I'm Back!!

Today is the kids' first day back to school. You just may see a flurry of blogging from me followed by me catching up on my favorite blogs. I'll be posting in between cleaning blueberries, freezing rhubarb, cleaning house and working outside if it doesn't rain. :)

July 5th....

Homer does not wear shorts and he does not get in the pool. Lucas talked him into his once-every-other-year swim. 

Olivia left for 21 days (I think) this summer with her grandparents. I'll make a post of her trip. She was returning soon so I wanted to have her greenhouse planted even if it was a late start.

Funny to look at the changes. This bed is now 2 feet tall and you can barely see any wood chips.

July 6th....

Can you see the three juvenile ravens sitting in the tree? Every morning the mother raven would drop them off while she went looking for food. They would sit right there and scream at me working in the yard. Could not shoo them away. Every half hour she would fly by and talk raven telling them to stay put. Finally on one of her trips she'll tell them to follow and off they'd go. Truly an annoying several weeks. 

I'm wondering if I got a good photo of these petunias as they grew to completely hide the rocks... until last week when the moose smashed them getting a drink. (She's destroying all my beds eating them and there's nothing I can do to stop her). :(

I love the dragonflies... they keep my yard mosquito free.

Determined to fill up the far end of the pool (see it in the photo) I began washing rocks. I got the end completed and just need to finish the far side. (I kind of lost interest and moved on to other projects).

Taking the rubber off a 20-year old 4-wheeler tire Redneck style.

Seems like I made very few good meals this summer.... not sure where all my time goes. (I love breaded baked tomatoes).

My friend Loretta stopped by for a quick visit. She works entirely too much as a bush pilot and we're always so busy. Hardly see her.

Two neighbor girls came over to swim with Emily.

July 7, 8, 9, 10....

We did our best to make soccer fun since I was short on players and without talent. Lucas was a real trooper dealing with the "special" kids on his team.

I started on the pile of wood left from winter splitting and stacking it by the house. I was determined to take over the "Boy Side" of the yard. I am about through with piles of mess. Needless to say I was unsuccessful.

I helped Lucas build rock castles for knights, dragons and dinosaurs.

Half a cord finished.

In front of the doors was a low spot so when you come out you step in a puddle of water on rainy days. Eventually we will build a patio, but I decided that's too far away and hauled a bunch of the tailings over. Puddle problem solved.

Got the plastic on Olivia's greenhouse and it's all ready for her to come home.

One of two times that I got in the pool and floated around. It was so hot all summer and I should have been in there every day! I think we had 35 days of 85* or higher. Unbelievable! I'll take -40* below all winter if I can have another summer like this one.