A Week Off.....Heaven!

MeMa's feathers sort of ruffle when someone says, "Oh you work for the school district?  That's nice, so you get the whole summer off."  She is not a teacher she is the Text Book Clerk and therefore has less than 30 days off.  When you have a busy life as we do most of that time is taken before you can make any fun plans.  So when we discovered an entire week cleared on her calendar we packed up and scampered off to the family cabin. We managed to fill my work van full with all that we would need because the plan was not to have to go anywhere once we pulled up in front of the cabin.

We were not the first ones there but diplomacy and two barking dogs helped convince these two freeloaders to vacate and leave these city folk to a week of relaxation.


I brought this marble topped table from my father's house.  While living in England my parents bought the marble top and I used wood from a packing crate that came from Thailand with my father's belongings.  It is teakwood and was a school project that fetched me a good grade.

Where there is MeMa, there are fresh flowers nearby.  Zinnias from her picking garden.

Although they had to be manhandled into their travel cage the boys, Peter and Mickey found the freshness of the forest quite relaxing and filled the air with song.

Although the gardens and greenhouse were left in capable hands I brought this tiny rose cutting and some species hydrangea cuttings that I was just not willing to leave behind.



Once the van was unloaded the rest of the day was ours. And I can't think of a better spot to pamper ourselves then sitting here among the trees.  Our cell phones don't work at the cabin but we have satellite TV and MeMa brought several movies.

Just up the hill from our cabin sits a very popular children's play structure.

For many years my parents and their neighbors the Kaastad's faithfully ran the bingo hall at the lake every other weekend.  They raised quite a sum of money that was completely donated to improvements to the area.

Grandson Brooklyn and granddaughter Adrianne are quite grateful for their great-grandparents hard work and generosity.  Our eldest son Nathan and his family came for an evening BBQ.  Nathan, knowing his parents are always the very busy sort, stated that we were going to go stir crazy up here for an entire week.....ha!

The next day, bright and early and alone once again I moved the work van out from in front of a large delivery of gravel, unloaded the wheelbarrow I had brought from home and began moving load after load through the woods to the back of the property where my late mother built a fire pit from an old truck wheel and some brick.

The rest of the gravel went to top dressing pathways.

Front stairs leading to the roadway

Built on a slope we have steps in various places and over the years and the recent removal of large trees the frames had been needing replacement and a new layer of gravel.

The lower stairs leading under the wrap-around deck

When the forest department decided to remove our large trees it left quite a bit of damage and clean-up that had been ignored.  I discovered a very old and battered native vine maple that was screaming for help and a large old huckleberry plant that was completely unearthed and laying on its side.  I pruned the dead from the maple and transplanted the huckleberry into a new location where we could enjoy them both.

Just above the propane tank is the moss covered trunk of the vine maple

In the center and on the right is a metal post giving support to the newly transplanted huckleberry.

Since they left us with no trees, only large ugly stumps I cut this pathway through the woods to the fire pit area and will build more stairs giving us better access to that area.

While I toiled on pathways and such MeMa stacked firewood

Weather was sunny and quite warm but the nice thing about the forest is that the evenings are cooler.

After dinner cocktail hour

Our Sophie is afraid of the dark and was on guard duty when darkness fell

While the "Little Nazi" worried about the night MeMa and Popeye sang rowdy songs around the campfire.

 So.....Nathan your parents did not go stir crazy, we managed to suffer through all on our own for the entire week.

"A One-ah And A Two-ah

Do you all remember the Lennon Sisters on the

Lawrence Welk Show??????

 

Well

 

 

 

 

 

Here at Menagerie Manor we have the.....

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon Sisters

 

 

Harvest On The Down Low

Though most of my gardening efforts went into completing the pathways,  pruning and top dressing all of the gardens, our nearly ignored and un-planted vegetable garden did yield a few gems.


This is the first year I was able to harvest the giant garlic for roasting instead of replanting

My very favorite red onions 'Red Zepplin'

A good harvest of Hood River garlic

  I just couldn't bear seeing my parents vegetable garden go unplanted, my late mother always planted the usual tomatoes, peppers and lettuce.  I asked my father if he wouldn't mind if I used it this year and he gladly said yes, as long as I planted a tomato for him.

