A surprise and almost the last of the tomatoes

SunSugar and bloody butcher tomatoes.

Today I was surprised to find these few strawberries and will enjoy them to the last bite. There are still a few more tomatoes in the garden to ripen, that is, if we continue to have some sunshine.

This 'n' that Friday

"She always wants to be the one who stands out in a crowd"

"Sure wish I could reach that itchy spot"

Tomato harvest better than expected

I am more than pleased with the tomato harvest this year, considering the cool slow start they had. The small red tomato 'Bloody butcher' is sweet and juicy, one I keep in a bowl on the kitchen counter as a healthy 'snack' along with the small yellow 'Sun Sugar' which is like eating candy. The larger fruit 'Siletz'  I like sliced for sandwiches. Brandywine is still not ripe, so I won't bother with this one again.

This is the last of the blueberries, and oh! my goodness, there are so many big plump blackberries this year. These grow wild on our 10 acre property and I gladly share with the flocks of starling who squabble and fight over the berries. There are two quart  jars full of measured juice from blackberries in the freezer, ready to make into jelly during the cold months of winter.
Last of all there are the zucchini. I only grow two plants, the second is only if the first fails. A family can eat only so much zucchini. *grin* What we don't eat, the semi-tame rabbits are only too happy to help out.

My experiment with heirloom tomatoes.

For years I have missed the wonderful slightly sweet acidic flavor of the tomatoes I remember from my childhood. This year, I decided to see what some of the heirloom tomatoes taste like. I had to choose tomatoes requiring a shorter growing season, as sometimes our summer in the PNW can be cooler and shorter than in other parts of the country, this year was no exception.

The golden colored Sun Sugar tomato (not an heirloom) has, and still is producing lots of the small sweet tomatoes. The Bloody Butcher, heirloom tomato plant  has also given me an abundance of lovely fruit for salads and snacking, one I will be growing again next year. Siletz is a larger tomato, one with not a whole lot of seeds and a flesh I like as a slicing tomato for sandwiches, but because of the short summer did not produce very many fruit, but perhaps I would consider planting it again, hoping for more sunny days to ripen more fruit.

This tomato is Brandywine and still has not ripened, also due to the short Summer we have had this year. I am hoping there will be at least one tomato ripen so I can taste it to see what kind of flavor it has.
Next year I will look for more heirlooms to try, as I still have not found a tomato with that allusive flavor I am looking for.

I have no complaint about the blueberry bushes and the large quantity of berries I have harvested from them. I have enough tucked away in the freezer, to see us through the winter. This is the first year I will not have to buy any.

Owl takes a bath

A few days ago, I arrived at my friend's house to find her dragging a hose over the deck. "what are you doing?" I asked. She replied, " there is an owl in the tree, I have already poked at with my cane from a few feet away, and it won't fly away, so I am going to squirt it with this hose"

"here let me have the hose and I will see what I can do" I replied. 

You see, my friend loves her critters and birds, especially these cute wee squirrels, and one of the three squirrels has gone missing, so my friend is assuming that the owl is there to get the other two. 

Both my friend and I stood with mouths hanging open in disbelief, as I gave the owl a couple of blasts of water from the hose, and it just sat there with that wide eyed look, ruffling it's feathers as if to say " thank you for the nice bath" The owl then sat there for another few minutes looking at us both standing just about six feet away, before finally flying off.
There are still two of the squirrels visiting the feeders, so perhaps the owl has given up for now.

Are you tired of flower photos yet?

Thank you for the parsley, but why can't I come in there and choose my own treats!

Those glorious Glads

There are so many fabulous colors of gladiola that it is hard to choose. I love the yellow-pink and peach color of this one.

The American Robin

I am always delighted to have the American Robins visit my garden, and this year, I have watched three different families raise their young.

Young American Robin

Wordless Wednesday

Try and jump this, you little stinker

There is one bunny who can jump over the 2 foot high lattice fence.

I declared war, and placed the wire garden surround on top of the lattice. So far the bunny has not attempted to jump over. So, does that mean I win?

Sunday .... bird day

 The Brown Creeper, also known as the American Tree Creeper, is a small songbird, the only North American member of the treecreeper family Certhiidae.

Spotted Towhee

Friday--flower day

Hello August, what will you bring?

Please, please sunshine and heat stay around

Our so called Summer has been cooler than usual, and we need way more heat for the veggies and fruits to fully ripen.

Sweet bell peppers cozy within the 'wall of water'

This year my Scarlet runner beans are struggling

Bloody Butcher tomatoes beginning to ripen

Blueberries within their sheltering cover of bird netting

This 'n' that Thursday

The hydrangea sure is beautiful this year

The front garden

Wordless Wednesday

It feels so good to spread out on the warm concrete

This has to be an "awww gee" moment

Cedar Waxwing

Seen on a trip to Idaho

Wordless Wednesday

Thursday ------ Birdie day

OK! who ate all the suet?

I am still growing into my feathers and my 'baby horns' will go away as I mature