We're back!

Actually, we haven't really been gone. But Blogspot was updating their system and I couldn't upload photos for over a month. It was nice to take a break, but I'm glad to be back. 

Let me catch you up on what we've been doing. 

Frankie says, "Not much." Summer or winter, this is the majority of his day.

Dingus is a little more adventurous. Actually, we've been letting them roam inside the garden fence some mornings, and they love it. 

The human residents take Saturday mornings to have breakfast or donuts in this nice little park in Benson. It has great shade trees and lots of open space. 

One weekend we walked a few blocks down the street looking at cute old houses, and found the Benson Fire Department conducting training exercises. Exciting!

Back home, Sam got Mom Virginia to try a beer one evening. (Sam put ginger ale in the bottle so they could play a prank on me!)

The early mornings in June were cool enough that Sam and I rode our bicycles in nearby J-Six Ranch. No action shots, but we always notice the plant life.

Then there was Bisbee, and the Shady Dell trailer court.

Most of the rentals are vintage 1930's to 1960's campers, decked out in period decor. SO cute. The Shady Dell

For years, Sam has wanted to stay in the totally unique 38 foot long 1947 Chris Craft Yacht. We drive by almost every time we visit Bisbee, but it's always booked. This year (probably because of Covid-19), we finally got in.

The interior is amazing. 

Sam made a great captain (although normal hats are always too small for his noggin).

There was a large selection of vintage records to play on the old turntable, although I believe this one is from the 60's.

We stayed one night and had such a good time. 

We even discovered a part of Bisbee we had never seen before. 

In fact, we had such a good time, Sam took me back for my birthday a couple weeks later. 

This time we stayed a night at the Inn at Castle Rock, a comfortable and whimsical place that was fun to explore. (Many thanks to Becky for taking over Mom's care while we took these breaks.)

My final update is on the garden!

In May, we planted many seedlings in the buckets, then Sam started on our new raised beds. This secondhand deck lumber, which has been lying around for over a year, was the perfect size and was begging to be used. (Thanks, Marla!)

Just like the buckets, we filled the beds with a mixture of native soil, compost, potting soil, and a little worm castings. 

Once the raised beds were done, we knuckled down and finished installing the fence around the posts we put up . . . last year. We're such whiz kids. We appreciate it more when we have to wait for it, right?

Meanwhile, the harvest began with our first cucumber. 

It picked up steam about a month later with this colorful assortment. 

Until BOOM, now we have a garden!

The okra are huge and getting bigger. 

Tomatoes are slower to ripen, but we're getting a few. 

Sam put up cattle panels as support for climbing plants, then I sewed shade cloth for our blazing summer sun.

We had fun painting the fenceposts and gate with a mix of colors.

And finally, peppers. Green and purple. Jalapenos, too, of course. 

Not everything is growing or producing as we hoped, but this is only our second year. We have a lot to learn. 

A few weeks ago Sam spent days and days in the June heat (and I helped a few of those) taking down a couple of huge greenhouses from a neighbor's property. The lumber and hardware are now stacked here at the PPR, awaiting the time and money to put them back together for use (hopefully) next winter.

Another welcome addition to the Pumpkin Patch Ranch is this awesome horse trailer that Sam will be using as a utility trailer. It's a commanding presence on the ranch and looks right at home. 

No, we're not getting horses.

Too expensive to buy, feed, upkeep and care for!

I'll say goodnight with a couple of sunsets we've enjoyed in the past few weeks. Several times we've even taken time to relax in our lawn chairs for an hour! (Are they still called lawn chairs when there's no lawn?)

We wish God's blessings on each of you, and time to listen and talk to him.