A hare and a harvest

The hare is finished and it wasn’t that difficult just follow the pattern line by line, a kf&b here and a k2 tog there.  You can find the pattern on ravelry.  I may make another rabbit.

Son texted and said he had more asparagus than he could eat.  I was on my way in short order and as tall as some of the stalks were they were tender for most of the length of the stalk.   --Ann--

Knee deep in June

'Long about knee-deep in June, 
'Bout the time strawberries melts 
On the vine,  James Whitcomb Riley

The berries are ready at the local you pick garden.  I have missed them the years we have not lived here, 2 buckets in about a half an hour and it would have taken less time if I hadn't eaten so many. But a strawberry warm  from the sun..............they dripped down my chin.
Yesterday I went to Sioux Falls and had lunch with a girlfriend.  It was fun to catch up and tell each other how fabulous we look.  I visited a couple quilt shops and the yarn shop.  I did need batting but the rest well it was there what could I do but appease my fiber addiction.  I even made a detour to the little town of Dell Rapids to their wonderful big quilt shop and found a few more pieces that I really do need for a project I have in mind.  As I was driving down a county road a string of little ducks were crossing the road.  I hit the breaks hard good thing there was no one behind me and where was mama duck?  Everything in the car went flying glad I didn't have 2 buckets of berries,  the ducklings all made it across, somersaults and all in the draft of my car.  It must be tough to always walk with goulashes especially when a car is bearing down on you.  --Ann--

The only thing prettier.........

The only thing prettier than a bowl of strawberries would be a heaping bowl of strawberries.  Blasted robins took one bite out of a bunch of berries.  --Ann--

A little rain a little sunshine and a few blooms

I know these are a weed but they are the first yellow flowers of spring.  They are yellow, I love yellow flowers no matter where they rank on the gardeners scale of friend or foe.

 What a difference a little rain makes and then a couple days of sunshine with warmer temps.......

 I don't think there is any flower more cheerful than the daffodil.

My fern leaf peony is going be be early this year as long as it doesn't get nipped by frost. They way the buds are nestled in the foliage always makes me smile, like a fuzzy duckling or gosling or a creature from a Dr. Suess story.

And then I walked out to the garden and found a few stalks of asparagus  finders eaters.  

Hope your spring is full of cheerful blooms--Ann--

One thing

 I woke up early yesterday morning because it was light out with the promise of a beautiful day.  The time change does that to me even though I stayed up too late reading the night before.  The day started out with the usual non blog worthy chores then I went to my sewing room and studied the design wall and the mess on the work table.  I was in and out of the room several times and still didn't do anything.  Too many projects in too many stages of not done.  Ever have days like that?  I thought to myself I have to complete one thing today,  just one thing so I sat in my chair to ponder the one thing I wanted to accomplish.  Just one thing it had to be worthy of the day, I  could finish knitting the slipper but I should save that for NCIS in the evening,  I could finish the reading mitts, save that for after the slipper.  I sat and the next thought was I could use a nap.  Just a little nap,  I heard the clock chime a quarter past, then half past, then a quarter to, and then the hour.  The nap didn't count as the one thing.  I ate a late lunch on the patio, it was a gorgeous day here on the prairie.  Then I made a cup of coffee so I could sit outside a little longer,  it was a gloriously beautiful day on the prairie.  Drinking a cup of coffee didn't count as the one thing even if it was on the patio in November and I might get sunburned with my fair Irish skin. So I went to my sewing room and arranged all the border block parts for the bow tie quilt.  The one thing!  That accomplished I walked downtown to get a prescription for hubby dear.  It was a gorgeous day.  Then I repotted my lettuce leaf begonias, that little item on my list was becoming a nag project but now its done and I could do it outside in the sunshine of the spectacular sunny warm day in November on the prairie.  Then I picked the last of my tomatoes, they were too green when I dug the potatoes on Monday. Its a wonder what a little sunshine will do. Then I picked the nicest of the calendula blossoms.  I did my one thing and a couple more it was a great day to be on the prairie.  --Ann--

wee beastie

I didn't even see the wee beastie there on the edge when I snapped the picture. I was sitting outside this morning soaking up some vitamin D and enjoying my cup of vitamin C caffine, there were a few cattle grazing near the fence when I saw some movement half way out in the pasture, it was a coyote headed north. Its fur blends in so perfectly with the prairie grass and then it was out of sight.--Ann--

More book I have read or listened to this summer:

1.  The Nut Hut by Kathleen Taylor about state institutions in the 1970's.
2. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain I got tired of deciphering the colloquialisms.
3. The Art Forger by B.A. Sharpio a modern day story about an artist in New York who is very good at copying Degas work and a mystery about one of Degas painting. It was a fun listen.  audio book
4. The Mockingbird Next Door by Marja Mills also an audio book about Nell Harper Lee. I should listen to it again.

More Morning Glories

The monster grows......But isn't that a beautiful combination of violet and red violet in the five point stars and the perfectly spaced crease between each point where the bloom unfolded!?! And that shade of green compliments it so well?!! However next year......I am making a note in my garden journal to refer to August 28, 2013 post to nip them in the heart, the tiny heart shaped leaves, as they come up and I begin gardening next year. But until then I will enjoy their fabulous color.--Ann--

Monstrous Morning Glories

 I didn't plant morning glories last spring. It was so late when I planted peas and beans that I saw a few heart shaped leaves volunteering so I let them be. Big mistake.

 I set my supports out for them, they knew exactly what to do, they crawled right up and all around.

