a little closer

I've been taking my last few deep breaths of summer,

feeling fall approaching, every day a little closer.



We continue to expore our new valley; from running broad dirt roads, to picking our way along a barely-there antelope trail...





Me to Amelia: "I think there could be snakes living here, so let me know if you see a snake, okay?"
Amelia to Me: "Okay. Mama, let me know if you see a mouse, or a jaguar, or a polar bear, okay?"
Me to Amelia: "Okay."



I scavenged a giant cottonwood log from the barrel pit along the road and viola...a little bench for three - Mike did the actual construction, so I can't take all the credit...very fancy all around, I know...




Aven takes some of her first steps along the swather path in our back field.

Our garden this year is strange. Since we moved in June there was nowhere to plant the tomatoes and peppers I had started from seed in our kitchen window. Until we learned about straw bale gardening...which honestly doesn't seem like it should work...how dow you grow stuff without dirt? But I've actually been pretty impressed with it.... We top-dressed the bales with llama manure and this organic chicken manure fertilizer that Mike sells in his store, and the plants themselves look really healthy. Now if only I could do something about the number of growing days...Michelle Obama and I see a very large hoop house in my future...more on that (hopefully) to come!









they're supposed to be this color...

We've had a handful of red tomatoes this year (all from my 'Silvery Fir Tree' tomato plants - which produced red tomatoes last year before the middle of July - go find yourself some!) but nothing like years past. Looks like we'll be living off the remainder of last year's massive canning operation.

Next post I promise birthday pictures of this short person: