Garden Firsts! :)

 Today I dug up the garlic patch! It's the first time I've grown this much! :)

 They'll dry in the Summer sun for 7 to 10 days and then they should be ready to store! :)

 We love Elephant Garlic, ...

 And Purple Glazier Garlic, which are both good choices for the Pacific NW! :)

 The sunflowers are opening now which delights all the bees! :)
 It's the first time the slugs devoured the vast majority of the sunflowers I planted, not only Once, but Twice! ... I will plant them again next year, in a different location! :)

 This is also the first time the poppies grew where I did Not plant them, volunteering from last years flower patch! :)

 I decided to grow the Pink Lemonade Blueberry, this year, and I'm glad I did! I love their distinct flavor! :)

 The first raspberries of the season! I forgot how flavorful they are right from the cane!! :)

 It's also the first time I didn't see the potatoes bloom! I put more soil cover on them, to prevent green potatoes, and perhaps that had something to do with it? :)

As long as we have a nice bounty, I don't mind! :)
These beauties are simmering in a pot, along with chicken breast and other garden produce, in our "garden stew", as I write! :)
...
You know the saying "There's a first time for everything."? :)
I've found each year there are new things that happen in the garden, both planned and unexpected, which keep gardening exciting, and ever a learning experience! :)
Happy Gardening Everyone! :)

Gone And Back Again! :)

 We recently had the joy of visiting family! :) It was fun to see their puppy nearly full-grown, now! :)

 Their dogs get along well with each other, and ...

 With the cat, who we finally got to meet in person! Such fun! :)

 Of course we were especially thrilled to spend time with our grandsons!! :)

 They are big Ninja Turtle fans, so we bought them swords, which come in handy for Ninja viewing and imaginary battle activities! :)

 They will be Ninjas one minute and Batman the next! :)

 Troy is an amazing cook and made the most delicious cake and Dutch-oven meals, while we were there! :) ... [Thanks Troy! Our mouths are still watering!] :)

 Seems no visit is complete without some tickle-wrestle time with the boys! :)

 All too soon it was time to say our goodbyes, ... face the miles, ...

 And return home. ...
Our son did a good job of looking after the place and keeping things watered! I couldn't get over how much things had grown in one week! :)

 The corn is tall, ...

 Tasseled, ...

 And starting to form silk! :)

 It's fun to walk through it, look up, and see it towering over my head! :)

 The tomato plants now reach the ceiling of the mesh greenhouse! :)

 Even though I picked the produce before we left, there was a huge harvest of snow peas, ...

 And green beans needing to be picked when we returned, ...

 Enough to fill a gallon bag, each! :)

 The zucchini is out of control! Time to cook it up, quick! :)

 The shelling beans have grown above the tower! :)

 These I will pick and shell this Fall, when they've dried on the vine! :)

 The first tomatoes are ripe, and we're enjoying them on our tossed salads! :)

 It's fun to see winter squash forming now, ...

 And reaching through the corn rows! :)

 The new vine I have growing on the "bird station" has reached the top ...

 During the week we were away! :)

I was happy to see the lemon yellow blooms of the third holly-hock, upon our return home! :) ...
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It's always a joy to spend some much cherished time with our dear loved ones, ...
And it's always good to be home again! :)