More garden

The rain has slowed down a bit (thank goodness!), but the garden is still going strong. John's cayenne plant is falling over under its own weight. The banana peppers are back. And everything just keeps getting taller and taller.

John is a little concerned that the beets and onions aren't as big as they should be (too wet? soil too hard? sounds like we may need to mix in some sand with it next year).



Our tomatoes have turned into a forest. We may be pruning back the lower branches to help them produce better. I looked for baby Brandywine tomatoes, but I haven't seen one yet.



Looks like we'll have baby beans soon!

In non-gardening news, we celebrated Mom's birthday on Wednesday--grilled steaks, roasted sweet potatoes, watermelon, fresh raspberries out of their garden and Boston Cream Pie. Delicious food and fun times!

4th of July

We spent the 4th at my parents' house--they grilled out (burgers and brats), and John made strawberry and cherry pie (the cherry was his BEST pie ever--incredible).



I documented the crazy pie action...



The dogs were also paying very close attention

For the party, I made David Lebovitz's Chocolate Banana Ice Cream (I also crossed it off my summer list - yay!). Easy to put together but didn't freeze as quickly as I hoped (recipes says "at least 4 hours" and I had 4 hours and 15 minutes--not enough time). We ended up putting it in our ice cream maker to speed the process along, and by dinner it was fine. It tasted a LOT like the generic Bailey's irish cream (not necessarily a bad thing), but I'm not sure I'd make it again. I've marked it off my list, but I'd like to try a couple more recipes before the summer is up (mint chocolate...candied bacon...avocado coconut...etc)

After dinner, John and I (and Callie and Cooper) went out to the lake to watch the fireworks. Despite the smelly lake and swarming mosquitoes (thank goodness for bug spray!!), I'm glad we went out.



When the firework pictures weren't working out, I gave up and took pictures of the tree we were sitting by instead.

Garden update

We have baby tomatoes (either cherry or yellow pear, Brandywines aren't quite there yet)



a not-so-baby cayenne pepper



our cucumbers are going strong



and it looks like our banana peppers are coming back from the brink. Looking at these pictures, we could stand to do some weeding. It also amazes me that the beets and onions have gotten SO big.



And I'm a little bit afraid of how hot all our food will be when all the peppers come out

Take me out to the ball game!

Last night, we went to the Sioux Falls Pheasants game. We had seats in section S (upper level behind home plate). It was a great night for a ballgame--not too hot, not raining (and just a little windy). The Pheasants beat the Sioux City Explorers by one run--and we had a great time sitting outside, eating peanuts and a hot dog, and taking pictures.



While we were there, John bought raffle tickets to win one of the player's jerseys from the Disabled American Veterans, and he WON! After the game, he went out on the field and got a jersey from #9 - Brian Flores. So cool! There were also fireworks after the game.



Me on the ride home--after an awesome evening. Now I can scratch Pheasants game and fireworks off my summer list (but we're still going to watch the fireworks at Lake Herman on Sunday).

Plans for the rest of the weekend--making ice cream (!!!), grilling out at my parents' house, fireworks, and sparklers (a must). John's going to make a cherry pie (I'll just be supervising--my last pie adventure was a disaster)

Chalkboard Chevrolet

Tonight was the White Night celebration put on by the Madison Area Arts Council. I took one of my pictures to display and brought my camera to get a few more.

I had a great time--I saw a lot of people I knew (always makes me feel good) and met some new folks. I enjoyed the music, watching the kids play (even got in on two games of X's and O's in chalk on the middle of the road) and loved, loved, LOVED the chalkboard Chevrolet.

I spent some time talking to the owner, Cheryl. She loves Cavaliers (says they run forever) and she got this one for $500. It only had 78,000 miles on it, but the paint was all rusty. So she sanded it down, planning to spray paint it, but thought of chalkboard paint instead. She just painted it on Tuesday, so this was the first night it had ever been chalked on.

How cool is that?!?!



They also had bands playing-so I can take outdoor concert off my summer list!

On the windowsill

Inspired by 52 Saturdays

My Summer List

I came across this blog post on Make Grow Gather yesterday and decided to make my own summer list.

The past few summers have just flown by. Then suddenly the air is cooler, the leaves are changing, and I've missed out on a bunch of summer-y things I wanted to do. Not this year!



My list so far:

Picnic at Lake Herman
Wash car with hose
Pheasants baseball game
Go to Farmers Markets
Watch fireworks
Use fire ring/bowl
Go canoeing
Make popsicles
Make ice cream
Go to an outdoor concert
Go camping
Visit/photograph a winery
Play frisbee golf
Visit Palisades
Go to an auction/garage sale
Ride whole bike path
Go to a you-pick-it fruit place
Host grill-out at our house
Make banana boats on the grill
Eat corn on the cob
Go to a drive-in/outdoor movie
Look at stars (through a telescope)

After LOTS of rain

The garden is growing like CRAZY!



John's peppers are getting huge (he calls this one a "man-eater")



John put the rest of the veggies in the ground, including this squash plant. Some of them are looking better than others (the banana peppers are looking pretty weak). I'm hoping they'll all pull through.



The tomatoes are looking great--much bushier than they ever were when we grew them in containers.



Beets, onions, and peppers getting bigger every day (I'm wondering if the beets have enough space to grow underground--guess we'll find out!)

More rain...

so I can't mow...just have to take pictures of the garden instead



Beets, onions and peppers



One of three brussel sprouts (this one looks the best)



Tomatoes (three of our nine plants)

We still need to get the herbs, squash, and banana peppers in the ground. At this point, I think we're a little late (winter is just 2 1/2 months away, right?) but we'll just see how they do.

