How Does Your Garden Grow?

The rosemary and chives (yes, I know I should de-flower them, but I LIKE the purple blossoms, and I'll do it in a bit, OK?) in the garden, with the irises and peonies behind.

Whew. I've never had a spring quite like this one in terms of business. I feel like I'm racing wildly trying to catch up. Not necessarily stressful, just extremely busy. I'm always amazed when I realize it's Friday AGAIN, and a whole new week has gone by. I'm ready for the comparative slowness of summer -- the kids are done with school by next week, and I have a test to do and final papers to grade the week after that, and then ... on to canning, gardening, camping, etc. Still busy, I guess. But it's a different kind of busy. One where it doesn't matter if you're late, and you work more with your hands, doing the same thing over and over, in a rhythm. It's a lovely change. Here are some pictures of what's growing around the Cherry Tree Farm:

Peonies are my very favorite flower. These bushes are starts from Scott's grandparents' farm. The current owner was kind enough to call the family before he had to dig them up during a renovation and ask if the family would like to save some. Wasn't that so nice?




The chicks have changed dramatically! I do believe we have ended up with some roosters -- I didn't exactly grow up as a real farm girl, but this one in the top photo looks a lot more like Frank than Frances to me!












Then there's this odd species that's shown up ... wait a minute!!







And the garden beginning to really look like a garden with:
Chard







Lettuce







Green Peas







Corn (if this crop doesn't produce well this year AGAIN, I
think Scott will throw himself in the canal!). The black stuff on the
sides is landscaping fabric to keep down the weeds.








Well, friends and neighbors (as my mother says), that's what's growing in our garden and around the homestead (excluding Steven, who grew a solid inch between January and March ... and probably another one by now). How about you? love, kristin

Astute Observation, Captain Obvious!

I haven't given you any student bloomers for a bit, so here are three. My long-suffering next-door neighbor on the English hall, Jeremiah, got all three of these in one day. And he's still not in tears. Isn't it amazing? They're marvels of ... um ... perspicacity.

"The progression of life begins at birth and ends at death."

"Everyone was a child at some point."

"Almost everything created by humans is designed." (Jeremiah's office mate suggested adding, "Except, obviously, this paper.")

And now, for your mental picturing pleasure, a double-feature. This sentence is from a paper one of Jeremiah's students wrote in which they were supposed to practice advertising writing. It was for air-freshener, or something:

"One pray, and you're running through a field of roses." Not only is the typo hilarious, but as Jeremiah pointed out, wouldn't running through a field of ROSES be painful? "Ow! Ow! I thought a prayed about this!"

love, kristin

Tucannon Camping

The Boxcar Kids -- Emily's current favorite in the kids' book department (thanks, all of you, for your suggestions a while ago!)

We just returned from a last-minute, weekend-long camping trip to the Tucannon area (just outside Dayton, WA). There are about 20 (I'm not exaggerating) little campgrounds every couple of miles along that road, with just a few sites in each -- and absolutely no improvements (that's not true -- there were outhouses!). There are also almost no fellow campers, which suited us just fine. The area used to be semi-forested with pine trees, but following a serious wildfire in 2005, it's fairly open. Plenty of room to ramble, chase butterflies, have campfires, and play Cooties and Uno. (Or, if you're Cap, carry on a failed effort to catch just one ground squirrel.) Boy, do I not miss tent camping! (We have a trailer now -- with bunk beds. Greatest thing ever.)


(From the top:) Scott first thing in the morning by the fire (he's not going to think it's funny that I posted this photo; cheesy breakfast smiles (I know, I know, Steven officially looks like the oldest in the picture -- doesn't he? -- but don't break Emily's heart and tell her); Mara and me (also first thing in the morning, also by the fire); Mara; Steven, Emily & Scott hiking up the ridge behind our trailer (you can see the burn damage well in this photo); Steven (also first thing in the morning --thus the coat & quilt).

love, kristin