Summer Camp and Such

Well, as much as I say I'm going to 'jump right on this and keep up the posts' things get thrown out whack. I must admit that when free times rolls around other things seem to jump in. Anyway, with that being said the updates now are....

• Oldest is summer camp, Parris Island style. I'm sure he's learning new crafts, canoeing, hanging out by the fire making s'mores. At least he picked the coolest months weather-wise to go. Can't call him dumb. We do miss him but it will end up being the best for him right now. 
• Youngest pretty much ignores us as we are only allowed to call Mondays and Fridays. 
• The WOF will be living elsewhere if she does not quit being a pest. 

Swearing in ceremony at the MEPS Station. It's official!

Standing by the flag after the ceremony. I have another one of mom kissing the boy as he's leaving but I don't think I'll put that one up. Anyway, he's learning the Marine life right now and I'm sure not in the best way. 

On the garden front the peas are done as well as the green beans. We were able to pick the last of them that the wife and I shared for dinner. There was just enough to feed us. We have been getting some good cucumbers off the plants, the corn is doing great as are the tomatoes. My squash is weirdly dying at the moment and I'm not sure why. I do have some space in the low bed so I may throw some seeds in it because I have a great recipe for squash relish and was hoping to can some. We have gotten a few squash off of the plants but now......

I must have planted two different types. Hmmmmm

I finally ripped out the peas and you can tell the beans need to go too. I do have some Romas to go in here in about 2 more weeks. I must be over watering the cukes. They are turning yellow and wilting up on me. 

I finally staked up the tomatilo plants and put the pea fencing up so the cukes in this bed could climb up instead of pulling everything down! It was like Christmas lights in there. Don't know if you can see but the carnival peppers are coming in. 

The tomatoes plants in front are the Romas and are they ever producing. I hope I get a good fall crop of these. 

Closer view of the Romas.

These cherry tomatoes are doing OK as well. The Big Boy and Better Boys are about 6" taller than myself right now. I don't know how but I can grow these things.

Got around this weekend to pulling weeds and mulching the front bed. Definitely looks better now. And the past two days we've been blessed with rain so that cut down on the watering timer. 

Now, every once in a while I will visit a webcam behind the 18th green at The Seve Ballesteros course at Cran Sur Sierre, Cran Montana, Switzerland. One day I checked it and they had it down for maintenance I guess, so I cruised the other cams they had. I found one that was looking down into the town of Sier. This resort is a skiing destination in the winter and host the the Omega Masters in September. If I could only play this course. It is sooooooo beautiful there. 

Here's the link to the site if you want to check it out. I may even do a separate post just about this place. I will be there before I die. http://www.tourism-crans-montana.co.uk/index.php?ong=2

WOF of the Week. 

She's at it again. Just didn't have the energy to 'stand and eat.' 

I don't know sometimes......

Hope all is well with you. Hope to make a post this weekend as we'll be north visiting family this weekend. Show you some of our old turf.

Growing Up and Family.

Well I certainly have been relaxed in getting a post up. Big weekend this past weekend; oldest son graduated high school, all of the family came down for the weekend to witness this, the girls made a beach trip Sunday and brought back seafood to cook for dinner that night, everyone left Monday, youngest with grandparents for some Mountaineer time, oldest went to beach for vacation before boot camp, leaving me, the wife, and the WOF. Don't have any pictures of the graduation or related activities until the wife gives them to me so that'll be next time.
Got a good harvest from the garden to go with the dinner Sunday night; green beans, more peas, and we pulled the potatoes up. Planted 5 lbs. and got about 10. Yukon Gold and I must say they had a great taste to them. Beans taste like beans. I do have more bush to plant.

Peas on the right are pretty much done so they'll be coming out this weekend. Need to take down those poles for the beans as I don't really need them. Need to find out when I can start the new batch of beans. Got new ones from Gurneys.

Big squash plants, the cukes have attacked my Tomatilo plants and are trying to pull them down. Peppers take forever to do anything but they have flowered out. 

Speaking of..... A lot more have started coming out bt this one will be ready in a day or so.

We cut the remaining lettuce and then pulled them out. Also pulled the cabbage as I never seem to grow it that well. We tried the onions but they're still not ready. These cherry tomatoes are looking a little leggy but they are setting the fruit.

And speaking of tomatoes, the Romas have started setting their fruit too. But the Better Boy and Big Boy's are not doing too well. The German Johnson is starting to set the fruit but for some reason, this year seems to be in slow motion for the garden. I've noticed not that many bees out this year. Others are doing well with theirs but our garden seems to be in slow motion. 

Flowers around the mailbox are really doing well. I notice last night that my Dianthus had bloomed out. The wife said it had been out for a while. They are certainly nice to look at. 

WOF of the Week. Well, as company was heading our way, someone had to get a bath, ears cleaned, and flea medicine. She was not a happy WOF when all was done and stayed in her bed the remainder of the evening.

Will get more up this weekend. 

First Good Harvest, Alex Wins & Two Fat Ladies

Well, we have finally got a good harvest of spring veggies. Peas and green beans and more lettuce and a cucumber (only one.)

About time for the lettuce to come out of the garden as the days are getting pretty warm (actually miserably hot!) Beginning to rethink this move southward. I'm still looking at northern California or Oregon. Wife says no but a few more weeks of 90 plus temps and it may be a go! :) Peas are pretty close to being done too. Not sure about the beans, which btw I thought I needed to get fencing up for them to climb on then realized they were bush beans, DUH! Oh well, still a good harvest and I bought more to plant again soon as I want to can a lot of these this year. 

Northern California coast. Near Eureka I believe and probably the best climate I've been looking for. Never gets too hot nor cold. 

Maybe not the best for gardening but I can build a greenhouse!

Anyway I am not going to bore you with a lot of pictures of the garden this time so just a few snap shots...

Did a good cutting on the tomato plants and tied them up a little better.

Flower mix I haphazardly threw in this side box is going strong.

During my travels last week I stopped in a local chain store to look around (actually get lunch and..... I bought a salad dressing that I thought looked good, took it back to the office and it tasted terrible. AND this is the second, yes second bottle I have bought. Must be the label because the stuff is awful. AND I have 2 bottles of the crap.) :(

Back to the point I found a DVD of a show I'd seen a few times a long time ago on PBS, Two Fat Ladies. It was a cooking show where these two 'ladies' would travel around on a motorcycle and sidecar, chain smoke, cook and appear to get soused in the process. They were smart mouthed and I missed watching it. Until now. 

This will be going into the DVD collection soon!

Playing around with the camera some and got a good image of the flowers around the mailbox. Not the best photographer but i like it. Plus I grew the flower which makes it better.

WOF Of The Week. Play time in our house consists of chasing each other around the living room, playing with her stuffed animals and 'attacking' each other. Her fighting position is butt up, low face and growling. Of course her tail wags all of the time. I actually got her mid- bark in this pic.

Alexander Noren of Sweden today won the Wales Open http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2011/tournamentid=2011036/news/newsid=138024.html#noren+cruises+victory. He's a great player and keeps a fantastic blog about his travels and his game. He updates it quite often so it is worth checking out. http://www.alexnoren.com/  Bolg link is at the bottom of the page. 

That's it for this week. Family is coming down later this week for my oldest's graduation so we are looking forward to seeing everyone. Hope all is well with you.