Gardening

Our garden is about 3/4 in--tomatoes, peppers (from starters), onions, beets, carrots and green beans (from seeds) are all in the ground. It's taking awhile because the grass for the entire plot had to be dug up--we still have about 4 feet to go and then the rest of the plants will be in. John's been doing all the shovel work--and then we sit together and knock most of the top soil from the dug-up grass. It's exactly as exciting as it sounds, but it is nice to spend time together working outside. I'm really glad we won't have to do this again next year, and John's looking forward to when the garden just needs to be watered and weeded.

So far, the onions are growing like crazy, and we're going to have to thin out the beets. We're still watching for the carrots and green beans to sprout. The peppers were the first in--and they looked a little sickly in the beginning but they're starting to shape up. Tomatoes went in on Memorial Day. I'm hoping John's Brandywine sprouts will take off, but right now they all look about the same.

More pictures

I think Callie is hiding from Cooper



From the field across the street



Sign at a local restaurant

Pictures of my morning

My vegetable plants (hoping to get them in the ground this weekend)



Lavendar in the front flowerbed (can't take credit--those flowers are all Mom and Erin)



Cooper wondering what-in-the-heck I'm doing in the front yard

Right in my backyard...

It's on track to be the most photographed crab apple tree ever ;)

Sleepy dogs

Where they are right now--conked out on the couch. Acting crazy all morning and then getting a bath is so tiring.



From a few weeks ago--too cute not to share.

Garden so far

John planted seeds from last year's Brandywine tomatoes, and here they are, sprouting on our windowsill. I'm already thinking BLT's but they've got a little growing to do yet.

We also went to Iott's and Medary Acres greenhouses last weekend with Mom and Erin. I was mainly just looking, but John got 5 pepper plants (cayenne, something else, and 3 habeneros), basil, cilantro, and mint.

I'm planning to get cherry tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, and a couple hanging baskets for the front porch.

On the non-garden front, Cooper just keeps getting bigger and bigger. He's been able to get on and off the couch and recliner for a few weeks, but the bed is still too tall. He's finally stopped horking down his food like someone's going to steal it and will sometimes go to his crate when we tell him (and sometimes he makes a break for the back door instead.

My (temporary) lake view

In the last week, I got to spend 3 nights at a lodge on the lake (for two different work events). So beautiful!!

More puppy pictures

It's been raining--there's mud everywhere (even though we wipe off their paws). I feel like I should clean the floors, but it doesn't really make sense until it dries up a little outside (tomorrow, I hope).

Lesson for today: Buy mud-colored rugs



He's still not big enough to get on the couch by himself. I have to scoop him up and plop him up there. I'm guessing he'll get it any day (is it ridiculous that the idea makes me kind of sad??)



Cutest puppy move so far? He was trying to copy Callie (she was licking the dirty dishes that I'd put in the dishwasher). He didn't have it totally figured out and was just licking parts of the dishwasher (like the handle of the utensil caddy).

Not quite as cute--Cooper waking up at 5 or 6 am and wanting to PLAY and CHEW on the comforter and Callie and my ear.

The newest addition

Cooper, asleep on the couch this morning

We got him last Sunday in Mitchell. He's eight weeks old and the same breed as Callie (American Brittany).



How cute are they?!?

Oregon!

Last week, I attended the National Camping Institute. It was held at the Oregon 4-H Center outside Salem. There were tons of people there, including the four other South Dakota 4-H educators(and here we all are by the canoe pond). It was an incredible conference with so many great camping-type people (which, of course, meant lots of spontaneous singing).



Oregon was green, sunny, and the trees were blooming. I pretty much wanted to bundle it all up and bring it home with me. We spent a lot of free time just sitting in the sun.



My first look at the Oregon Coast (at Neskowin) during our tour of the Three Capes Loop. I loved the coast and watching the waves roll in. I probably could've spent the whole day just sitting there.




More Neskowin



The coast at Cape Meares



More Cape Meares



The coast at Pacific City (where we stopped at the Pelican Pub)



I had some time before my flight home, so I took the train into Portland and went to the Saturday Market. Shannon from Arkansas joined me, and we saw tons of awesome photography, jewelry, sculptures, paintings, and gifts. I restrained myself and only bought one necklace (but I'm going to check out the websites of a few of the artists I saw there). It was 65 degrees and sunny--the prettiest day they've had yet (I asked) and the place was packed with people and dogs and kids.



(Food I can't get in South Dakota)

I enjoyed my chicken satay and curry while soaking up with sun and listening to a band. Way better than sitting in the boring airport ;)

It's a good thing she's cute

My dog likes to wake me up in the morning. It isn't a new thing. She usually whines in my face or scratches at the wall around 6:30 or 7 (when I normally get up for work).

This morning, I woke up to her barking at the back door at 5:40 am. Too early! I walked out and told her "No! Go back to bed," and she did. Whew.

At 6:30, I woke up to her standing next to the bed, whining at me. Since it was time to get up anyway, I got out of bed and went out to let her outside.

She didn't follow me out of the room.

About a second later, I heard her jump back up onto the bed. When I went back in the bedroom, she was curled up under the covers right where I'd just been sleeping.

Brat.

Not too snobby to ask for help...

The good news? I just won a book from this blog, BookSnob, for explaining how/why I'm a book snob (and yes, you have to click the link to see my winning post). How cool is that?!?!

I got to pick my prize, so William Zinsser's Writing About Your Life will be showing up in my mailbox someday soon. I can't wait!

So why do I need your help?

I am in a serious reading rut.

For the past few years, it's been young adult literature (which I love). Recently, I've taken a turn toward non-fiction (also good), but I really need some new book ideas.

Want to help a girl out? Comment with your favorite fiction picks, and I will be forever grateful.