Summer's Here

Summer is finally here! I went outside to see how things are going in our yard. The windchime was making pretty music while I stood in the shade of the crape myrtle. The hydrangeas are full and lush.


They are just beginning to bloom.


Jen planted this Pixie lily today. I wonder where the Pixie is hiding? Later this week, W. & the kids are going to get rocks to put down on the landscape fabric to keep the weeds out and the water in.



The tomatoes are still green. But there are a lot of them and they are getting bigger and bigger!


Remember when the marigold seedlings got dumped? Well, they seem to be recovering very nicely.


This strange plant is very attractive to the bumble bees and wasps and even lightening bugs!


It is growing in the community open space next to our yard. Do you know what it is?

That's all for now -
- Samantha

Friends

Saturday wasn't a very exciting day. Jen spent most of the day working on a baby quilt for the new grandson of a friend. I watched for awhile, but there wasn't much I could do to help.


I went back to my bedroom and a companion of M. came by to visit. Her name is Hailey, and she went to Hopscotch Hill school before coming here. Now M. home schools her. She was nice to talk to when all the people were busy doing their thing.

Here's a picture of what Jen spent her weekend making. W. will be putting it in the mail to the new grandson soon.

- Samantha

A little gardening

Our yard isn't very big. The front of the house faces west and is very sunny. Jen and M. had planted some marigold seeds in pots for on the front steps a few weeks ago. Last night, when everyone got home from the niece's 8th grade graduation, they found that some kid had knocked both pots over - crushing the black eyed susans next to the them. Dirt was everywhere. We were sad and upset.


I just hung around while Jen put the dirt back into the pots. She found 6 baby seedlings in the dirt that looked like they might survive, so she put them in the dirt she could save and watered them. Now we need to buy more potting soil to make the pots more full. At least all was not lost. That made us feel a little bit better.


Our backyard faces east, and there are woods behind our house. It is very nice and shady. Someday we want to get rid of the wood steps that we go down when we go out the back door and build a big deck. Something more important always "comes up." When we planted seeds a few weeks ago, we also found a baby Japanese Red Maple under the Japanese Red Maple tree. M. dug it up and planted it in a pot so that we could plant it somewhere else when it got a little bit bigger. It is doing well.


Here are our woods. I'm standing near the Japanese Red Maple tree. We have a lot of wild violets growing there and some ivy. We are trying to keep the dirt from washing down the hill. I like the backyard - I feel close to nature and it is so much cooler in the shade!

- Samantha

Samantha: This bed would be really nice, but the mattress is just a piece of black foam, and there's only an afghan to use as a cover. I'd really like something more.

Jen: Well, if you are patient, we can see what we can do about it.

Samantha: I need a nightgown, too. You don't expect me to sleep in my clothes, do you?


AFTER SOME TIME HAD PASSED...

Jen: Oh, sleeping beauty.... It is time to wake up!


Samantha: Too - much - bright - light...too early...must sleep... Mopsy and I wanna rest...

Jen: Silly girl, it's 9 AM, and the sun is shining in! Time to get up and enjoy the day!


Samantha: Alright, I'm getting up now. I really got a great night's sleep in my new bed! I'm so glad you were able to make my bed nice! I feel like a princess!


Samantha: So, what's for breakfast?