07/25/F Rollercoaster temps but still no rain. However, with good garden management, we are canning 4 different types of beans, my mama turkey has a big batch of duckling, chicks and one little gosling, and the tomatoes are heavy with fruit - we start canning the red jewels next week. Our late-season peaches are blushing, so it is going to be a sweet August. If anyone has any extra rain, send it down and over to us. . . . PLEASE! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summer 06/20/F The garden is in and growing well. Wheel barrels full of zucchini and yellow squash are making their way up to the house. Hubby cut the pasture three times and we got some old hay from a neighbor, so almost everything is mulched. We've had several hatchings of ducks and chicks, and even have 3 baby geese. I adopted an unwanted rabbit from one of my students. The turkey hen hatched a baby chick, so she is happy to have a baby, even if it doesn't speak her language. She is an excellent mother. Peach trees are full of hard, hopeful fruit, and I've got to go get pricked and pick blackberries. If we EVER get any rain, I might get a decent blueberry crop. Sunflowers and daylillies are showing their beautiful faces. Oh, how I love summer. My daughter went on a beach camping vacation with friends, so my step-daughter came South to take her place. Awfully quiet around here with the children gone. Son #2 just moved into his first house, and son #1 might be home next month to get his visa renewed before returning to China. He and his wife are teaching English and American/British culture. I am teaching 6 classes this summer, so I'll be busy. Hubby is retired and will be working on the garden all summer. Busy, busy, busy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Memorial Day 08 From one Viet Nam Era Vet to all of you who served our great land. Best wishes for continued healing, and let us never forget our comrades in arms who did not make it home. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 08: Forget Spring - summer is upon us. Getting the garden in for a bountiful crop. Duckings, goselings and chicks are hatching daily. Warm weather is moving into the hot stuff. We are already wishing for rain as we did not recover from last year's drought with the winter rains. Still it is a happy time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 08: Spring is HERE! Daylight is stretching herself after a winter's nap. Trees are budding in anticipation. Daffodils have gone, the dogwood blooms are starting to wither and roses are beginning their bloom.. The sap is beginning to rise, and I'm ready to dust off and get back outside. The garden is calling.