Midsummer wanes

Midsummer:

the once-a-year flown in from Maine lobster sale at our local market. 

can anything be cooler to a toddler than grandpa's truck? 

belated birthday gifts! the best!

Road trip to Oregon! So close to arriving!

the oregon coast. so very different than the san juan islands. 

We went to Neskowin to my Aunt and Uncle's house to celebrate my Granny Helen Coffey's 90th birthday with the 4th of july festivities. She is a lifelong amazingly accomplished quilter and we had a show of just a fraction of the hundreds of quilts she has made in her lifetime. 

truly an amazing woman. 

and then, in true Helen fashion, she gave them all away. 

we had a great time with family

bocce ball on the beach! 

sponsored by Base Camp, my cousin's brewery. 

then we drove back home to Lopez, accompanied by family to continue vacationing. My Aunt Jean joined us from Minnesota so we had to show her a good Lopez time! 

paddleboarding

hunting sea glass

kayaking (note my sleeping offspring)

croquet. only play if you are prepared to have the snot beaten out of you. they are cutthroat from a childhood of constant croquet.  

good times with Grandpoppa Jack.

lots of coffee and sunshine and chatting and walking and laundry and good food. over too soon!
the only reason I could bear to face the departure day was:

Sea and Sky came home! 

Meet Sea Flower Mermaid In The Deep and Sky Flower Mermaid In The Deep

houses to attract the fairies 

settling in just fine 

there's been some childcare happening. 

nothing entertains a crowd like a lawnmower 

and some lazy afternoons at the beach

contemplating cherries and life 

but not long after one crowd left, another arrived! Sky made a new friend, 

and we re-connected with old friends. 

after they left, there was fruit to can! (peach and nectarine and vanilla bean compote)

playdates to be had (and some unfortunate self-inflicted haircuts were given)

salmon to be preserved

boats to explore

and volcanos...
We're gearing up for more dear friends coming to visit and making preparations to host my sister Caroline's wedding here in our yard on sept 19th! School work is ramping up for Dave and summer is winding down for us. Julia's first school supplies have been purchased. Life will soon change! 

a garden update for June

blog crazy! two posts in one week!

Here's a look at what's blooming away here right now. We're trying to make a new flower bed around these rocks. They are up against some heavy abuse as both julia and theo now adore playing on this rock, some of them wearing stilettos. 

A volunteer poppy. I've never seen such a fancy poppy. None like this grew last year. I don't know where it came from. its in with the strawberries that are starting to ripen. 

these peas are by far the best I've ever grown. they are about 12 feet tall and not stopping. The peas on the other half of the fence are about 3 feet tall. the potatoes in front grew huge then the vines laid over. i'm not too sure if they just do that or if i'm supposed to dig them already. 

lots of herbs and roses are starting to bloom.  

dave's garden is shaping up nicely. greens, kale, beans, cucumbers, dill, flowers, garlic

so are his tomatoes

the raspberries are starting to fruit. 

calendula and poppies are blooming. I'm drying the calendula for use in soap and creams, and I'll collect the poppy seeds for baking. 

our little cherry tree is producing right now. The apple and pear are setting fruit. 

more calendula

lupine 

a new bed I dug this spring, full of beans, kale, onions, peas. in the very back are some honeyberry, currants, a gogi berry, and a thorneless blackberry. 

Julia's fairy gardens are blooming away. she uses the blooms for flower "soup." Having her own flowers to pick anytime generally saves mine from constant picking, but she is pretty interested in claiming any new garden space being dug as "hers" 

I planted artichokes and cardoons. not sure which is which. they should perennialize here. 

hot tub and mini hot tub. 

still watching wyatt, the babies are buddies now, interacting all the time. mostly nicely. 

and one last photo. mini chef on the beach.