Taking back my yard...

I've always prided myself on having a nice lawn. I cut, edge, weed eat, and blow on a regular basis. I've spent thousands of dollars on tools (lawn mowers, weed eaters, blowers), gasoline, oil, and harmful chemicals (chem-lawn). Starting this year, I'm vowing to take back 10% of my lawn each year. Rather than continuing to invest time, money, and resources into something that continues to take, I will put that effort into something that gives back to both me, the community, and the environment in the way of flowers, herbs, and vegetables.....

Post-vacation harvest....

Went to Edisto Island (highly recommended) for a few days. Came back to a decent harvest:

Wondering...

I couldn't figure out what was trimming back the lowers stems of my green bean bushes....until I found this guy.....didn't know they hissed at you, which tells you how long he'd probably been eating away, haha....i aint mad at ya'

Memoirs...

Started on my grandmother's memoirs for her today (finally). Here is the first excerpt:

When us children were small, we would visit our aunt Lottie Belle. Behind her home there at Copeland, Kentucky was a large water trestle where the water ran off the mountain side. On each side of the ditch were several grape vines. My cousins, brothers, and sisters would swing from one side of the hill to the other side on these vines. What fun we had! We didn’t have toys, but us children found other ways to amuse ourselves. Aunt Lottie Belle would call all of us children in for a snack. She had the coldest sweet milk and corn bread (or mush) for us to eat. She was a widowed woman at the time, as Uncle Monroe Brewer had died. He worked in the coal mines above my grandfather’s (Pap) house. We loved to visit in the country as there were open places for us to play. The river ran in front of Pap’s house, where we enjoyed swimming during the summer. Uncle Levi Strong would plow the fields for planting. The old horse (Mag) would be hitched up behind the plow. Then Uncle Levi would gather all of us at our cousin’s and put us on a wood platform for the horse to pull over the clots of dirt to break them out of the ground so he could plant crops. Oh, what fun! My sister Haney milked the cows as Big Lillie couldn’t get down on the stool they used for milking. There also was a big barn for us to play in, especially on rainy days. We would climb up into the loft of the barn overlooking the river and the hills across the way. At night the river would sound so peaceful, it would lull you to sleep. My brother Tom and I spent a big part of our lives at Pap’s. I am so thankful today that we were able to be with, and know our wonderful grandpa. Our Grandmother Strong died when I was five years old (1935). I’ve often wondered what she would’ve been like. I know she had to be a gentle and loving person, as my mother was so loving and caring. She loved everyone. My grandmother died of tisic (editor’s note: consumption). 

Growing Watermelon.....

This is my second year attempting to grow watermelon. Last year didn't work out well at all. After conferring with people smarter than me, I believe hilling and thinning the vines has been excellent advice:

Sunbathing....

My (honest) first thought was that they were in my garden, but maybe my garden is in their old playground...

Post Vacation....

We went to Jacksonville for a day and then a five day cruise to the Bahamas. I was concerned that I would come home to rabbits having cleaned out my green beans, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong...I was able to vacuum-pack four bags of green beans and a half bag of peas, along with putting up a variety of new peppers that came in.

1st Job - Front View