And Just Like That....

Summer's over. The public schools started back on Monday. We've been back at it since the beginning of July with a break for Florida. But lucky lucky us, we don't get the Summer's over blues. This weekend is camping, next Monday is a float trip. And it will all be peaceful and calm and chill without the crowds and chaos that Summer can bring.

I've been slowly working on building our camping inventory. We haven't gone since last Fall and its certainly due time, but I always feel woefully unprepared or like its way too big of a hassle. Because my kids love it so much (and the hiking and floating and all that comes with it) I'm making an effort to apply my stellar organizational skills to making it easier on all of us. A little bit at a time I'm buying the correct and quality gear needed for the long haul. This past week I invested in a nice blow up mattress and pump, a variety of bungees (that will be designated for camping only so I don't have to track them down elsewheres), a new tarp, and a tub. The first tub of a few I plan on getting and keeping packed. This one will hold our tent, tarp, mattress, pump, bungees, and a few other things.

We are holding on to Summer as long as we can.

The August Garden

I stepped out back this evening to commune with the bees and sulk over the state of the garden. It's been quite a few weeks since I put any real work into it and it sure enough shows. The expanse of lawn in between plots was newly mown but the plots themselves... Oh my.

The goat pen stands empty and overgrown. The girls are off at the farm being bred for (hopefully) Spring babies.

I posted a shot of the garden from this exact spot about 6 weeks ago and it was gorgeous. Glorious even. Now it just looks sad and neglected. I was able to unearth some squash from that mess but the squash bugs pretty much decimated my zucchini and yellow squash.

The basil bed is unruly and completely misbehaving.

As are the hens when I let them out for their evening romp.

When you walk thru all that mess you have to watch out for pumpkins. Everywhere bits of orange peek through the grass. I'm having a lot of success at growing them this year.

I've already picked 10 and then I found these last night. There are probably 10 to 12 more still on the vine and I'm hoping they hold off until the appropriate season for harvesting.

Out of 30 plus tomato plants about 5 are still hanging in there. We have had a very wet very cool Summer and I'm not sure if that was the cause but there was an awful lot of root rot going on.

Last night's harvest is still sitting in the basket in the kitchen. I've got plans to go rip whole basil plants out of the ground and make as much pesto as I can. We are eating tomatoes with every meal because we just aren't getting enough of any one kind to process them. I thought I would be more upset about that considering all the work I put in, but it worked out because my plate is very full right now and I think adding one more task (especially a large one like canning) would do me in.

Florida 2014

It was relaxing, refreshing, exciting, and long. Everything we needed it to be in order to recharge for the rest of the year. We were able to celebrate our anniversary and Eli's birthday on the beach. We really couldn't have asked for more. And we all came back with killer tans.

When The 6 Year Old Has The Camera

Beauty In Routine

I never would have thought I would be the type of person that thrives on routine, but I am. The quicker I own up to it the easier it would make my life. As of now, I keep to our routine most of the time but periodically fall off the wagon for weeks at a time. Those weeks drive me nuts!

Yesterday we picked back up with school. I now have a First/Second grader and a Third/Fourth grader. For testing purposes I report that they are in the lower grades. But half of their work falls in the upper grade levels. I'm starting a new hashtag. #homeschoolgradelevelsaretotallyinaccurate

Pool Daze

It's a truly busy season for us. Even with a break from school and extracurriculars, the garden and the soap, and the animals, and all the relaxing are keeping us crazy busy.

It's obviously really tough to be us right now. At least I'm doing my reading for the next school year.

Baker Creek

This past weekend, Stella and I went on an adventure. Just the two of us. Up into Missouri to attend the Baker Creek Spring Planting Festival.

Baker Creek is a seed company out of Mansfield, Missouri that was started by Jere Gettle at the age of 17. They have one of the largest collections of heirloom seeds from the 19th century. You can read more about them here.

This was my first visit to their farm and I was not expecting such a crowd. Last year over 7,500 garden enthusiasts, organic foodies, hippie back to the landers, homeschoolers and the likes passed through the gates. When we arrived the grounds were already crawling with people. There were so many amazing vendors and presenters that I didn’t even get to see.

The kids tent was a hit with Stella. She loved the cool sand pile and enjoyed playing the free games. After you collected so many tickets you got to turn them in for an organic soda. But only one! I love that everything was as natural as it could be. She opted for some pink streaks in her hair for fun.

