VEGGIES AND THINGS

We only dared to grow a tiny amount of corn because the last time we had actual rows of the stuff, raccoons came and got it all.  The beets were fantastic this year.  I still have a few in the garden along with more basil to make pesto out of.  This year I tried a recipe that used mint for part of the basil in the pesto and it was terrific in a quinoa salad.  The squash has been going crazy and we got enough cukes to make pickles tomorrow.  In the background is the tomato jungle.  The lettuce that was replanted in July will be ready in a week or so.  The bush romano beans have been a gift that keeps on giving - - just terrific this year.  

The big change we made a couple of years ago was to grow the tomatoes through black plastic.  I think the plastic evens out the water supply and warms the soil.  We had the earliest tomatoes ever - - mid July!

This year and last we used wood chips for weed control mulch.  The fresh wood chips caused some problems getting seeds started and once they were up some things looked yellowish and unhappy, but we dosed them with lime and fertilizer and it was all good.

I pickled beets today and made some carrot/zuke cake.  I used all the flavorings, raisins and spices for carrot cake, but added in some zukes to help keep it moist.

There is a lot of wildlife around.  The five wild turkey guys hang out in the yard with the chickens and even snooze.  The fawns and their mother have been visiting.

I worked on getting these dolls finished.  The two in white dresses resulted from antique heads bought on ebay, bodies from ebay, one tiny set of eyes procured and installed by my friend Mary.  I found the other eyes online.  The hair is my doing - - a bit too much of a good thing.  I sewed their dresses mostly from old fabrics.

The other doll is entirely original and was found in the attic of a home nearby.  One leg of her kid body was deteriorating so that was patched with leather from a kid glove glued on.  She needed new outerwear all of new fabric.