Friday Favorite: Photos
I almost always have my camera with me to take photos of anything and everything I come across. The result is that each year I take around 15,000 photos. Every now and then, I have to look through all my photos when searching for something specific for a client. It’s never a chore, in fact it’s something I rather enjoy doing. Yesterday I came across a few gems from the past, I’m so glad I take so many photos, there’s really no better way to record life!
None of these images are amazing or dramatic, but each one is connected to a memory that brings up strong emotions. This is why I take photos, not just to capture the beauty in the world around me, but to capture the memories and those little pieces of life that might otherwise be forgotten with the passage of time.
Are you in the habit of collecting images of life?
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Oh Boy
Mr Chiots has been spotting a big flock of wild turkeys down at the end of our driveway, which is about a third of a mile from the house. The day before yesterday I looked out and saw them in the grass below the house.
Yesterday morning when I got up they were all under the apple tree, about ten feet from the house. I counted 22, which is a lot of wild turkeys! This many turkeys can do a lot of damage to a garden in a hurry. I don’t worry too much about the upper garden because Tara is up there, but the potager behind the house is probably at risk. That means I’ll be out putting up the pig fences that we’re not using for pigs this year.
What pests do you have to worry about in your garden?
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Pucker Up
Sour cherries bring back memories of my childhood. My maternal grandmother had a big sour cherry tree in her back yard. When the cherries were ripe, my grandpa would erect scaffolding around the tree and we’d go down and pick cherries. We’d spend hours pitting them, then my mom would make a pie and the rest went into the freezer to make sauce for ham and maybe another pie or two.
I planted a few sour cherries trees in Ohio, but they didn’t produce much before we moved. I haven’t planted any here yet (not sure why). Lucky for me, the neighbors have a tree that produces much more than they want or need. Thus I am able to head down and pick cherries at their place.
They can’t remember for sure which variety it is, I’m fairly certain it’s a ‘Montmorency’. I’m happy to have a few pints of cherries tucked into the freezer to be made into scones when the snow flies outside. Personally, I much prefer sour cherries to sweet cherries. I have plans to add a few trees to the garden, in fact I saved a handful of these pits and they’re tucked in the fridge in a container of peat moss hoping they’ll sprout.
Do you grow sour cherries? What’s your favorite way to enjoy them?
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Hello Tom
The tom turkey I got this spring has been fantastic. He got the job done, our turkey hen hatched out a dozen poults and we have a small flock of turkeys running around now. Poor Tom started molting not long after mating season was over, he was a sad sight to be sure. The poor guy looked like he had gotten run over with the brush hog.
Thankfully his feathers are almost all back in and he’s looking quite dapper once again. I’m eagerly anticipating seeing the poults when they grow up. They will have an interesting mix of both of their parents. Dad is a Bourbon and mom is a Wishard Bronze. There are 3 different looks in the cutlets, soon enough they’ll be big and look like adults.
What fun things are going on in your garden?
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The Tough Chores
When it comes to gardening, the toughest chores for me are pruning back the herbs before they’re completely finished blooming. It’s always hard to cut back the few remaining blooms because the bees love them so much. Of course I know that they’ll come back quickly and provide a second flush of bloom before the snow flies, but that still doesn’t make this chore any easier.
Yesterday was the day for most of the tarragon to get pruned. I have three plants that are still in their prime, so those remain. It’s funny how placement of plants can determine their bloom time. These few plants starting blooming two weeks after the first flush of tarragon, they’ll keep blooming for another week or two before I cut them back.
Another reason to cut back blooming plants is to avoid too much self sowing. Some plants, herbs in particular, can become rather invasive if allowed to set seed. I always cut back the catmint, oregano, tarragon, hyssop, and the other herbs to avoid too many seedlings popping up. I still end up with a few from late blooms or flowers that I miss.
What garden chores are most difficult for you?
