When we returned from our trip to Wyoming, I helped a friend organize a class for kids, for a homeschool group that I’m a part of. We dyed silk with flowers from the garden. It was really fun, and such a delightful project that children of all ages enjoyed participating in. Who doesn’t love picking petals off flowers and scattering them across a piece of silk?
Also when we returned from our trip, Bracken and I wanted to do something special for Jeff after he had taken care of everything at home while we were gone. We had all been talking about going swimming, since we hadn’t been swimming yet over the summer. We headed to a nearby lake and went to our favorite swimming spot. The water was cold, but it felt amazing. And the surrounding woods were covered in ripe huckleberries, so we snacked along our walk. We came home that day feeling so deeply rejuvenated.
Apple harvesting time snuck up on us and we realized it was time to harvest all the apples from our tree. We have one main tree that produces apples (about three boxes this year), and a few younger trees with a handful of apples on them. The apples from our main tree tasted especially delicious this year (Jeff gave the tree extra care), and were so crunchy and flavorful. It feels good to have a fridge full of apples to snack on. (I’m holding off on making applesauce until our next festival is over.) We harvested some plums too. The cucumbers and beans were producing so much it was hard to keep up for awhile. The bush beans were especially plentiful and we liked that they didn’t get stringy if they stayed a little longer on the plant, but they were a lot more work to harvest. The pole beans, in comparison, can be harvested in a fraction of the time. We’ve been pulling up plants and the garden is winding down now. Jeff was ready for a break from watering.
We went to the beach to celebrate my best friend’s birthday this year. Her birthday happened to be when it was really smoky here from the forest fires and it was the first time I had ever seen it hazy like that at the ocean, the lighting was so surreal and strange looking. It was a welcome relief from all the smoke in the valley, though, and the air was much clearer there. We dipped our feet in the cold water, slid down sand dunes, flew kites, and buried our feet in the sand. The kids had a blast and didn’t want to leave. (I didn’t either.)
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And now… the nights are getting colder. The days are getting colder. The leaves are starting to fall. Jeff has been busy splitting firewood and filling up the woodshed to get ready for winter. My birthday is this week and my dad and stepmom drove up from southern Oregon over the weekend to visit. They brought us firewood, a meal all ready in the crockpot, the most delicious pears from their pear tree, and then sat down and helped us tie buttons on cards for our upcoming fiber festival. Bless their hearts! We’ve been getting a lot of rain here, which the dry forests appreciate.
I’m grateful for that last bit of summer that we were able to squeeze in before the weather turned. I’m going to miss summer, my body loves that warm and sunny weather, but I really do love fall and I’m ready to welcome it this week. Jeff says he’s not, and on second thought… can I just linger in that warm sunshine for a little bit longer?
Heather Robbins says
Happy Birthday Taryn <3 <3 <3
tarynkae says
Thanks Heather!! I appreciate the birthday wishes! 🙂