A new Pond to Swim in

One morning about two weeks ago, I went out to feed the fish and there was about 2 inches of water left in our pond.  The pond was really just a large flower pot and although it was sealed it apparently developed a fatal leak.  The poor fish were nearly out of water especially for Fred who is larger than Mark.  I quickly filled up the pond and made sure Lori checked on them throughout the day.  I stopped by Stauffer's to buy a liner and asked if they had the half whiskey barrels, which is what I should have started out with to begin with.  They were out in the loading area which is why I never saw them before.  So for $80.00 we have a whiskey barrel and liner that will not leak.  It is even bigger than the flower pot so the fish have even more room. 

I moved all the stuff into the new pond and once it was half full, we moved the fish into their new crib. 

They seem to like their new place. They have more room and it is cleaner with the new filter.  When we were changing ponds we found three baby snails so Simon may be a Simone!  Baylor loved seeing them and kept asking where they were once they slid off the rocks. 

A few days later, we were happy to find a water lily blooming!  It was our first flower. 

The new pond was worth the money and we can now use the old pond as a flower pot!  Reuse and recycle is the motto around here. 

Woo Hoo

It rained three times in the last two days!! Woo Hoo! We had a super wet spring and summer has been quite dry.  I am partially glad for the wading pool because once a week I have to drain it to clean it.  I get to use that funky water to water the parched gardens.  Of course the first time in three years I decide to put in a garden, we have a drought!  I am sure I will not have much of a harvest of tomatoes but some are better than nothing.  We are slowing losing the cucumbers to some wilt issue and that is quite distressing to Baylor and I.  He loves cucumbers and our four plants looked to be able to provide us with enough all summer.  O well, we will take them out and plant something else.  We are already planning on planting corn next year.
The strawberries are producing sweet little berries every day and if we can get to them before the slugs and ants we enjoy the sweet treat while playing.  The tiny tomatoes are turning red and Baylor eats them with gusto.  I will have to get a photo and add it to the post.  The plants are huge but the fruit is about the size of a large pea.  They are full of tomato flavor, amazingly so considering their size.  Baylor ate them last year too and has been sticking his head into the plants looking for red ones. 
The second round of raspberries are looking good and we will be eating dessert out there until frost.  I neglected them for two years while I was pregnant and while Baylor was an infant.  Last year I whacked them back pretty aggressively so the spring crop was fairly sparse.  But things are looking up for the reds and yellows. The black raspberries are another matter.  I have been trying to set up a patch since we moved into this house. Picking black raspberries was something I always looked forward to each summer.  My grandpa had a huge patch and each summer at our fourth of July picnic, I would work my way deep into the patch and pick as many as I could reach.  I may have only picked a quart or two but it was something I really loved doing.  I would emerge from the patch completely scratched and bleeding but I could eat a quart myself so it was worth it. I got plants from my grandpa and planted them in my yard where I thought they would do well.  I ended up moving them to a new perfect spot almost every year. We never got any berries because I was always moving them.  I finally found the perfect spot at the end of our property and they lived there happily for two years.  We ate berries off them for the first time last summer. Baylor and I loved going out there and picking off the vines.  At the end of summer a new township officer patrolled the town and decided they needed to be moved as it was not technically our property.  Our property stops about 18 inches behind our trees and the rest to the road belongs to the fire hall or township I cannot remember which.  They do not maintain it or mow it and the raspberries were not inhibiting anyone from passing our backyard.  Rather than be fined, I had to move them, again.  It was late August/September and after I moved them, I did not water them well.  They were at the very end of the property and lugging the hose all the way out there with Baylor on my hip, because he could not be separated from me for longer than a blink, was way too much work.  My beloved raspberries were on their own.  Only two survived the move and the winter and I have been nursing them along.  Guess what, I moved them again!! They were not doing well where they were and I moved them to the side of my garden shed.  They survived the move and hopefully that will be their forever home.  Heather has some shoots at her house and I think I will grab a few next time I visit.  Since the farm is no longer in the family I cannot get any more from there and if I lose them I will be very sad because they are a link to those memories of summer picnics on the farm. Hopefully the rain will help everyone to grow!  I am looking forward to when we can pick black raspberries again.  I love them and the memories they bring to me. 

Dilly Dilly

Lilies

all but three of these are in our gardens

Just Playing and Swimming the night away

  We had a very busy Saturday.  In the morning, we left early to watch Robin at her last swim meet.  Baylor had fun watching her swim and cheer her on.  I forgot the camera because we were rushing out the door and Baylor was not really into the whole trip to begin with so he was a bit distracting.  After that we headed to the grocery store for corn and milk and a few other things we needed for the weekend.  Then it was across the river to a store to make a return and pick up a few other things we really 'needed'.  We are bicoastal and will shop on either side of the river here.  Some people don't cross the river for much other than maybe a trip to the other hospital or something major. But it works both ways and there are people on the east shore who never come to the west shore for anything.  After shopping for those much needed pool and backyard toys it was back across the river to home.  Baylor loves going over the bridges and seeing the trees in the water.  Now they are on the islands but in the rainy spring, the islands were underwater and Baylor first saw them growing out the water. As soon as we got home, we put the cold stuff on the refrigerator, grabbed a birthday gift and hustled to the neighbor's for a Vanessa's 4th birthday party.  Thankfully they had not started so I felt less guilty for being late.  The weather was nice and breezy under the tree and the party was fun for everyone.  It was past nap time when we headed across the driveway home. 

Baylor did not get into the pool until after dinner. We were waiting for Addy to show up as we were going to play with her while her parents went to a birthday party.  It was her first time here without her mom and she was upset for a few minutes.  Baylor and Addy go to the same sitter so they are well acquainted and Baylor was comforting her when she was sad.  He even offer her his own wooby for comfort. It was interesting watching him play at his house with her.  He became quite bossy, 'we don't put that there,' 'we don't do it that way' etc.  Lori had a talk with him about being a gentleman and his manners.  I am not sure if it was the talk or he just got used to her being here but he did get better.  

See the new yellow water toy we 'needed' while shopping?  It is part of a set of 4.

Addy liked the doghouse and had fun on the slide.  She loves her babies like Baylor loves his wooby and Daisy. 

Addy has an inground pool at her house but up until last week she has never gone in it.  Even as a baby she hated water.  They used to fight over who did not have to give here a bath because it was such a struggle. It was her idea to get into the our pool with Baylor and she was a little mermaid!  She is also using the potty and I think at least times during the short swim she said she needed to use the potty.  I  had brought one outside with us so it was a short skip to the lou.  All were false alarms so getting her wet outfit off and on each time was the biggest hassle.  But we would like to get Baylor on the potty so it was a taste of our future.

Megan and Jamie had a good time at the party and we were glad to have Addy for a few hours.  They are moving back down here in a few weeks into a home Jamie is buying in a neighboring town, and I hope we get together more often.  These kids gestated four feet apart 5 days a week for 9 months and were born 4 days apart so I think they are pretty connected.  It is good for them to grow up together as friends. It is a good thing. 

Bubbles

Finally, we have strawberries

Apparently it was a bit sour.

And now we are waiting for tiny tomatoes!

Sunflowers

P.S.  I am taking off the date stamp and going to suck it up that I will not know the day the photo was taken.