June is busting out all over.

Had a really good day.  Mowing the lawn before the rain hit-using my 2 year old Sears rider that I really liked, and a piston rod let loose.  Loud crunchy noises, warrantee expired.  Went to Sears to buy a replacement.   Going to get the same thing, as i now have a pile of 2 year old replacement parts.  Sitting on the floor model talking to the clerk, and he tells me they can have another one in stock in a week.  I am sitting on a $1200 sale, and they won't do it.  Went to Home Depot and found another I liked.  Loaded it up, took it home.  It made some strange noises, so I loaded it up and took it back.  HD crew took unwanted accessories off their floor model, pushed it out and loaded it up=cheerfully.  Letters sent to each company praising service at one, explaining to other how to lose a sale.

I really liked the Sears mower, but the new one is faster and more maneuverable.  Cuts a little narrower, but that is okay.  I can fit a few places easier.   I will get another motor for the Sears and put it on Craigs list- or my wife and I can have races in the back yard.

Beautiful day here. Got some gardening done--hope to plant the zucchini and beans this weekend. Everything else looks good--we have had some rain and that helped a lot.The roses have started to bloom, as have the peonies. Need to make some rhubarb jelly and rhubarb sauce tomorrow.

Doug, I can't believe Sears wouldn't sell the floor model to you. Go figure!

It rained this afternoon, so I made rhubarb jam instead of jelly and some rhubarb sauce. My grandmother used to put the sauce on vanilla ice cream. Mine didn't last that long :-) Got a lot of garden work done this morning before the rain. I planted 6 zucchini plants--that will be enough to feed the entire state, I'm pretty sure. Planted some kale, too. I'll get the green beans planted tomorrow. My snap peas (snow peas?) are producing well this year--some years, I get nothing. This year is good.

A friend of mine grew up on a farm.  Likes to tell about his mother planting an entire package of zucchini seeds.  Stacked up like cord wood when harvest came.

Apparently the bunnies are enjoying our beans.  We get a batch of bunnies every year, and as long as they stay out of the garden, no problem.  We have good cover for them and lots of clover, but they really like the beans.  Got smaller mesh fence to put up when the weather cools off a bit.

One cup of rhubarb, one cup of sugar, water. and a touch of lemon.  Cook until soft, put on vanilla ice cream.  May have to check the freezer to see if we have a rhubarb pie left and then destroy it.

Had Sky out to the local WMA to swim in the creek for a cool off.  Moving water so no algae problem.  He's not sure if he likes swimming yet.

Went to the dog park this morning.  Sky was growling at a Rotty about twice his size.  Sometimes I worry about that boy.  

The Home Depot mower is faster and more fun to drive.  Wife said she wants to learn how to run it.  I may have to check and see if she has an insurance policy on me.  But to lose a sale on something the customer knows you have, by denying you have one in stock.....

Rain just moved through.  Filled the rain gauge and the patio.  Both drains were working but were overwhelmed.  Cars pulled over and stopped.  Probably set back the highway update that started last year.  But the rain has been great for the yard.  Lush, thick, soggy. But some fields are starting to flood.

Walking Sky in town, a woman walking described him as "magnificent".  This was before his bath and brushing.  He stepped into the Minnesota River by the dog park. and that is a dirty river, so bath time.  But he did enjoy the dip.  He heads for the basement bathroom when we get home because thats where I wash his feet..  He doesn't care for the wash down, but he does love the toweling.

Got a lot of garden work and some yard work done this weekend. The beans have started to come up--fingers crossed the bunny doesn't find them! I did plant some inside as "back ups" just in case. I need to get some zinnia plants and then I might be done for a bit. (I was going to start seeds, but I didn't get that done. So, plants it is.)  I made pickled scapes this weekend from the "loopy" things at the top of the garlic. Now, they have to sit in the refrigerator for 6 weeks!  I hope they're good--never tried them before.

Doug, send the rain this way--but a nice, gentle rain, not a crazy storm! Did the birds fledge yet?  All six zucchini plants seems to be doing well...I love the image of stacking them like cord wood--that is right on the mark! I can't imagine planting a whole package of zucchini seeds! I planted a bunch of Lakota squash one year--I really only needed 1-2 hills, but I bet I had a dozen hills with 3-4 plants in each--I had them growing everywhere!  

