Today's flower harvest, sans zinnias

I'm calling these tree trunk gladiolas. They are so big, most of them over four feet tall. I guess I should cut some down for market. I told Stuart if we can't sell these on the 4th of July weekend, red-hot-tall, I'm done with them. I just say that though. I couldn't resist growing them if I tried. I'd like to have a party where I don't have to do any work and have a big huge vase full of these as the centerpiece. I'd use them as a weapon against anyone who says "wow, you still have 2 months to go?!"

Melon Nose

Melon patch, melon patch two weeks later. Emily with the cutest melon nose. Clover not so amused.

Quick one....

Well, here we are at the end of June already. The farm is kicking our asses right now with us barely being able to keep up with just the harvesting. The year we are so proud; we have the best crop of heirloom tomatoes we have ever had! We're talking huge, non-cracked slicing delights. We're also swimming in melons this week, perfect for the fourth, and we've done one whole round of onion curing in our greenhouse and we've filled it up again with the last of them to cure. Breathe farmers breathe! We are trying to fathom setting aside a few days for us to get away before our lives change so drastically with the new addition that is growing SO fast ( I'm definitely waddling now ). Beach? Mountains? Can we do it?
Anyhow, sorry for the brevity; I want to post more there just isn't enough time these days!

Baby Love

We're having some baby love going on. We've gotten a couple presents from our friends and market customers and it is SO SWEET!!!! Impossible not to share. How special to have such a strong community around us. I love all the pregnant stories customers share with me at market. Although I could pass on some of the faces and comments I get from a few people when I tell them when I'm due. A barely perceptible wincing, a drawing in of the breath, and then a bad smile to top it off. "Wow, you're due the first week in September? You're going to be so hot this summer, like a radiator!" Thanks for the brilliant observation, you must be a genius.

These are a few pictures of a cradle Stuart's grandfather built; it was built for Stuart's oldest sister Randle, but every child from the family has been in it since. Isn't is gorgeous?! The detail work is pretty amazing and it makes this great sound when you rock it. We still have so many things to do to prepare. It's all a little daunting considering how fast the time is going by. And names for the baby.....seems like one of the hardest things. It's taking on more life in my belly, moving around all the time and adjusting. Weighs around 2 1/2 lbs now. It gets more real every day the fact that we will be parents soon.

Market prep

I'm not so sure why bugs eating bugs is so fascinating to me; I was cutting this sunflower Friday and this bug was eating a honey bee! Must have been a surprise attack when the flower was barely opening. We had a great market on Saturday which always feels so good. So many good things at the market to choose from.....I got three pints of my favorite blackberries, cantaloupe, raspberries (!), on-farm processed chicken thighs, two great cheeses, corn, and some goodies from Scratch bakery. This week looks to be super hot with a couple days at 97. Yuck. We'll have to irrigate all day every day since rain has been scarce around these parts.

Hank; Hank-a-Roo; Hank-a-Ranky

Standstill

This past week was one of the more challenging ones so far this season. I pushed my limits Tuesday and did some weed-eating and by evening time my back was so painfully locked up I was having trouble walking. Wednesday was worse; I barely got through cutting and arranging our CSA bouquets and by noon every time I took a step there was the chance some nerves in my back and right leg would send a horrible shooting pain through my body. I was basically hobbled and a mess. Stuart had to come with me on the Wed. delivery run as I couldn't carry any boxes or buckets.
It was a strange, painful, and revelatory experience to not be able to walk properly. I had to look at some cold hard issues up close and personal which is really never that much fun. I'm much better several days later, but I know the pain is right there looming and lurking. So, needless to say, my mood has been a little heavy lately as if I'm emotionally stuck in a lap pool having to tread it out.
I got a few awesome treats at market on Saturday. Sharon from 'Weatherhand Farm' had some blackberries that are one of the best fruits of the year. But I'm talking about her blackberries as they are not the same from every farm. They are so beautiful. I want to draw them, paint them, and eat them until my belly hurts. They are SO good.
They look a lot like the 'dark knight' scabiosa which we have a lovely crop of this year. Too bad I can't eat those. I also got a gorgeous Eucomis plant from Tim and Helga at 'Four Leaf Farm'. I hear you can propagate it easily by leaf cuttings; let's hope so cause that flower is hot stuff.

Picklemania

25 lbs of cukes, several Sunday hours = 2 gallons of pickles. Next Sunday, pickled squash?

Week 27; Big Belly

These weeks are flying by so fast. We only have thirteen weeks to go and we'll have a little one we'll be able to hold and whisper sweet nothings to all day long. We signed up for a birthing class for some baby education; the problem is that it's Monday evenings from 7:30 to 10:00, and it's a 40 minute drive cause we live in the middle of nowhere. Yikes!!! A nap will have to be in order on those days. I've finally reached the stage where people feel comfortable to congratulate me and ask when I'm due. Everyone is so nice to pregnant women, I love it.
With the oppressive heat we've had lately, all of our spring crops, particularly the flowers, came and went with lightning speed. It's been hard to keep up with cutting them, but this next week looks to give me a little breathing room. These market pictures are from two weeks ago, yesterday I forgot the camera. We had ten buckets of sunflowers and sold all but one!!! It was an awesome flower sales day as there was some graduation happening. Gotta love that. And if you're not growing safflower, think about it. Customers go crazy for its unique look. Wish its bloom period were longer though!!!