Thank you...

I would like to thank all those who called or have left comments lately. I need to make two corrections on the previous posts. 1st the new boat is only 15' long and 2nd NO! I'm not growing illegal drugs in the back yard garden.

Nothing much has happened the last few weeks, we had 6" of rain and then one really hot week, temps over 100*, but the last few days have been perfect fall weather. Kenneth has been getting the boat ready to use and we took it out once to test drive it and I got my first lesson on running it. We are planning a camping trip the end of September.

The garden is still giving us okra and squash. We have decided that we like squash fried with a little cornmeal or just boiled with a little butter. I have tried a couple different recipes for casseroles and haven't found one yet that has been "Yeah! you can make that one again!". I am open to any suggestions, really.

We have been trying to get things ready for Emily's 1st birthday party. I just wish I didn't have to work that weekend. Hope everyone can make it for her special day.

I continue using the clothesline as much as possible and trying not to run the air conditioning whenever possible. So these 60* mornings have been really nice.

Laura Ingalls Wilder...

Another place to visit while at Mansfield, MO.

Screened side porch...

Front porch...

kitchen garden...

Baker Creek...

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is located 5 miles north of Mansfield, MO. about an hour east of Springfield, MO. They sell rare seeds which can be grown and the seeds saved for the future. We bought $30.00 in seeds which may seem like a lot but the seeds can be kept in the freezer for up to 10 years and used as needed, and the plants which grow can be dried for seeds to be used for future plantings or passed on to others.

This year I paid $3.00 per plant (5 plants = $15.00) for pepper plants which have barely even made any peppers and you can't save the seeds for next year ( I tried that with last years plants) because the seeds won't grow. We bought 15 different types of seed packets to be used for the next several years in the kitchen garden.

Take Highway 60 East from Springfield, when you get close to Mansfield you will start seeing signs to "Share the Road" this is Amish country. We saw five different wagons as we were driving through.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Herb Garden , I would love to have something like this in our yard, they dried their own herbs and sold them in...

the Apothecary Shop

this is a picture of their chicken run... you can barely see it but they had a garden planted in the middle.

a beautiful garden gate...

they have their own little village here called Bakersville... in the middle of the village is a garden full of tomato plants.

funny little cabin

a water wheel on the outside of...

the Flour Mill, which is run by their Grandmother...

we went in and bought a cinnamon roll, still warm fresh from the oven...

some of the many vendors

there was live music...

a beautiful family we met, there daughter was giving out information about Nigerian Pygmy Goats.

want to buy a bloodhound? he was trying to untie her bow.

they had alot of animals around, some for sale some which they were raising. Mr. Tom was very talkative.

a post and beam building made completely from wood pegs.

fancy ducks and geese

beautiful male peacock

these geese had double chins

This was an amazing place run completely by a family and friends, if your ever close to this area we would highly recommend you stop in for a visit, the 1st Sunday of every month. If you can't get there you can order their seeds online from the catalog here. If you order from the catalog your name goes in so you will automatically receive another catalog next year. I found their catalog worth receiving just for all the wonderful pictures and information which they give. When we went to buy our seeds they let us borrow a copy to use as we tried to determine which varieties of seeds to buy, they were pleasant and willing to answer all our questions. They sell over 1200 different varieties of seeds, but get your order in early for some because they sell out fast!

A moment of silence...

For those who know us the longest you may know that we hang on to vehicles for a long time... well Last Friday Kenneth parted with the "Purple" pick-up, after 15 years. Technically Ford said it was "BLUE" but for everyone who ever saw it, it was "PURPLE"! So if you will take a moment please to remember all the good times... Now on to the future...
With the money he got he was able to buy a larger boat to go with the motor we bought a few months ago.

It will hold up to 900 pounds! I think we're good. Especially since we have both been losing weight. More on that later.

here it is 17' long by 48" wide across the bottom.

Very Nice.

August garden update...

the 2nd planting of green beans

our last onion...

the tomatoes on the left and the GIANT cosmos. Note: never plant cosmos in the garden beds again.

the squash is growing out all over the path, and the okra on the left.

another view of the green beans...

the lemon and lime trees...

my dill...

today's bounty!