It was a little less crowded in their pioneer village. They have a vegetarian restaurant onsite that was donation only. The line was much too long for us to stand in, but the few food trucks at the festival were serving farm to table real food, goats milk ice cream, smoothies, and such. It was amazing to be able to eat and not have to worry about what is in it and where did it come from.

I would have loved to have perused the seed store but it was nearly impossible to get in the door. Everyone else must have had the same idea. So we wondered around, did as much shopping as we could carry, and made plans for next year. Those plans include a wagon, or two. Also a tent since this thing goes for two days.

Some of the amazing things I was able to carry back to my car included:

Some gorgeous hand thrown plates from Cyborg Clayworks. Wooden weapons from SturdiGuns.com.

 

A huge handwoven basket that saved my hide and held so much stuff. Can’t remember the name of the artists though. Some herbs, a few very interesting varieties of tomato and pepper I hadn’t heard of, two honeyberry bushes and a new hop plant. I fell immediately in love with this handmade broom from Laffing Horse Designs. So much so that I ordered a bunch of them to carry in our store.

 

The Baker Creek Spring Planting Festival was very inspiring. It was great to see that so many people care about where their food comes from, even down to the source of the seed. The vendors were top notch, and I would rather spend my money on handmade things any day.

Being gone for only two days, you would have thought my garden would have behaved itself. Of course not. But just coming from a garden fest, I was excited to jump back in.

I started the day off by transplanting some tiny tomato plants out of the nursery bed into a bigger plot. Warren eventually joined me and I would say we put in a good three hours in planting, cultivation, and building our hugelkultur beds. It was a nice ending to the day to sit down in the garden with a glass of wine and watch the sprinkler make idle arcs over all my hard work.

It all pays off in the end.

The End & The Beginning

The other day I cut into this gorgeous butternut squash.

 

After a roast in the oven it was turned into Butternut Sage Soup.

It was the final butternut from last year’s Fall harvest. A fitting end to the whirlwind of Spring and Summer. We’ve spent the last few weeks working the ground, building new beds, coaxing seedlings into new homes, shoveling compost, reaping the bounty of sunshine happy chickens.

I pretty much should just plant Cilantro. It’s my favorite. I believe you are firmly either pro-cilantro or you hate it. If you don’t like cilantro, I’m not sure we can be friends.

And fraternizing with goats. They provide much comedic relief. And milk. Obviously milk.

This is the beginning of the busy season. Lots of work but lots of relaxing. I’m truly looking forward to sitting down by the garden with a drink in the heat of summer. And nights on the back porch by the glow of the twinkle lights.

But just for reference, its supposed to get down to nearly 30 degrees tonight.

Seriously?

Hella Arkansas.

This Moment

Linking up from SouleMama where every Friday she posts a simple single moment from the week.

Here is mine.

The End of Summer

We are still a few days away from our official start to the 2013-2014 Homeschool Year. I've been brainstorming names for our little school.

The Cove Academy?

Classics In The Country?

The Smith Academy?

Suggestions please!


We've been simultaneously taking it easy and frantically fitting in a few last minute things.

Like that bathroom remodel.

This is just a peek because I really don't want to show the full room until the counter and sink have been replaced. Also, its really had to take good pictures in a small space! But this is one of the wall colors and a new print. Plus a new shower curtain that I love!

 

 

We've been paying extra attention to our feathered friends. It's crazy hot here in the South and watering your animals twice a day is necessary.

 



We took a stroll along the pond, sock monkey in tow.

There has been lots of homeschool planning. Not always accompanied by a child and a beer but those things always make it more fun. Plus I was dreaming of fall when I picked up a 6 pack of cream stout.

 

We had a pool day during the first week public school was back in session.

 

 

Admittedly I had a couple bad days food wise. I fell off the paleo wagon and paid for it dearly. I honestly don't know why in the world I would do that considering I can eat food like that pictured above when following a paleo way of life.

 

 

Since its been so damn hot, the kids have taken to staying indoors.

 

 

But in spite of that heat, I've been getting my workouts in. Either early morning runs, mid-day inside crossfit workouts, or evening yoga.

This summer has been full up to the brim and for that I am glad. But in all honesty, the daily routines can't come back soon enough. This mama is officially shutting the book on Summer.