Back to the routine!

Everything has calmed down after the weekend, but this coming weekend everyone is headed for southern CA for my niece's wedding.  I don't travel any more so I'll be the only one not there.  I have plenty to do here, with the gardening, cleaning up the yard, etc.

I have an apple tree in the back yard that is laden with apples, plus they are all over the ground.  Steve tasted one when he was here and he said they weren't very good, so I'm picking the ones from the ground and tossing them.  I also have blackberry vines which are sprawling all over the back fence line, and I need to figure out a way to tie them up so they aren't in the grass.  I've never seen vines with that many thorns on them!   I like blackberry jelly, so if I get a good crop of them I might try making some, or else I can just have them with vanilla ice cream!

I am so happy with the way my garden is growing I'm already planning for what I can plant this fall as well as next year.  I will do a much better job next year because I can get it all rototilled at one time and get certain plants into the ground a bit earlier.  I had planted a row of carrots and a row of sweet peppers and figured Rocky messed up the dirt because they never came up.  I think they are slow to germinate and may be sprouting up now.   I can't believe how excited I am with gardening at this stage in my life.  I failed every effort at it when my kids were little, or else I lived in a condo, an RV, and a mobile home and didn't have the space to grow much of anything.   I still need to get some good fencing to keep Rocky from wandering across the plant beds.

The 100+ degree temperatures have abated for at least a few days.  I love having all the windows and doors open, and am enjoying the fresh breeze.  In CA the sun is hot when you are standing under it, no matter what the season, so I try to minimize the time I'm outdoors.  

Rocky is behaving so much better, most of the time, and it is mostly due to Ara having the patience to work with him.  Everyone is worried that I won't keep up with the discipline or not use the simple commands he now is familiar with.  I want to tell them to remember that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks", and that I am definitely an "old dog".  I was always too lenient with my kids when they were growing up so I don't know why they think I should all of the sudden  be firm with Rocky!  My kids have all grown up to be wonderful, loving, caring, adults.  My dog will grow into a good dog as well.  Actually, I'm trying to remember to be lovingly firm with him.