Garden Harvest

WE HAVE CUCUMBERS!
I easily pick 3 to 5 every day.
I've given them to relatives, neighbors and co-workers.
I've made salads and salads and salads.
What else you wonder could you do with cucumbers?
Soup, yup done that.
I've pureed them and made cucumber cubes to toss in soup this winter.
My favorite is Cucumber limeade.

Puree a couple of peeled, seeded cucumbers, add 1 1/2 cups cold water, juice from one lime, 1/2 cup sugar (I used maple syrup) and 1/2 tsp of kosher salt and crushed ice. Very refreshing.

I planted herbs in and around the veggies and flowers.

This year I planted scarlet runner pole beans.
Very pretty red blossom and huge beans I believe I leave on to dry.

Was away, got a nasty cold, visit from Irene...everything is back to normal

We went to St. Louis for of a National Tax Conference. It took place at the Hyatt which is right on the park. Just a walk across the road to the ARCH. Well, I failed to take any good pictures of the arch. It's actually so massive that it is quite a challenge to get a good shot. This one is actually taken in the negative.
And of course you can't be in St. Louis without visiting the Anheuser Busch brewery. Just a few miles down the road. This is the original Brew House from 1891 still in operation today.
On our first day in the city we had beautiful 80 degree weather and headed for the Missouri Botanical Garden. We walked for a good two hours and then had lunch in the new cafe.
This fence surrounds the formal rose garden. I love these fun blown glass rays of sun. And we saw other blown glass pieces incorporated through out the garden.

This is the Jewel Box located in Forest Park, home of the 1904 World's Fair.

Half way through the week I got the head cold. I'm guessing I just was not careful enough about washing may hands while in the airport and plane. Coming home on the plane I was so congested that the pressure in my ears was unbearable. When we landed at 1am I couldn't hear out of either ear and that lasted for two days.

We escaped any major hit from Irene. She just left 3 inches of rain and leaves everywhere.
And we are happy to report that our daughter & son-in-law are fine in coastal Stella NC they are now waiting for the power to come back on.

pink

Bits of the the garden

"There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments."
-- Janet Kilburn Phillips

Innisfree Garden, Millbrook NY

On our way to Gettysburg PA for a family reunion we stopped
at this 150-acre public garden for a break from the highway traffic.

A 40 acre glacial lake occupies the center of the cup
at the Innisfree garden estate.

Shelburne Vermont

Round Barn

Shelburne Farm Inn

Guarding the Lake

We wandered up to Burlington Vermont for the Fourth of July.

A meadow walk .....observations

I took a mid-day walk in the local park near work.
It is an old pasture with lots of wildflowers.

The earth and plants heated by the sun produced a wonderful fragrance
as I walk up the hill toward the inviting shade of the woods.

Indian Paintbrushes we called these as kids.

Wild Sweet Pea, a new one for me.

Blue Vetch, beautiful in the wild with these milk weed plants
and briars but you never want it in your garden!

Pink Mountain Laurel

Red clover

Coming back to the office after my traipse I find this fellow
sunning on the walkway.

New beginnings

The wedding on May 28 was wonderful.
(She made her bouquet with broaches and hydrangea: click the photo to see it better.)

Off to North Carolina to live.

Found an apartment with central air!!!!

Adopted two butterscotch kittens in need of a family.
Palmer and Arnold
Lemonade and Ice Tea
White feet & belly and all Tan

2011 Baker of the Year graduates with High Honors

Why does it all bloom at once?

They say rain showers for the rest of the week and that mean the beautiful blossoms will fall.

Final adjustments to her wedding gown.

Our daughter is graduating from college and getting married this month.
She had her final fitting and they made the last adjustments, so we thought.
Trying it on at home the hem on the fifth layer was missed.
The inner taffeta was still 4 inches too long.

So I marked the fabric got out the Fiskars and started in.
A tiny rolled hem was in order and I had just the right tool.
I couldn't let the opportunity go by without adding a bit of fun, so the bobbin thread is bright blue.

It was a long way around the hem of this dress about 6 yards in all.

She was nervous about me cutting her dress.
It's just fabric after all and the inner most layer.

I was pleased with the result.

I found Tulips

next door in the lot abutting the parking lot at work that no longer has a house.

From a distance I just saw red and yellow but up close they have their own painted canvas.