Sights while walking

Each day when walking I see this grouping of plants at the entrance of Stone Creek Golf Club and walking path. It is such an interesting display of height,texture, and color in plants. I wanted to record it just in case my garden needs tweaking next year...I have already decided it does and I can use this roadway garden as a reference. These plants are tolerant to all kinds of weather and don't need constant attention. The path around the golf course goes into the woods and along a stream. There is a fresh feeling in the woods and the water sounds so peaceful.
At one point I looked up to see this huge maple looming over me. Another photo opportunity!!
On up the hill we plodded and back into the open, there are golfers playing their game.
Back up the road to the entrance again and I take another picture from the perspective of leaving the golf course. It's a beautiful place to walk and certainly a good bit of exercise.

After the August rain....

Things are becoming more green and blooming once again, almost as if it were spring! The violets have spread their seed and here I find new little plants to brighten this walkway! Off in the distance you can see the lawn becoming quite green and lush. Variegated Geraniums are among my favorite plants. The leaves alone are enough to keep me growing them and when the blooms have faded they continue to draw attention to themselves.
The Delphiniums have come back only in a smaller and less heavy bloom. The color is lighter and the plants have spread out. They are not top heavy and will last longer in the garden.
These little Pansy's are turning their heads up to say "Hi!" They remind me of my mom. She would talk to her pansy's like they were listening..and some say they do! I was given this red Jackson Perkins rose as a gift to remember my dear friend, Donna, who passed away two years ago. Last year it didn't do much but this year it's giving me some beautiful long stemmed beauties! Thank you Kim and Bette!!

Below is the "wedding lawn" and it is greening up quickly after the heavier August rain we had over last week. For those of you who have heard that we have a lot of rain and think we live with constant downpour....that isn't the case in the summer. And for those of you who live where there is drought, you know how much rain is appreciated when you get it. We almost feel that way all year long! There is a certain enjoyment that comes from rain...it is life giving and life sustaining! Light + Water = LIFE. My life is based on this concept of loving God(Light), listening to and learning His word(water).
Sunflower seeds were planted in July and they are about to bloom. It has changed the way the herb garden looks due to the height of these plants. The Sunflowers love the sun and they give protection to the other plants that appreciate a little shade. Next year I'm going to "back plant" shade plants in a full sun area by using tall specimens. In other words, shade will be created so that other kinds of plants that don't like the sun can thrive. Make sense? Have a great weekend!! It's the last weekend before school starts here in the Northwest and is commonly used for getting a lot of yard and house work done! I'm going to get started on mine now.

Paper crafting...random designing.

A simple pleasure of mine is cutting paper, sometimes with a pattern and other times with no pattern. I could do this kind of thing all day and enjoy every minute! There is a small bit of hand painting in the leaf design on the second bag. The options of what can be done are endless!
The train was made for a baby shower at my church. First it is drawn on a piece of paper then transferred to a large piece of cardboard that came from an IKEA package. (It is the nicest cardboard for crafts because it is very lightweight and easy to cut). I covered the shapes with Elmer's glue, mixed with a little water, and tissue paper. This gives a good surface to paint on and seals the edges. I used tempera paint, which goes on quickly, and dries easily. After the paint dried, each piece was sprayed with a clear finish, backing added, and small tag board tag added so it would stand. The stars on the wheels are cut out from a piece of scrapbook paper.

Planning a trip.....

....to Toronto the end of September! The first thing on my agenda was to get a Passport! I have never needed one before, but now that I have one there are so many more travel options to consider! When I get to Toronto there is an important thing I have been asked to do! Make an apple pie! The apple pie below was made yesterday and the image is for Aryne, so she knows I do still make them! :) Last week we had a little guest and one some of you may recognize. Claire came to visit! See how she has grown since May!
Claire enjoys sitting at the small table and she also likes climbing on the table!! We relish the love she brings into our lives and she delights in the all the farm has to teach her!! She isn't quite talking yet but there is no doubt about what she is saying!!

Here comes a Zucchini Recipe....

We have pounds of zucchini growing from our two zucchini plants. They grow hidden underneath the leaves and large stems...until one day you find baseball bat sized zucchini and must decide what to do with them. Of course everyone wants to "catch" the zucchini before they are so large but it seldom happens! :) There are several options for uses including: bake something, feed to the goats, feed to the chickens, offer to our friends and family. This week I chose to make zucchini bread, or at least I thought that is what I was doing. This bread turns out to be better than cake..no kidding!! It is moist and delicious! The recipe is taken from www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,174,155189-230206,00.html
Do you have a zucchini story or recipe to share? Please do!!

Cinnabar!

