Living in Season

Ice Cream Hounds

Last night Grant went with Blaine and his brothers to the local Voyageurs baseball game. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to make ice cream with Sam since we could scoop it right out of the cannister as it was spinning, and not worry about sharing our cooties with anyone else! (Okay, or sharing at all!)

I put together a half batch of chocolate, and we took turns using the spatula scraping along the insides of the cannister as it spun. By the time we were finished we didn't have much left for ice cream, but there's no doubt we had more than enough... and no bowls to wash.

Granny's Peonies

Well over a decade ago, I went back to Ohio in June and dug a few of the peony plants my great-grandmother grew in her backyard garden. I never met Granny Ripp because she passed away a couple of years before I was born, but I understand we share the same passion for gardening.

Coming from Hungary they grew a garden for survival, and carried on the practice once the went to American in 1921. She was a wonderful cook - one of those ladies who could create a fantastic meal from the most simple ingredients - and worked hard all of her much too short life.

I'm delighted to have this small connection to Granny Ripp by keeping some of her peonies. Since I've moved five times in the last ten years, it's been no small feat to keep them going. The trickiest move was when I was pregnant with Sam and anticipated a mid-winter move. Thankfully, despite feeling awful, I managed to dig and pot up the tubers before the ground froze. I planted them at the house we rented, then dug them mid-summer when we bought our current house. Hopefully this will be the last one, and by the look of them blooming this summer, they like we're they're planted.

Sliming Slugs

This week my artcle on PlantersPlace is concerning slugs in the garden. We don't have as much of a problem with them in Great Falls since our climate is similar to a convection oven - hot temperatures with high winds. Slugs resemble raisins over here. But in other parts of the country, they're a big problem.

http://www.plantersplace.com/Community/ViewBlog.aspx?BlogId=4

Sentimental Journey

My husband's Father's Day request was to see the B-17, Sentimental Journey, that was making a stop at Great Falls International Airport this weekend. Since we are practically within walking distance, it was an easy outing.

We've seen this particularly plane before, but it's impressive every time. To think this is one of only eight that are still flying and 50 still in existence from a fleet of thousands. When we saw it fly over our house during one of the times it took a group for a ride I could only imagine the terrifying sound of hundreds flying over my town. Absolutely incredible.

Even though this is undoubtedly old technology the durability of the plane is equally remarkable. They don't call it the "Super Fortress" for nothing. These planes have a reputation for taking an incredible amount of flack, and are still able to stay in the air.

When Grant, Blaine and Sam were touring the inside of the plane I talked with a gentleman who asked the pilot to show me the piece of flack he kept in his flight suit. His father was in the belly turret (undoubtedly the worst position) and a piece of flack roughly 3-inches long and an inch wide came through barely missing his neck. His father saved it and gave it to his son, Jim. Jim keeps it in his flight suit whenever he flies. I can't imagine flying through the conditions our pilots had to endure during WWII.

It was a treat for the entire family to see this plane. Sam and John got their first lesson in aviation history, whether they realized it or not. And I'm sure there are many more to come!

The Next Little Gardener is Rolling Over

Baby John isn't featured as often as Samuel on my blog simply because he's not grubbing in the dirt like his brother and I, but he's making great strides and will join us sooner than I think! He's now 4-months old and is hitting that really fun age where he smiles, coos, talks up a blue streak... and just started to roll over. Oh my. Before I know it, I'll have to tie a bell on him to keep track of him because I'm certain he'll be as active as Samuel.

John started out a little peanut since he was a bit early. But his 6 lbs. 6 oz. beginning with weeks of feeding him with a tube and syringe are faded memories. Last week he topped the scale at 15 lbs. 6 oz. ( a gain of nearly 5 lbs. in 2 months!), and the little Chubs has cankles. Eating is not an issue.

Personality-wise I think he's more laid back than Samuel was in many respects, although he has to be in the center of activity. He watches his big brother like a hawk, and I'm certain they will tag team me before long. I better start getting a decent night's sleep to keep ahead of the duo. He's a joy and is a blessing we never expected making him even more precious!

Japanese Beetles... or Why I'm Happy to Live in Montana

No kidding. Japanese beetles were the bane of my gardening as a child in Ohio. They're everywhere this time of year, and will make practically any plant look like a mere skeleton of its former self. Last year when we visited my family they were very bad. One of Mom's friends used netting over her favorite roses, and there were beetle traps hung in trees like Christmas ornaments.

I guess it was a particularly difficult year for them since they tend to be more prolific during wet seasons (a heck of a reason to pray for drought!), but their numbers surprised even me... and I'm a pro at picking off the little devils.

Since it's that time of year again, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about the different ways to stay ahead of them in my PlantersPlace entry this week:

http://www.plantersplace.com/Community/ViewBlog.aspx?BlogId=4

Mosquitoes on the Attack

Summer is here, and so are the mosquitoes! They arrived early this season most likely due to our above average moisture at the end of April, and it makes being outside in the evening... and frankly many afternoons.... less than pleasant. There are many things we can use to keep them at bay even if we don't want to grab a can of bug spray. Check out a few suggestions on my latest post on PlantersPlace:

http://www.plantersplace.com/Community/ViewBlog.aspx?BlogId=4

Can summer please begin?

I'm a little late on the whining this week, but I'll do it anyway. I am sick of snow! I want summer! Last Saturday we woke up to heavy, wet flakes of snow blanketing the ground. Yes, yes we need the moisture, but I'm sorry, this isn't what I have in mind in June. Thankfully, it wasn't a replay of last June when we "enjoyed" ten inches of the blowing and drifting white stuff on June 11. Instead, we are 70-degrees with a fair amount of sunshine. This is more like it.

I had most everything covered at home for last weekend's storm - actually, that's standard practice for me throughout most of the summer since you never know when a freak hail storm will hit, grasshoppers invade or the nighttime temps dip below optimum level for my heat loving veggies. There were a couple of squash plants that were left in the open. They were nipped, but will survive.

Despite our cool spring and a couple of set backs, things are looking much better than last year at the same time. Now I need to put the tomato cages back inside the Wall-O-Waters, and get back on my watering schedule since what moisture we received is already gone. Such is life as a gardener... it's either too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry or something is eating what you've planted! What fun would it be without the challenge?

Gopher Wars!

Oh, we're having a devil of a time with the gophers at the community garden. They counted coup on the lettuce the first night, and by the end of last week I was fielding calls from upset gardeners. There was a big, old tabby out there last night, but he's skinny enough that it's obvious he's not making a dent in the rodent population.

Here's my latest post on Planters Place blog concerning dealing iwth these voracious critters: http://www.plantersplace.com/Community/ViewBlog.aspx?BlogId=4

Segregation in the Garden

Every season I have big plans - this year I am determined to properly save some of the seeds from the Hungarian medium hot block peppers from the family farm. To be certain I'm not cross-pollinating with the 'Goliath' sweet peppers or anything the neighbors have growing, I am growing a handful of them in the portable cold frame I purchased from Seed Savers (www.seedsavers.com) that has a screen over it. This way the bees can't get to the blossoms. This also means I'm going to have to play pollinator myself with a paint brush.

What surprised me is how quickly I'm going to have to do this. Even though it seems like we're running behind this spring, the pepper plants are already starting to blossom so I'm going to have to do my best to make sure they will produce so I can have seeds for next year. It will be an interesting experiment to see if I have the same amount of production as the ones the bees will do for me.