When the House and Garden Were Still Green

Here's another old post to bring you up to date. 

This Spring we decided to use some of the bricks we had piled in one corner of the yard for a floor in the greenhouse.  After a quick lesson, Mr. Welder trusted me to drive the tractor to load bricks. 

I know, you're probably shocked that this country girl needed a lesson, but I normally do things the hard way, like use a wheelbarrow.

First, we laid all the bricks in place.

Then we filled in all the cracks with sand.

This is a stone I made (with my dad's help) for Mr. Welder's Valentine gift a few years ago.  It was probably our second or third Valentine's day.  I picked him up from work, blindfolded him, and drove him all around eventually ending up at the piece of land we had just bought, where we live now.  There was a little shack (that we later moved) and on the back was a little lean-to where the night before mom and I set up a table and she dropped off a cooler of food for our romantic picnic :)

This stone was hidden under the tree in our front yard where the daffodils grow.

The next project required some digging by Mr. Welder.

And plumbing.

And installation of this pump.

The rain water tank is now hooked up to the pump, which gives us water here on the greenhouse's outside wall and

here inside at the sink.

Speaking of inside the greenhouse.

This is where Herman likes to hangout.
Or did like to hangout before it was 100 degrees.

Our garden is now mostly burnt up.
But

We enjoyed it while it lasted.

I love the different seasons because they each offer something new and different than the last.

  I have to admit that I could probably be happy if crisp falls and new, green springs never ended, but after a cold, dreary winter (when cuddling by the wood stove and sipping hot chocolate) or the hot summer (when beer tastes the best) transition into spring and fall, it makes me appreciate those seasons and love them even more.  Spring and fall are relief after a hot summer or cold winter.

As I look out the window at the browning, crunchy grass, I look at it as our chance to start over and enjoy all those things again.  I like having something to look forward to.  And there is always something to look forward to.

And though all the fresh veggies were delicious, it's nice to have a break from all the extra work it requires :)

This summer, we've really been blessed with beautiful rains.
Last summer, was harsh.

I can definitely deal with this year.

This little guy probably ate a few things.

But he's cute, and we had more than we could eat anyways.

Our new peach tree provided a small crop.

These were the sweetest, most delicious peaches I have ever eaten.
And I am not just saying that.

We had two pears.  One is no longer with us.  It was low on the tree and my nephew thought it looked tasty :)

We still have one that is getting bigger.

Here is our strawberry crop.

These were also very sweet and tasty.

We decided the strawberry plants would be better in a different location than where we almost mow over them every time.  Since they are supposed to live and come back year round, we built this box to move them to the garden and keep them from being plowed.

Mr. Welder brought in more dirt.

And planted the two surviving plants.

Then decided to dig up a few blackberry bushes to add.

These bushes were here when we got the place.

Those kind do best.

Those two strawberries were yum and the cedar box decorated with berry plants were lovely...

not so much now, but we tried :)