Monday, August 15, 2016

Water Highs And Woes



The last three weeks have been all about water - the water situation here at home in NH and two vacations on water - one at Flathead Lake in Montana and the other in the Caribbean.   That picture above is my step daughter's (Krista) backyard at their vacation home.  A family reunion was held there over a period of 12 days and we were only able to be there four full days.  She and her husband and five children live in Dallas TX, but leave the heat behind for the summer and live at their lake house.   Every single family member at the reunion with a camera took that same picture and posted it on IG or FB.  It's a pretty sweet view and location.  I took very few pictures however because I was sick the whole time - some kind of GI bug that started the morning we were preparing to fly out and continued and worsened each day, so I didn't spend much time in the water - I mostly played with, fed and held their sweet, new baby girl or cleaned up messes made from the many little people running around.  Dan, who is recovering from knee replacements as you know, didn't get in to the water either.  He rested, exercised, read or joined me in my activities.   It was great to see his kids and their spouses and delightful children; we did miss one of his daughters and her family since they arrived after we had already departed.  It couldn't be helped.  We'll see them in November though, which is good.  Here are the pictures I did take.
 Krista has had her builder create many sleeping areas all over the house as you will see in a couple pics and her decorating is really inviting.
 The loaded cherries trees growing right on forest plots in this little banana belt pocket of perfect growing conditions just blew me away.  In spite of my tummy troubles, I ate dozens and dozens of these.
 More cozy sleeping areas for kids.
 The kid's bathroom sink area - and I love that floor tile.  
 Wine grapes growing down to the lake in a neighbor's yard
 Cherry orchard on a forested road around the lake
 The driveway in to Krista and Dallas's lake house.
Huge picture window in the living room.  Now, sadly, due to my feeling under the weather, those were all the Montana pics I took!!  

Below are some things that have been happening on the home front.  We are experiencing a severe drought here in New England - no real measurable rain since April and not much snow last winter so in my town we have been placed under a lawn watering ban and our grass is crispy and dry and crunchy to walk on.  I hand water my flower borders, small trees and shrubs daily - I feel that is all I do most days!

 I took this pic of our dying front lawn as I set out for an evening walk - so pathetic to look at!  
Sad face here.
 I've got dahlias all over the place now - loads and loads!
 We're going to have our house painted yellow this fall!  The test paint on this building is called Benjamin Moore "Dijon".  It's a compromise color - Dan liked our current golden tan but I was hoping for more yellow so we found one we both like.  Yellow houses are so cheery and cheer!  


 Two kinds of nicotiana I started from seed - Peace Pipe is the white and the pink ones are called "pink marshmallows".


  The Long Border at Dusk
 Pool area flowers above and below



 Now for veggies:
 Wee Be Little pumpkins growing in the outer stock tank garden - the size of soft balls.
 Above and below - single serving pale fleshed watermelons.

Stock tank garden outside the pool area 


 Dan caught me spying on the baby bird in the porch hanging plant nest with my binoculars.  I was worried the mother had abandoned the one nestling left because I never saw her around after we had a couple carpenters come over and install a new door right where the nest is hanging and they made a ton of noise.  The parents seemed to have left for good.   I was so stressed about that baby that I started stalking it with binoculars and fretting about how I might save it.  Finally the mother started coming around after a couple days (by then I thought the baby was dead) and now I see her several times a day and hear her baby cry when she arrives with food.  I can't tell you how relieved I am (well Dan can tell you - he had to listen to my fretting).  By the way, of the three porch hanging plants, two are totally dead because nests were built in them and couldn't be watered and as soon as that baby learns to fly and leaves, I'll replace both (I hope he/she learns quickly).  
 Above is a gladioli border I started in May - I planted 100 bulbs and then added in some tall verbena and zinnia starts.  Here it is as it looks now in the pics below.  They are just coming on and will keep blooming in waves as the four different groups of 25 are meant to bloom at different times.  


  A bouquet of the first round in the kitchen.
 We're eating green beans from the garden as well as broccolini, cherry tomatoes, tons of basil, herbs, and salad greens.  
My Pie Social is happening this weekend - here is a group of pie dough chubbies in the freezer.  I have to make 42 pies, platters of brownies and cookies etc this week, so when I do my Pie Social post, I will answer someone's recent question and describe how I schedule the work so I am not doing it all in one crazy 20 hour long day like I used to.  And I need to report on our absolutely fabulous trip we just returned from in the British Virgin Islands!  A lot to tell in the next couple of posts.  My sister Dede (aka PigNose), arrives this week from Washington state to assist me in pie making and experience this wonderful event.  A few BVI teaser pics below - much more to come!
Looking in clear water at a huge school of small fish from my paddle board. 
 Dan Man!
  Our home for the week parked there in the little cove while some of us hiked.

Taking off for home - what a view!

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