Daily Trip

Compost garden



Stars and Moon watermelon




Dixie Lee watermelon





another picking




Butternut squash




Mystery Melon

I took my daily walk down to the garden by the way of the mail box, yesterday and came back with a huge basket full.  I picked another mystery cantaloupe ( which I cut the other two up and have been eating on them several times a day)  We have three more in the garden.  Of course you can't walk through the garden without picking at least four cucumbers.  I picked another half a basket of beans....and I ended up putting up three more bags in the freezer today....along with another basket of tomatoes.  THEN....I picked two butternut squash.  There are several more growing, along with a few acorn squash.  I checked inside the compost bin and there was even a ripe tomato in there.   I had a big disappointment when I checked the watermelons though.  An animal had eaten a hole in one of the bigger melons....even with the baby powder on them.....sigh!  I think it was a raccoon so even if I planted the melons on the inside of the garden fence, next year, I don't think it would do any good because the raccoons climbed the fence and ate all of our corn.  I either need to "rent" one of the BNOE dogs ( ewwww dogs!) and tie it up down at the garden at night or camp out in one of our tents and use the BB gun on what ever is invading the garden.  It depends on how bad I want to eat my own watermelon next summer...lol.  It's almost time to pull most of everything up and get the tiller out.  It's been another fun garden.  I can't imagine summer without one. 

Sunflower time!



My fun cake plate that Debbie R. gave me for a going away present.




Teddy Bears





notice the mystery melon that I picked yesterday

 Since all of my fun sunflowers are blooming, I decided that it was time to get my sunflower dishes and such out for a little while.  I have never grown a bunch of sunflowers before and they just make me smile when I walk down to the garden and there they are looking at me.  I picked some of the smaller ones for the kitchen this morning. It's fun having them in the house too.  I have several sunflower dishes that I have collected over the years.  The most fun thing I have is a cake plate that my friend Debbie gave me for a going away present when we moved.  It not only has sunflowers on it but chickens too.  I have plans on planting way more sunflowers next Spring.  I think they are my favorite summer time flowers. 

More than a Birthday!

Here she comes!



Eggs and more eggs





My Birthday dinner at the local Steak House




the garden treasures

 July means more than just my birthday to me any more.  My best friend in my whole life since 4th grade, Marina died July 19th, two years ago.  Her Mom, Christina has been like a mom to me almost my whole childhood and more so now since I don't have a mom and she doesn't have a daughter, we are that much closer.  Last year, I flew down to Florida to be with Christina for the anniversary of Marina's death and for my birthday.  This year, Christina flew up here so we would be together.  We spent so much time talking about wonderful memories from childhood and when Chuck and I went over to Europe to spend 17 days with Christina and George.  The Blomberg family is from Germany and as I grew up, I heard all kinds of stories of Germany and wanted to go see it all for myself one day.  That " one day" came 23 years ago. George was asked to work over there for two years just before he retired so we saved our money and took the trip of our life time.  Marina was already over there, stayed and toured Europe with us and her, Chuck and I came home together.  We all had  so much fun.  Besides one other friend that I have, Kathy Zeman in Maine, Christina has known me the longest.  I truly feel like her daughter.  I could go on forever with all my childhood memories of Marina and the Blombergs, but you'd be reading for hours on end.  I was just so happy that Christina could fly up and spend three very important days to both of us with me. 

Mystery Melons



Mystery cantaloupe




Butternut squash



 Remember me telling you about the mystery melons that came up in the garden and I thought it was a cucumber vine?  Then I thought they were honey dew melons but they turned into cantaloupe. (well they didn't TURN into cantaloupe...they were cantaloupe and I couldn't tell) The seeds were in the compost from one of the cantaloupes that we ate and they got tilled into the dirt before we planted the garden.  We had a lot of surprise plants come up all over the garden.  Lots of grape tomatoes.  ...which is fine with me.  We have five cantaloupes growing bigger by the day in the big garden.  I'm glad because the cantaloupe seeds that I planted in their own little patch, aren't doing so well.   The watermelons have finally taken off though and we should have some pretty big watermelon in about a month. That is if I start sprinkling baby powder on them soon. It's suppose to keep the animals from eating them. We'll see.   The acorn and butternut squash are doing well also.  Those we can keep all the way into winter along with my sweet potatoes.  I can't wait to dig those....hope they are good.  They say not to wash them and they will keep for months in the basement.  I'll report back on those, come Fall.  Not only do we have mystery compost plants in the garden but the whole bin is full of pretty tomato plants and some kind of vine....could be cucumbers or more cantaloupe.  Will let ya know if anything happens with that. 

Fun Flowers



Teddy Bears



Last year, I planted a sunflower house and the animals ate them before they were knee high.  So this year, I planted them on the inside of the garden fence and it worked....I have fun sun flowers.  I had to replant some of them three times before they came up but I mostly have them, where I planted.  The giant ones are just now starting to bloom but the littler ones started blooming about a week or so ago.  I have a couple blooming that were called " teddy bear" because they are fluffy.  They are so neat.  I think I will try and plant even more of them next Spring.  Will try some around the house and hope that the animals don't find them. 

Garden Goodies

At first I thought that this years garden wasn't as good as last years, but in the last week, I've decided I was wrong.  Each day I go down there, I come back with two and three baskets of veggies.  Since I planted my flowers on the inside of the fence, this year....they are beautiful.  My sunflowers are the most fun.  I'm already planning on planting more of them next year.  I just finished making my third batch of pickles and will make another batch tomorrow.  I'm loving having all the tomatoes and green beans.  .....yep! the garden is the best part of summer. 

Do I Hear $25?

After the ceremony with the Governor and everyone, there was an auction for the first place baskets of vegetables.  The proceeds went to next years C. Mac Johnson Day.  The vegetables were flawless....just beautiful, deserving a blue ribbon.  The bids went pretty high which was great.  There were tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash and a mixed basket.  Mac and Gene's grand children won the bids on two of the baskets.  The basket of mixed vegetables went for $65!

C. Mac Johnson Day



part of the Johnson Family




Lt. Governor of Alabama




 Gene Johnson and the Governor of Alabama




Gene Johnson, Governor and Mrs. Bentley, Comm. of Agriculture





Lillie, Kellet, Lulu and Governor Bentley




Gene, Jacob and Gene



Free corn!

It was a BIG day at the State Farmer's Market in Montgomery on Saturday.....it was C. Mac Johnson Day!!!  Gene's Dad was a big influence on starting the State Farmer's Market, 41 years ago.  Every year, they set aside a special day to honor Mac.  This year, the Governor, Lt. Governor and the Commissionor of Agriculture was there.  Governor Bentley presented Gene's Mom with a copy of a " bill" that he had signed the day before, saying they would keep the State Farmer's Market.  They had the front row of seats reserved for the " Johnson Family" and it was highly represented.  I was honored to be included in the special day.