Summer Time

Well, it's August already and it feels like things just got going in the garden. Where does time go? Aside from pulling out some finalized broccoli, mustard green, and cauliflower plants, and sowing some new nitrogen giving legumes in their place, most everything has been on cruise control. Long warm days make for rapid-fire growth in the squash, sunflower and tomato department.



            Speaking of squash, with only four plants it looks as though we will have enough zucchini to supply the greater Reno area and possibly Las Vegas. Our first and always most cherished beauty was monitored daily in anticipation before making its way down our gullets. We have also learned that Romo the Wonderdog has a taste for the prolific veggie. Potatoes are still sitting pretty awaiting an unspectacular flowering and then a dying off, at which point we can begin digging up little starchy gems of soon to be baked, broiled and sauteed goodness.



Among many things we are learning in growing in this unique environment is that sunflowers thrive here in native soil. We see them absolutely everywhere, and most prolific on the side of I-80. Next year we will free up valuable garden space and just seed them around the perimeter of the yard. The corn and winter squash are developing nicely for a hopeful fall bounty. As well, afresh round of carrots and beets were just sown for a tasty cool weather crop later down the road. And despite the heat we are still getting some nice chard and kale to add to the stir fries. The plumb trees have set nicely and will be a great treat with many canning projects in fall.


The animals are all happy and growing. Romo has been spoiled rotten with multiple trips to the surrounding lakes. We recently found out he loves swimming. Since teaching him fetch his new favorite pastime is fetching the ball into the lake...go figure. And yes, he is still defending champ of  both "The World's Greatest Dog" and  "The Handsomest Beast of All the Lands" awards.

Our feathery girls are becoming full bodied ladies and should begin laying in the coming weeks. Frankly, I'd say they better. They are quite possibly the most well fed chickens around with daily organic produce scraps coming home with us from work on top of all the delicious and healthy kitchen scraps from our cooking. They all have very unique personalities and have been applicably named, which will probably come back to haunt us once we have to "retire" them.

By the way, be sure to check out Shanna's new website for her newly developing side business:
www.strongheartmedicinals.com. Let us know what you think. Take er easy, lovely folks.