Hello...

and Goodbye!

First, let me introduce the newest member of our family, Grace Belle. She's a 10-week-old rescue puppy from Arkansas who came into our lives on Sunday. She is an absolute doll, although our three cats have yet to discover that.

That's the "Hello."

The "Goodbye" is that I have decided to put my blog writing aside for a while, quite possibly for good. Life is just too, too busy, and you know, I just don't feel as though I have anything more to say. There are so, so many folks now on the frugal bandwagon that I know you'll be able to find all the advice you need for thrifty and healthy living, sure savings, and smart spending.

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We on the coast of Maine are having a non-summer so far and that is difficult, both for the gardens and for us humans. It's hard to believe it's July when we've had so little sun and even less warmth.

Our first planting of corn rotted and I'm not sure the second planting is doing any better; it certainly hasn't broken ground yet. And while this cool, damp weather does favors some things, it's not a friend to the peppers, tomatoes and other warm-weather crops. So far, the strawberries have produced, although somewhat scantily, while the coming blueberry crop looks to be huge.

This coming weekend is the start of our annual Gram and Gramp Camp which ends the following weekend with the famous Yarmouth Clam Festival. I haven't gotten out hiking at all, and starting the Maine section of the Appalachian Trail was a major goal for this summer and fall. Then there's all the flower work, the reading, the knitting, and most of all, the invaluable time spent with friends. There just aren't enough hours in the day!

And so, I thank you for visiting this blog, for being part of my life and letting me be a part of yours. I'll miss you especially, Alice!

Best, Mary

Raspberries, Blueberries and Green Beans...

This has turned out to be a dreadful year for raspberries, with unending fog alternating with ceaseless humidity all accompanied by intermittent rain! What started out as a bumper crop of raspberries has pretty much mildewed on the canes. Luckily we had gotten quite a few picked and frozen before the damp and drizzly weather settled in.

That same weather can also devastate the green beans, but so far we've been lucky and the harvest continues heavy on those. I've frozen some whole, some cut, some french-cut, and I suppose I'll once again try dilly beans. They've only come out well for me one year, but I must say, those were delicious.

And then there are the blueberries, ripening as I write. Aside from the crows we share with, the berries are doing well. As we have five or six kinds, they ripen over a nice long stretch which this picker appreciates. I may make some blueberry pancake syrup for Christmas presents, but mostly I just freeze them.

So much else seems slow this year, especially the gazillion varieties of asters I grow. Some of the other flowers are flowering later than the past few years too. I just hope we don't get any early frost as I so love working with the flowers and hate to see the season end. I've been harvesting, cleaning and hanging to dry a wide array of everlastings including lots of celosia, statice and strawflowers of every color. I love seeing them hanging in neat little bundles from the nails and cup holders Bert put up all along the beam in the garage.

All and all, life is good in the garden. And how does YOUR garden grow?