We are back!!

For security reasons, I never blog ahead of time when we will be gone......
But, we are back!!

Since my last post, we have been in a whirlwind it seems.  Graduations, parties, orthodontic appointments (on fast track due to our dentist about to get married and be gone some, and the girls being gone for camp) volleyball games, funeral, a wedding coming up, and church camp.

Tonight marks the beginning of the 4H county fair, with the first shoot off.  Rebecca shoots the 22, so she will shoot tonight. (She is my snake killer).  This week will be busy with the fair, then it will end in July with small animals and the horse show.

Emily spent one week at Mission Lake Christian Camp in Horton KS, and other as a helper for Junior High week at Flaming Spirit Christian Camp in Oregon MO.  The twins spent 2 weeks at Flaming Spirit Christian Camp as helpers.  Since they are leaving 8th and entering 9th, they went both Jr High week and High School week.  The weather was much nicer this year--not as hot and humid as last summer.  I was also at Flaming Spirit as camp EMT.  Its been fun the last few years watching the same kids come back each summer and grow in the Lord and also physically.

While we were at camp, it rained at home once, and I had my garden watered once, so it did very well while we were gone.  I picked peas before we left, but I managed to kill them.....so, I replanted when we got back.  I put the wrong bucket of fertilizer on them, and fried them....Thought I had the aged bucket, but didn't.  So, Elizabeth and I pulled them up and added them to the compost bin, removed half of the fertilizer and topsoil from that bed, then added in more topsoil and replanted the peas.  I also planted more beans as I tried to use some old seed up and all of it didn't sprout--so I filled in the holes.

I came back to find a  whole bunch of tomatoes coming on, lots of cucumbers, some peppers, carrots, and my herbs have really taken off, especially my dill, mints and cilantro.  I pan on making lots of salsa this year.

I went by Porters Lumber in Kearney and noticed then had sale signs on their plants outside, so I picked up a few more veggies for 45 and 75 cents each, so I managed to squeeze them in the ground as well.

It has been dry, very dry.  Our ponds are down several feet and there are large cracks in the yard.  However, having raised garden beds is easier on the watering as I only water the beds, and not an entire garden with water going into empty spaces.

Our hay is cut now.  It started out looking like me might get 3 cuttings of hay this year.  Now it is so dry, this might be the only one.....

Future dill pickles, and cucumbers with onion....

This method is an experiment for me this year.....Pallets contain beans (which I used old seed, so I just replanted with new seed) and okra.

Dill, peppermint, spearmint, cilantro, sage, basil, catnip and several other herbs are in the bed.  The blocks contain garlic.

This bed has brussel sprouts, cabbage and an unknown.......(market got misplaced)

pumpkins are blooming

Peppers--this plant has 3 peppers and 4 more blooms

I have around 30 tomato plants in this bed.  The bottom is mulched with straw to keep weeds out, keeps the tomatoes from bottom burn-which causes rot, and keeps moisture in.

Can't wait for them to ripen!  Probably close to 75 tomatoes and lots more in bloom

Normally this back pond would be way over this calf's head

Swimming to keep cool!