My Garden ROCKS!

I know not everyone is a gardener,  But look at this yummy produce!

This is enough for me to be happy for weeks.  

I love pulling carrots up, you never know what you are gonna get!

I lost one of my yellow squash plants to powdery mildew.  But now I know that if you spray the leaves with 1 part milk to 9 parts water once a week it prevents the mildew.  

I also discovered that pole beans taste so much sweeter than bush beans.  

Beans grow well in Oregon.  

I transplanted my baby romaine lettuces and then covered them with sheer fabric.  AMAZING!  Even on an almost 90 degree day they aren't fried and wilted.  I cannot wait to plant winter carrots and cabbages.  I'm gonna cover those cabbages with netting and keep the bugs out!

Happy Campers!

We thought a little camping would be fun so we headed for Detroit.  

 You know that place where everyone likes to take their fast boat.  

Well we don't have one of those, but we went anyway.  

News Flash, 

you can now reserve the first come first serve camping sites.  (bummer)  So were were out of luck and kept on driving.  

It was so much fun to have sobbing children in the back of the mini-van.

 Well we found a lovely spot.  Once you got past the RV's that lived at the

Mountain View RV park

It was a pretty nice place with free SHOWERS!

 We were right on the Santiam river, there were hardly any people.

  The camp host only yelled at me once for driving too fast.  

I was happy!

 The kids were happy too!

Yellow Jackets and all.

 Camping is a great family bonding experience.  

But next time I am NOT buying the strawberry flavored marshmallows.  

They tasted weird!

 Besides... who can resist some of these cute faces?

What Great tent partners!

So I think another camping trip is in order.  

This time at the coast. 

That is what Oregonians call their Beach cause it COLD!

Oregon Harvest

Okay so here's the deal.  Gardening in Oregon can be very successful or not so much.  If you want to eat tomatoes.... some years just stink!  BUT... I am learning that a few things do amazing.  This is what I know.  Green beans grow really well here, no matter the weather.  Lettuces, cabbages, peas, and herbs also do VERY well.  I have even gotten a TON of basil which is a warmer weather crop, but you do have to keep pinching the heads off or it will go to seed and get bitter.  I am thinking that winter squash also do very well but am not ready to give up that much of my garden space for it.  A note about cabbage... cover it with cheese cloth to keep out the moth larve, and cover your swiss chard so the sun doesn't scorch it.  Do successive plantings of lettuce and you'll have it all summer long.  My summer squashes are not doing wonderful... but I am getting a few.  And those are my first ripe tomatoes.  As for tomatoes... I have had too many tomatoes before but not the past few years.  I did decide to cut the tops off of my tomato plants today hoping that the energy would go into the fruit and not new growth.  Oh and I am still hoping for a billion lemon cucumbers, but last year was a bust so I'm not getting my hopes up.  Happy Gardening!

Grant's Baptism

Friends and family met us at the 45th street chapel for Grant's baptism.  He was so excited and did a great job.  The building was still standing after we left so it was a good day! 

Kroc Center

Great times in the pool

Gotta love the goggles!

Rock Climbing

That's Preslee!  Doesn't she look awesome?

That is ME!  Got to the top, then freaked out when I had to jump down. 

It was a good day for the family.  Now I want a membership.

Nee Deep

Best Times of a Young Boys life... no need to say more!

The Girls

Preslee, Me, My Mom, and Kim in Portland

She had no idea what she was about to see...

Up Up and AWAY!

Preslee did an Summer Orchestra camp, this was the final concert.

One very cute audience member and her amazing cello playing sister!