But they are taking over everything, fortunately the beans are done, they are blanketing my potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries even the weeds are being strangles by their tendrils. Only the dark purple came back no pale blue blossoms. Next year any heart shaped leaves are going to be slashed.--Ann--

Small wonder on Wednesday

 As I sort through my parents house I found this game. I remember playing it at my Grandma's house. See the patent date and the gitcha-to-buy-it tagline "child improvement games"

 I remember my kids playing it at grandma's too.  My uncle's initials are on the edge of some of the boards. I guess he liked fruit and field flowers, they didn't call them weeds.

The vegetable board shows the most wear, the boys must have fought over it or maybe it was "here you take it this round". All the little plugs are the same size so Grandma put some pencil marks to match the blossom to the right plant.

I think the colored pencil drawings are just delightful. What is really amazing is all the little plugs are there.  In 101 years none have been lost. I'm saving it to play with my grandkids someday. They will say didn't they have electronic games when you were little and are you really that old!? by the date on the game. haha --Ann--

the moon in the sky

  Did you see the moon last night? It was orange like a harvest moon in July it is called the Buck Moon for the deer growing their antlers. I hope this doesn't mean an early fall.

 

Can you see the wee beastie on my poppy? Is it naturally that yellow or yellow from the pollen or does it change color to its host?  So many questions today.....if I go outside with my reading glasses on then put them on top of my head is my hair going start on fire? --Ann--

reading

The  last book I finished was The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh it was a wonderful story about a girl growing up in foster and group homes. In one foster home she learns the Victorian language of flowers.  She has trust issues and self esteem issues but overcomes many obstacles.  I don't want to tell too much and spoil the twists and turns of the story. I am a very visual person so of course I am posting photos of my flowers......Hollyhocks ...ambition.

Day lily....... coquetry

white poppy........ consolation

Bellflower........ constancy

1. 8 Sandpiper Way  by Debbie Macomber
2. Tie Died A Quilting Cozy by Carol Dean Jones
3. Cathedral Windows by Clare O'Donohue
4. Quilt by Association by Arlene Sachitano
5. The House I Loved by Tatiana Rosney a story about modernizing the great cities of France
   
6. Thursdays at Eight by Debbie Macomber
7. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant for book club story from the Old Testament
8. 92 Pacific Boulevard by Debbie Macomber
9. 1022 Evergreen Place by Debbie Macomber
10. 1105 Yakima Street by Debbie Macomber
11. 1225 Christmas Tree Lane by Debbie Macomber  finished the Cedar Cove Series now on to other books
12. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald for book club
13. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg non fiction
14. The Long Shining Water by Danille Sosin for book club 4 stories in one about Lake Superior
15. The Aloha Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
16. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Starting a new list of books and looking at my flowers from a different point of view.  My top priority in choosing flowers for my garden is what will thrive on the wind blown prairie and survive our weather extremes.--Ann--

Strawberries

Tell you what I like the best --

'Long about knee-deep in June,

'Bout the time strawberries melts

On the vine, -- some afternoon

Like to jes' git out and rest,

And not work at nothin' else!"

-  James Whitcomb Riley, Knee Deep in June

But here it is July and yesterday I picked my first quart of strawberries usually its the 3rd week of June but spring pushed into summer. Now summer is here and I want to savor every moment. The best berries are warm from the sun fresh from the vine. --Ann--

Super Simple Roasted Tomatoes

Oven roasted Roma tomatoes Super Super Simple
1. preheat oven to 450 degrees F  2. wash tomatoes,  3. slice in half lengthwise,  4. lay cut side down on baking sheet with sides,  5. stick in oven for 20 minutes  6. remove from oven,  7. lift skins from tomatoes,  8. use in sauce or freeze.   These 2 pans made 3 pints of thick sauce.  No kettles of boiling water. No pruney fingers from blanching and ice water bath to remove the skins.    30 minutes and I was done!!! --Ann--

Savoring August

Isn't August just the best month to eat!?! There are so many fresh and locally grown fruits and vegetables. I'm still picking peas from my garden and beets and summer squash and zucchini, and the new potatoes are ready. Then there are the melons. I hardly ever buy a watermelon before August, an August melon is worth the wait. And peaches in August the yellow kind that are sweet and juicy, not the pretty red peaches of July that look nice in a still life. Growing up the kettle was heating on the stove as we brought sweet corn in from the field and we didn't waste a minute. Savoring the sweetness of August. --Ann--

Peas and "P's"

I seem to be procrastinating at posting the past week. I did pick a pile of peas both snow peas and sugar snap peas. yum I like them because we can eat the pods. 

Some of my favorite P words  are peaches, potatoes, petunias, they just bloom and bloom some more even when it is hot and dry. Poppy, peony, pansy, pizza, pasta, pink, pork, practice, patience, praise, prayer, please and my very favorite perseverance.  I had a story book when I was a little girl with cats, dogs and rabbits  dressed in clothes. The cat in the prettiest dress was trying to earn money to buy a jump rope by doing odd jobs, so every time she finished a job and earned a penny, she was told "perseverance pays" or "perseverance earns rewards". I used to try to dress my cat in my doll clothes it never worked. I persevered until I got scratched. --Ann--

Yellow flowers

 I never noticed before that there is a perfect 5 point star in the center of a Hollyhock.

 Rudebekias  Black Eyed Susans

 California Poppies

 Calendula

  my favorite  little violas, they always make my smile. -- Ann --