Happy Birthday Babe

In Case You Couldn't Guess

FYI......it's my husband's birthday.

Since I can't buy him a trip to Rome, even though that's what he probably really wants,we're off to birthday brunch at Ri Ra instead.

I'm sure it will do.

Have a great Sunday.

and...............happy birthday to my G-man. Love ya tons.

adios,

Farmer in The Dell, or was it Jersey City?- NYC Part 3

Fresh Picked Goodness Right Outside Our Door

I thought the Farmer's Market Gar found while we were in Jersey City deserved some more attention. After his report that there was a farmer's market, but he had nothing to show for it, I went back downstairs with him. You could see the farmer's market from the stoop..............how's that for happiness? A mere block away. 

This farmer's market was small, but packed with good stuff.  Vegetables galore, fruit, home baked pies, breads, jams and even meat and homemade sausage. I could have gone nuts there.

Had I not been travelling, these eggplants would have come home with me. Yes, vegetables can most definitely be beautiful.

Ah, garlic. One of the best ingredients on earth.

Green cabbage looking lovely. Isn't this variety pretty with it's green leaf and purple veining?

This okra was just looking for someone who was ready to make gumbo. Yup, and more eggplant too.

Here comes the sun.

Big, beautiful, happy sunflowers.

Once we'd bought our lot of fresh goods (peach butter, tomatoes,pepper and bread), we walked along the water.



I love the tip of Manhattan. Love the view from Jersey City too.

Along the walkway, we found a nice harbor where we eventually picked up the water ferry/taxi to Manhattan.

All in all, we really enjoyed Exchange Place, the Jersey City neighborhood we stayed in, much to our surprise. Lovely brownstone apartments, waterfront, nice neighborhood cafes (if you go, stop into the Lighthorse Tavern, nice place), easy access to Manhattan....we'd stay there again in a heartbeat.

More Tomatoes Please

When we got home from the weekend, our first tomato was finally ready. We planted a little late this year, so we've been waiting and waiting.

I didn't want to mess with it too much. Had some iceberg in fridge (Yes, I like iceberg. I don't discriminate against any lettuce. Iceberg has great crunch!).  Just sliced that tomato up with a couple of cherries Gar had picked too.

We declared that first tomato delicious! I do hope you're starting to enjoy the crops from your gardens if you have them. Nothing like it.

Sunset Meadows

Last night's sunset was a lovely end to an otherwise gray, ugly, damp day.

Happy Wednesday. Enjoy the middle of the week!

Lace and Sunshine

A little lace

It couldn't be more gorgeous out. It's about 84f, a little humidity, but a lovely breeze that is just heavenly moving the air around.  The barn across the street is looking especially wonderful today, surrounded by queen anne's lace in full bloom. 

The field on the other side of the barn has even more queen anne's lace, blooming as far as the eye can see. So pretty swaying in the breeze.

Other etsians (people with shop on etsy :)love queen anne's lace as much as me, like PineandMain, offering these lovely Steubenville Fruit Bowls.





Copyright PineandMain, 2011

And this dreamy photo by Cottagelightstudio.


Copyright Cottaglightstudio, 2011

 Or these lovely note cards by paperinkandearth.



Copyright paperinkandearth, 2011


Look at this fantastic watch, the creation of purplepetalstudio! LOVE this idea.



Copyright purplepetalstudio, 2011



I love the way the same thing can inspire so many different and varied creations.

Sunshine

There's been a lot of sun lately, and I'm loving it after the long winter and the seriously wet spring that wouldn't give way to summer until July. I am loving every minute of it.  I finished the weeding in the east garden and as promised, here's some pictures of the garden complete with mulch. As I mentioned, will still have some trim and siding to finish on that side, so it doesn't have the best back drop. Luckily, the blooming rose of sharon distracts attention for the unfinished stuff.

Before Weeding and Mulch

After Weeding and Mulch

Better? Right? Well, I mean, other than the dead lawn. Every one's lawns are crunchy here at the moment. The trade off for lots and lots of hot sun.

The piece de resistance though........the rose of sharon. Saucer sized hibiscus. So very pretty indeed.  I took the first one in the evening two nights ago.  The second, just a few moments ago in the glorious sunshine.



Copyright Pamela J. Bates, 2011



Our plans for the day include laundry (what a perfect day for line drying!), yard work, and perhaps we'll get those office shelves up. If not, 'tomorrow is another day'.

What are you plans? Is it sunny where you are or are you trying to avoid the raindrops?

Have a great Saturday in your corner of the world.





Monday, Monday

Wouldn't Sunday be so much better if Monday wasn't to follow? Anybody on that bandwagon except me? 

We did enjoy the day, but you just want it to last forever. Watered the gardens and happened to find my rose bush out back blooming again, beneath the poke weed. I think the shade from the poke weed was making it happy this week.

You can see some of the poke weed in the foreground, bottom right. Those green pods will turn into purple berries that the blue birds LOVE come fall.

I weeded for most of the afternoon. Never got beyond the small east flower garden, which wasn't even really looking like a flower garden. The grass next to it is toast from the heat. (Seriously, the earth was like concrete from the heat and lack of rain.) And the only place grass was growing was in the flower garden. Why is that?

Please note: lots of crab grass and weeds in the garden.

Yes, we still have siding to finish on the east side of the house. Eventually, when we get the mudroom built, it will happen. Someday. For now, it's kind of an ugly backdrop for the garden, but there are worse things in life.

Went as far as I could and then, like the lawn, I was toast. It was still hot. But got most of this little flower garden weeded.  Will attack the rest later.

I know it's hard to tell, but there are way less weeds in this garden now. Promise. The wheelbarrow is full. I've only the far end to finish. Then another round of mulch. I'll take a picture after the mulch as I'm sure that will make it look much, much better. Plus, the Rose of Sharon at the end is about to burst into full bloom. That will be a show!

I know you'd never guess (wink, wink), but with the heat we've had, there have been some really wonderful sunsets this week. Last night was no exception.

It started off so soft and pretty.

It quickly went to hot summer sunset.

Always a lovely way to end the day.

From my from my perfectly imperfect weed-ridden garden, dead-grass corner of the world to your corner of the world, have a marvelous Monday.