired each time. Thank you so much for the empathy & prayers about my dd & her horse. It means more than I can say.
    I'm so sorry about what happened to your horse. Did he recover from that? Holly

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  4. Stone Bridge Farm,

    Have you never given your name, or am I just unable to get my mind to remember it? LOL

    That's the reason I sign all my comments. I have such a hard time putting correct names to icons. It's a personal flaw of mine. ;) I figure there have got to be other people like me.

    Yeah, I don't know how the early folks took it when it got humid on top of the heat. Just sit there with fans all day, but sleeping at night must have been lousy.

    ~Faith

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  5. Linda,

    You've had such a cool spring. We did too, but as soon as the rain came and the heat arrived, everything grew more in 2 weeks than it had in 2 months.

    Next spring, I am NOT planting this early again.

    ~Faith

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  6. Holly,

    Yes, Tandy survived. It was sure a blessing that we got home in time, or I don't know what would have happened.

    It was all old ranch fencing that had been on the land before it was subdivided. But he calmed down so well when I arrived and soothed him while my brother went and got the wire cutters for me. Lets you know just how much they need you.

    ~Faith

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I always enjoy hearing from others. If you become a regular commenter, I'll assume you are being friendly and pretty much comment regularly right back. :o) God bless and have a terrific day!