First clutch hatched 5, all fledged.  My wife watched them leave.  About a 30 second gap between being able to fly and being gone.  The second clutch has hatched 4, still in first downy feathers.  The nest is under the roof and well protected from wind, rain, and sun.  Some of the nest boxes are showing signs of use, and a hollow on our dead birch tree shows lots of activity.

We will have apples-Honey Crisp and crabs.  I sprayed them today-it looks like another bumper crop.  We had the big trees -Maples and locusts-trimmed back, so there is more light hitting the fruit trees.  The Apricot looks to do well also.  All the grape vines survived and are looking good.  This may be the year i become a little old wine maker. Tomatoes are blooming and the lettuce has been used in salads for about a month now.

I like my new lawn mower.  Not perfect, but it runs and makes no strange noises yet.  Pulled the broken motor off the old mower and will strip it apart one of these days.  May look for a different motor for the old rider-maybe a Honda.

Apparently we are in the Minnesota Monsoon season.  Rained again last night.  But the lawn is lush.

Yikes, June is flying by! I can't believe that the days will now start getting shorter again. Boo!

Kate, I'll be interested in hearing how the pickled scapes come out. We bought some at our local farmers market last summer and DH sauteed them as a side dish, and they were pretty good. I think they'd make a really fun centerpiece if you put a bunch of them in a fun container. Their shape is pretty funky!

Doug, someday when I can take some road trips around the US, I'm going to land on your doorstep in peak Honey Crisp season with my empty bucket, asking if I can pick a few off your trees. Those are my favorite apple out here (a close second to Macoun, which we had in CT, but not in OR).

No fruits or veggies in our garden, but our perennials are going like gang-busters. We had such a warm spring that everything is early. Our crocosmia is blooming now, which is a couple weeks ahead of the usual bloom time. The hummingbirds love those -- I saw three of them jausting for position near them last night. But the most fantastic thing blooming right now is our jasmine -- it's on a trellis against the house, right by our bedroom windows. The fragrance is so strong that we can smell it in our bedroom at night when the windows are open. And our yard is so tiny that you can smell it just sitting on the patio, too.

Oh, speaking of patios -- have I posted about the bat living in our patio umbrella? DH thought a bird flew out one day when he opened it, but a few days later when I opened it and something flew out, I realized it was a little bat. So, we've been keeping it closed, since he apparently likes to spend his days in there. The other day we bought a special bat house to hang on the side of the house. We had to paint it a dark color (to trap heat since our nights are cooler). This weekend DH will hang it. I don't know how we get the little bat to know to use it -- I told DH maybe we need to put a Vacancy sign nearby with a big arrow pointing to it. It'll be just a few feet from the umbrella, so I'm hoping he finds it. We'd like him to bring a family and friends since bats eat all the mosquitoes. I know most people think they're creepy, but I love bats. We named this one Robin -- a silly pun (Batman's sidekick) that also works since we don't know if he's male or female. I call him a HE for some reason!

You will be welcome. May even toss in a beer or two. Bring mosquito repellent .

Mac desk top just rotated in a picture of Piper and Gunther in the snow at the local WMA. I have been blessed. Skys pups should whelp next week. I've reached the point where i can see the pictures and smile at the memories.

Walking the river trail at the dog park, I see the water is up about 4ft this week.

I named my rescued bat 'Vlad". He warmed up and left. Not really the friendly type.

We had the big trees trimmed up, and that left lots of wood chips in the grass. Now, with lots of rain, we have mushrooms popping up. I try to get rid of them before Sky chews on them. That can get expensive.

Went into Sears today to pay off the appliances on the credit card. I tried to pay on line, but couldn't sign in. It wanted the name of my college room mate, but I had lived at home. I thought it would be easier to just drag a clerk over to a register and give him a check. Wrong clerk. I may take up drinking.

Super-dry here. Our rainfall is 4" plus behind where it should be, which I know is nothing compared to other places. But it is dry and dusty. Planted some "back up" green beans this morning and tried to get everything well watered. The ticks are out in full force, of course. The grass is already turning brown, so that means no need to mow. I'll take it. (We're on a water restriction, so another reason not to water the lawn!)

I'd love to get a bat or two to take up residence. Tracy, did they find the bat house? Maybe I should try one...

The storms in WV and elsewhere and the fires out west are unbelievable.