So here you go Dad, this tomato is for you

I planted a row and and a half of russet and German butterball potatoes

One row of sweetcorn and acorn squash

These cucumbers were such an odd surprise, called White Stallion.  I saved seeds from last year and they are loaded with little cukes.

Here is a good comparison

A very hardy row of turnips

2014, A Promise For A Better Year

 Without mincing words, last year was a shitty year...sorry but it was the worst we have had in many.  Independence day came and went, we turned the music up to help drown out all the illegal fireworks.  It seemed to work for the dogs as when we came back they all seemed like they handled it well.


"Little Terrorist #3" Lucy

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my mother's death so MeMa made up a lovely bouquet from the garden and we took them up to pay our respects.
We both are a bit worn out. Friday we hosted a large retirement party for the"Vegas Girls" as they both retired from the School District.  MeMa made all the food and I played bartender. Prior to the party we both worked until we dropped getting the gardens looking their finest.  I am hoping that I have hauled my last load of mulch and gravel, although I am on a first name basis with the lovely young lady that works in the loading office.



We have had some record hot weather to work in so when I did any plantings they had to watered several times a day.  A couple of years ago I found a plant tree which was perfect for displaying what was left of my late mothers begonia collection.  They are thriving nicely on the front porch were they get the morning light.

Most of the work was done in the back gardens but we started at the front walk weeding and laying mulch until we ended at the very back fence.  All the work was done inside and out before the party, MeMa did a wonderful job making all the food even bravely adding two new cold dishes to the fare.  

 It all turned out fantastic and everyone had a great time regardless of the heat, the last guest leaving at 11:30pm.

MeMa and her Banana Buddy

 Everything decided to bloom early this year, probably the warm spring which will give Oregon a longer growing season.  Shame I didn't get more vegetables in the garden it would have brought an amazing harvest.

We now have eight colors of phlox

 

I wish they would develop a poppy that would hold it together more than a day



My historic Zimmerman Hydrangea



Dahlia 'Lindy'



Dahlia 'Kasasagi'



Dahlia 'Boogie Woogie'

MeMa's kitchen window box



The "Yuma Garden" is thriving in the heat  



MeMa's Mandevilla vine



Taeya's school sold plants for a fundraiser and the honey bees love these little drumstick allium 



I harvested my garlic from the lower bed



Tomato harvest starts with these cherries

These patty pan's are the only summer squash planted this year

Bucket List

One thing about growing up in a military family there is a certain amount of forced idle time.  By forced I mean sitting in the back seat of the family car with ones' siblings while traveling many, many, many miles to ones' new home.  On one such occasion I decided to start a list of all the places, things and people etc. to experience, my bucket list.  This particular trip was a family vacation that would include Paris France......hmmm....what do I want to do in Paris?  I know!!  Spit off the Eiffel Tower.....Now in my defense I was a very young teen.  Paris was and is a very confusing city and we were very lost and no one in the family spoke a bit of French, but we did manage to stumble on to the Eiffel Tower, but by then my mother was such a nervous mess that as we approached she said we would not be getting out of the car so, "Take a good look" and off we drove.  Good thing there was an eraser on my pencil because I made my first check mark next to what now read, "See the Eiffel Tower".
There were a few things on my list that age and wisdom brought me to my senses and I have either altered or deleted such as fly a plane.... I am petrified of heights.  Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.....oh... there is that heights thing again and you know....a big hill is just fine.....check.   Go Bowling....?
At dinner with friends the subject came up and I just happened to mention that I not only have never bowled but knew nothing of the sport....er... game.

"WHAT????"

Loud clank of silver being dropped on the table.

"You have never?"

"Never"

"Well get your calendar out because we are going for your birthday."

So that is how "Go Bowling" got checked off my bucket list.

Our usual partners in crime....Princess Jan and Brian Barlow, MeMa and birthday boy sporting our bowling shoes.

Brian was cruel enough to make an announcement (thus the cheerleaders) that I just turned 61 and this was my first time bowling.

Think that Tommy Bahama shirt makes a great bowling shirt don't you?

So guys??? What does it mean when I knock down all those white thingies???? Strike? I got two more in that game and won by one point.

This photo doesn't do it justice but MeMa had the cutest little hippity hoppity dance before plonking her ball down



The food was quite good and of course there was plenty of adult beverages.



I lost the next two games but we had a wonderful time and enjoyed the whole experience immensely.  Thank you Jan and Brian.