Good Gardens!

This has been such a great year for my gardens.  Last year not a single tomato ripened, nor apples grew.

My flower beds were overtaken with lemon balm and buttercups which is fine for a short while.  This spring we dug out all the beds, filled them with new garden soil and planted flowers everywhere.  Granted we were inspired by wedding plans, but since the wedding my gardens have been a joy to look at.  Now fall is coming and I'm sad to see the flowers go, but waiting for those leaves to take their place!

Moms Garden

 Calendula wanted to take over this summer.  I found an easy recipe for a calendula salve-love it!

So many tomatoes too.

This is a leek flower head.

Plaid Garden

Flower Gardens

Jonagolds

 Granny Smiths

Pumpkins in the Rock Garden

The Things I Love

A few weeks ago I grabbed my camera and walked around my yard capturing the things I love.

My beloved fork collection!

Jakes Garbage Hauling

A baby bathtub from a Romanian orphanage

My husband is so proud of this planter he made me.

My favorite old washtub.

Back porch

Park benches I scored for the wedding we had this summer.

chicken feeder

I love bringing new life to cast offs.  If it's wood or metal and has acquired a second skin, (moss or rust) and can hold something, you can bet it's going to find a home at my place.  Thanks for visiting, Sharon.

Harvest Time

This morning I went out to my garden to harvest a few veggies.  The weather today is beautiful and expected to be in the high 70's, which is extremely unusual for Washington State.   It is going to start raining tomorrow, so I thought I better get out there before the slugs do.

Fall

As I wondered around my yard today, I was thinking about what this time of the year means to me.......

The maple leaves are starting to turn

Back to school

Being so excited about playing a new instrument

 Sunflowers in my garden

 This is my little shop where I store all of my summer finds

 It is so full of wonderful treasures - can't wait for the Girlfriends Holiday Market......

Summer Is Winding Down

This last weekend we went on a family road trip before school starts.  One of our favorite places to visit is the Columbia Gorge.  It is so beautiful and peaceful there.

 On our way back home to Olympia, we stopped at the Camas Vintage Street Faire.  What a fantastic event.

 

We ran into Erin Kiley ~ one of our vendors that will be at our Girlfriends Holiday Market show again this year.  If you don't know Erin, let me tell you that she has the most wonderful things and is so creative. 

Erin's booth

 and the signs that she makes.....

I hope you enjoy the last days of summer.

The Skagit Valley

The boys and I took a quick trip up to Mount Vernon to see family.  On our way back home to Olympia we stopped at Snow Goose Produce ~ a country market located on Fir Island in the Skagit Valley.  My nephew Taylor works there during the summer months.

Taylor got the boys a huge ice cream.......

             The cousins......Austin, Taylor and Wyatt

If you are visiting the Skagit Valley, it is worth the trip to this wonderful country market.

Raspberry Jam

Every year the boys and I go out to Spooner Farms to pick strawberries and make jam.  This year we decided to get raspberries instead.  

Wyatt - my inspector 

 I prefer to make freezer jam because it is so quick and easy.  Just raspberries, sugar and pectin.  Even better, there are more raspberries than sugar.  

What have you made lately?

In The Garden

Early this morning I went out to the garden to get some weeding done and take a few pictures.  I was surprised to see some cucumbers and lots of blueberries -  enough to make a pie.  I am looking forward  to harvesting some other veggies soon.

 The herb garden