We've Had a Summer!

This title may seem odd to anyone who doesn't live on the coast of the PNW, but for those of us who live out here, this has been quite a summer. We've had sunshine! For like, days and days in a row. It's so weird!

I was out enjoying the sun today, working on my laundry rack project (cleaning up an antique one that I picked up at my favorite antique store for $10), weeding, contemplating the loss of so many of our blueberries to the awful "Mummyberry" disease, and how much pruning I'm going to have to do this autumn, and hanging laundry out on the line, and getting another bad sunburn!

I'd been doing alright with staying out of the sun for long periods of time since that bad, second-degree burn over Mother's Day weekend. My arms had even gotten a slight tan (for me), as well as my face. Basically it means I didn't look so pastey, but that for me is a tan! So this nice burn is all over my upper back, shoulders, and chest with some milder burning on my face. I was so caught up in doing my outside work, that I didn't pay attention to how long I was out there (um, that'd be pretty much all day).

One of the thoughts that came to me today is the idea of saunas. Everyone seems to like the idea of a sauna for a treat, for health, etc. Well, while weeding the strawberry and oregano bed in the greenhouse, I realized we don't need a sauna! I sweated up a storm before I even started weeding it was so hot in there. So, note to anyone who likes multi-purpose type of ideas-- skip a fancy-schmancy sauna and go for a greenhouse instead; all the benefits of a sauna, and you can grow food to boot!

The Boy is nearly done with the 2011/12 year of schoolwork. I'm quite pleased, as this would make the first year (if he gets it all done in a hurry) that he wouldn't be doing a full year-round schooling. He's catching up still in 3 of the subjects, but there's a whole lot less arguing over the schoolwork since Hubby got a PS3 (that is, a PlayStation-3rd generation). The Boy wants to play PS3, and knows he's not allowed until his homework is done. Since Hubby bought the thing in. . . early June (?), the Boy has been getting his daily homework done, sometimes even doing extra to 'earn' more time on the PS3! :-)

The Girl has fallen quite behind this year scholastically-- she gets bored so easily and would rather daydream and draw. She is very talented when it comes to drawing, which should be expected with her daily practice. The horses and dragons she does are rather amazing, and we're hoping to get some sort of "art" type class this coming year for her to do. But first, the mundane subjects like math and English need done (borrring!).

Hubby has been enjoying cutting down trees, chopping and stacking the wood for this winter for about the past week. He's quite happy with the chainsaw, and feels all "manly" or something in conquering bucking up the "windfall" from the past storms and taking down diseased trees from our property. He's got a list going of what he wants to get accomplished before the nice weather ends, and is working on it daily. Including the berry harvesting.

Speaking of berry harvesting, we've gotten a nice harvest from the raspberries (to my surprise) and a little over a quart of blueberries. I picked about a quart of currants, which I gave to a neighbor because they've given use a few jars of absolutely delicious freezer jam (put some o' that on ice cream. . . YUMMY). This morning Hubby picked over a quart (I think) of the gooseberries. The apple trees seem to be doing all right, but time will tell whether we get a bountiful harvest from them or not. I think the one that gave us so much last year is going to do well again this year, so long as we remember to water it! Two of the pear trees haven't produced at all (one of them was severely damaged this past winter), and one has a very measely-looking yield. As is usual around here, the blackberries are going nuts and there's just not enough freezer space for when that harvest comes around. We have more than one variety here on our property, not that I know what it is. Blackberries is blackberries! They're delicious. I hope to harvest more this year than last, but some of that will depend on uh, storage space. I don't do canning (yet), so I've got limited long term options.

I did break down and get a new riding lawn mower (our 30-some-year-old mower complains it wants to retire), which is. . . different. So many doggone "safety" features. I miss the simplicity of the old mower! But, this new mower definitely has "oompf", which is sorely needed. After the several mowings (my Dad mowed to his heart's content-- when my folks departed, he said, "Well, there's no more grass to mow so I'm going home!"), the brown stuff is green again. There's an assortment of grass, hay, moss, and I don't know what else. There's some pretty stuff with yellow blossoms (no, it's not the damn buttercups-- I hate buttercups now! There's too many of them), and I'm fairly certain it could be used, but since I don't know what it is, I don't know how to use it. Thus, it's just been getting cut with the rest of the stuff. Which, by the way, inflames my allergies something fierce. Apparently, I suffer from "hay fever." Wish I could take something for it.

So as has been the case for a while now, we're all keeping very busy. I do hope that we'll soon get the barn finished (well, at the very least, finish the sheetrocking, taping and mudding); everything else for my household management is dependent on getting that project finished (yes, the project was supposed to be finished before May, and no, it's not done yet. Yes, I did fire my contractor. Hated having to do that, but needed to be done).

We're figuring we'll have a hard winter again, and we're trying to prepare for it now, as much as we can.

Life keeps on going, and we are thoroughly enjoying the fact we've had a summer! Sunny days, very pretty.

~Cedeham~