Busy times, reaping what I've sown......

 August 3, 2025

The smokey sun cresting the treetops to the east this morning. 

In the latter part of last week, we had a cool down, with overnight temperatures just barely above single C digits, and day temperatures just cresting 20C (68F), and an easterly flow of air that cleared the skies to a beautiful blue. We are now back into air from the west, bringing with it, smokey, dull, dirty, off-white coloured skies, and an air quality warning. The cool down was a shock after the extreme heat and humidity. Temperatures that would have been 'coffee on the porch' temperatures in spring, were 'throw on a sweater and put the blanket back on the bed' temperatures. The booming growth in the garden has slowed a bit, noticeable in the cucumber patch, but the heat is on its way back.

 Harvesting:

 First cabbage.

Garlic. 64 fat cloves.

 

  

Wild raspberries growing around the edges of the pond and our clearing were enough for several desserts, but now they are drying out from the ongoing dearth of rainfall. We haven't had rain since the July 18th inch. It is turning into a dry summer. The big water cube is down to half. Over the past two growing seasons, it was barely used, and had to be drained in the fall. If the forecast holds as is for the next two weeks, we'll be doing a refill from the diminishing pond.

The new pump handle Hubby made is getting a workout this year, and the 'water wagon' is back in service for places the hoses don't reach. The water barrels by the well get emptied and immediately re-filled, so the cold water can warm in the sun ready for the next watering session.

 

Cucs are taking off. Slicers are being eaten, picklers are being collected and soon there will be enough for the first batch of pickles.

Several pounds of beans have been picked and processed from the still producing first planting, and the second planting is budding up.  

Soon:

Big, beautiful onion bulbs for winter storage.

 

 

Eggies are getting bigger! There are 4 about this size so far.

 

 Lots of pumpkins and squash are growing in the jungle.

 

There is no shortage of peppers, particularly in the red department.

 

 

Both the slicers and paste tomatoes are loaded. Only a couple of slicers have reddened so far. They have been picked and are in a paper bag on the counter, as I don't want to share them with the  raccoons. 

 

Preparing:

 

16'X1'X2"

 

Chainsaw milled cedar planks to replace rotting out raised bed frames.

  Observing: 

Finally there are a few Monarchs around and they are enjoying the Swamp Milkweed.
 

 An Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar. Found on an Heliopsis.

 

 

 

 These beauties are up to my chin in height.

The only truly red Zinnia. 

 

Aliens wandering the bush!!

So, we went fishing...and garden stuff!

 July 25, 2025

Early this week, we had a bit of a respite from the heat and humidity, and for a couple of nights, actually had to put a light blanket on the bed. It is back off now!                                            

Monday morning dawned clear and cool, so we hitched up the boat trailer and headed off to do some fishing. The warmth of the sun was really appreciated, especially when the wind came up later. We accessed below the Tramore Bridge, and went down the beautiful Bonnechere River.

Water levels are still high for July, and there is a good current riffling the water as it comes under the bridge. We have carefully navigated the boat up river from there, under lower water conditions, but it is more a canoe or kayak habitat from the bridge upriver to the dam below Round Lake. Below the bridge, the river pools out into big, deep, lake-like openings, which are linked together by narrower, shallower sections. The river flows between farm fields, where my Merlin app picks up the songs of Bobolinks and Meadow Larks. Closer, along the shores, are Kingbirds and Kingfishers. Cottages and homes dot the shores around the lake-like sections, but from the Tramore bridge down to Golden Lake, the river is easily navigable.    As the morning progressed, the wind came up, gusting enough to make white caps on the water, and give the electric trolling motor difficulty, so we packed it in around noon.                                      

 We were totally skunked..except for my huge catch of the day...

As the week progressed, the temperatures increased back up to hot July levels with the high humidity that goes with them...and the deer flies that love it...so working outside becomes an endurance test, once the sun cracks the horizon.

In the garden, all is going well. Vine crops are climbing/crawling and blooming. Broccoli is giving a regular harvest of side shoots off of 8 plants. My 4 cabbages are looking beautiful, and thanks to the row cover, no bug holes!

Perhaps it is time to cut and sample this fellow?

There are four early planted rutabagas in the end of the brassica bed, doing well,

and another 8 over in the Field Garden, later planted, and now putting out secondary leaves. The garlic will be next on the agenda, as it is time to dig them and get them curing. I dug up some volunteer spuds out of the end of the gladiola patch, and yes, they really were that red...and absolutely delicious.

This is the final thinning of the first carrot crop, they are spaced nicely now, and we'll be pulling them as needed from now on, from the 'in-ground' larder.

All the pepper plants have fruit growing. I put the plastic lids under any fruit that might touch the ground. It keeps it clean, and up away from bugs, slugs and moisture. 

Look! Almost there!

I got the last of the finished compost sieved this morning, a good three big pails full, plus enough to side dress the second carrot planting, and put a good layer in the end of the caged bed for my soon to be planted fall garden. 

I have hardware cloth covered lids for the caged bed, because...deer. They have not been an issue this summer...fingers crossed. We have a device mounted that broadcasts ultrasonic sound out over the raised beds, and perhaps it is helping? It is left over from my town garden where it did little to deter squirrels and cats, but did annoy a young neighbour, so it went into storage. The deer are certainly around, as there are night captures on the yard trail cameras, but so far, so good. Hubby has pounded in posts to surround the perimeter of the raised beds and the Field Garden, preparatory for mounting an electric fence. Spring and fall, when food is more scarce, are the times when we might have issues with deer. Moose, on the other hand.... they would walk right through and take the fence with them... so I am hesitant about actually getting the fence up and running. 

Some random pictures...

A water lily from our fishing excursion. 

Trumpets opening on the Trumpet vine.

A bee on the Swamp Milkweed.

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly on a Zinnia.

A PowWow Wild Berry Echinacea that I grew from seed, the only plant that survived from the packet. It's a fighter!

Peace to all...

Christmas 2019.... A perfect, beautiful, Christmas day.... Cold and crisp with fresh snow....

'

This year, it is RAINING..... Absolutely YUCK!! We still have lots of snow, but when it freezes again, which is forecast for tomorrow, we will need skates to get around on cleared surfaces.

Bringing in the tree.....

A little decorating.....

Peace and good wishes to everyone....

Is it here to stay, this time....???

 

Awaiting the sunrise...

Awaiting spring....

Chickadee

Evening Grosbeaks

Blue Jays

Clearing the windshield

Down the hill.....

Random and Arbitrary.....

Waxed...

Picked...just a few, to stuff and freeze.....

Last 2019 jar...perfect timing....

 Ratchet strapped togetherness....

Puffs and Parasols....

What the heck is that....?