The beautiful bag, called Cinnabar, came to me from Tracy of Pink Purl. She made it for her Esty shop, I loved it and now it's mine! Tracy has many lovely things in her Pink Purl Etsy shop and each item is made with her personal touch. This bag has two pockets inside; one for my camera and one for my phone. I am using it as a purse for now, but it could also be used to carry books, diapers, lunch, etc! Tracy has several items on sale right now and if you run right over to her Esty Shop you can also find something that fits your taste!! Simply click on the link I've highlighted and poof...you will see everything!! Have fun shopping!! Thank you, Tracy!

A thought to ponder....

August is a month when the flowers, vegetables and anything growing comes into it's own. I am amazed at what my little plants have turned into! I had to trust that the plants would grow and fill in the empty space. This is much like life and a thought to ponder!

These pictures were taken today after a light rain. The weeds are something to fight right now but even they are kind of pretty! I wish the deer would eat them!! The photos below are of one area and on the south side of our home.

Zucchini PlantsCosmos

Side Garden in Full Bloom
Transplanted Wild Piggy Back with Spider Web

Ivy and weed
More of the same garden

Black Eyed Susan
Salvia/Lipstick
"O taste and see how gracious the Lord is: blessed is the man who trusteth in him" and "The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament showeth his handiwork..."
Psalm 34:8 and Psalm 119:1

When good friends gather.....

As the temperature rose in the Willamette Valley this last weekend, the Oregon Coast cooled down and provided an escape. The weather at the beach was inverted and the coastline became fogged in. It was so fogged in at times that we felt like we were walking through something unearthly. There were children playing on the beach, in spite of the fog, and people built fires to warm themselves. Everyone knew what the valley held, and appreciated the coolness.

We (seven friends from church) busied ourselves at making altered books to use as journals. There was a scurry of cutting and gluing, until each person had their own idea of what their journal should look like. The books didn't quite get finished, but can be easily finished at home.
One of the ladies brought hand quilting and this is the result of her time. It will be made into a mug rug. It was interesting to watch as she pieced and sewed!
Food was fast and plenty!! These pizzas were delicious and served us as one dinner meal. When seven good friends gather, there is an air of celebration and fun!! We have gathered together for years by taking a few days away from the busyness of home, with the gift of time, to value the friendship we share.
Now...back to home and getting some things done around the garden!

Back to the beach.

The beach is calling, it is going to be very hot in the valley this weekend and the timing couldn't be better to leave! My bags are packed with my walking shoes, good books, paints, scissors, glue and interesting paper. The intention is to be creative, get rest and take in the salt air. Did I mention eat, laugh, watch old movies, tell stories and stay up too late? I will be back in a few days. Have a good weekend!

The summer is winding down and the best is yet to come!!

Pleasures today......

....finding Bart in the baby crib..........finding Simon in a box that is suppose to hold a wedding gift.......

...finding a size 3 dress at a resale shop.....and it's never been worn......and it's Hanna Anderson besides!!!! Not that I care about labels...but it is well made and beautiful!


....the best pleasure for today is taking a snap of this little face!!

If you have read this far....do share your pleasures, on your blog, for today! :))

Wild Plums....

Wild plums appeared on trees that have not produced fruit for years. One tree sits at the edge of our property and another tree next to the chicken coup. Conditions must have been exactly right for these two wild trees to give this extraordinary gift. The colors of the fruit are a beautiful peachy pink and they appeared like jewels hanging from the branches. We picked every plum we could reach and I made a plum sauce from them. The tangy sauce will be served with a savory pork roast sometime very soon!

Weeds, water and fertilizer.

Over the years of growing a garden we have learned a few tricks that have helped us grow a better garden. Seeds are planted in triple rows, to counter balance the attack of birds, bunnies and deer. We water the planted rows by hand. We don't use a sprinkler because it helps keep the weeds from growing between the rows. We also plant wide rows, so we can till, if needed. Weeding is all done by hand, we use no herbicides. Chicken, goat and horse manure is used for fertilizer. It works!
How do you grow and care for your garden?

How does my garden grow?

It's been a while since I shared how the vegetable garden was doing. As you can see, it is growing very well, and looks like it has caught up with other gardens that were planted earlier than June 14th! We are on schedule to harvest the end of August, just like we hoped. The sunflowers are quite tall and the zinnias are beginning to bloom.

It looks like each bean and corn seed came up. We have families of crows, bunnies and deer on or property. These animals have the capability of eating every seed or sprout in a days time!! None of them showed up to eat this year, so we have an abundance of plants! We planted several varieties of cucumbers that include: Lemon Cucumber, English and Pickling cucumbers. They always do well and it's difficult to use them all, so we share with family, friends and neighbors.