Farmer Market

 

 

We stopped by our local farmer market to pick up some goodness we do not grow or we are still waiting to ripen for harvest. 

 

 

Ground cherries, do you like them? In the photo they are the things you see that have what look like paper on them. You pop them out of the paper husk and you eat a sweet surprise. 

 

 

We do not grow sweet corn. This year we needed to freeze corn. We have a farm just down the road from our village that has sweet corn for sale. And it is delicious.

Do you have a favorite goody you like to get at the farmer market?

 

 

Dreaming of Sailing and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Hello Friends!! 

It is Wednesday, that means it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

 1. I saw a meme on Instagram that went like this-'The movie Dirty Dancing came out in 1987 and was set in 1963, so if remade in 2026 it would be set in 2002. Now I need a little lie down in a dark room for a while." 

Time is crazy isn't it? So...what were you up to in the year 2002? 

 

 I was a busy mom, with a two year old and a new born baby.

 

 2. "Me? I'm scared of everything..." What's something that scares you that you'd like to try anyway? 

 

I would like to learn how to sail. 

Never fear Carla you can do it ....

 

 ▲ learn how to read the wind

 ▲ steer the boat

 ▲ setting the sails

▲ basic navigation

 ▲ how to tie knots

 

 

 

3. Watermelon-yay or nay? Which melon is your favorite-watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew. Of the watermelon food/beverages listed which would you say yes to...

watermelon salsa~watermelon feta salad~watermelon sorbet~

a watermelon Jolly Rancher~a watermelon margarita 

 Yay for watermelon.

Cantaloupe is my favorite.

Watermelon salsa.

 4. August 12th is National Middle Child Day. Are you a middle child? If not, where do you fall in the birth order in your family of origin? Do you think this has influenced your personality? Elaborate. 

I am not a middle child.

I am the oldest.

Yes, I think so, according to the Birth Order Theory, the first born may have a deep sense of responsibility. And I definitely have a deep sense of responsibility. 

  5. Would you rather talk to everyone at a crowded party for a short time, or have a significant conversation with two people? Explain. 

I would enjoy a significant conversation with two people. 

I am not really into small talk. I like to learn about people, so I would want to spend time doing just that by having a significant conversation.

  6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Happy Late Summer!! 

 

Ode to August

 

 

Hello Friends,

Our days have been full of sunshine and no rain. It is getting very dry here and that is expected for August in our neck of the woods. The cicada's are signing and the butterflies are dancing during the day. And in the evening the crickets sing and the lighting bugs dance.

 During our walk last week we came upon a walking stick. We have not seen one in years. It was fun to stop and watch it walk.

 

 

Hello Mr. Walking Stick 

 

We are in full bloom.

 

Our grapes are turning purple. It soon will be harvest time.

 

 

Looking up at more grapes.

 

 

I have started to collect seeds.

The seeds below are of the pink poppy. 

 

 

The pink poppy.

 

We are still eating strawberries. My netting idea is working. You cannot see the netting very well in the photo, but I have netting on stakes, held down with the pots. This is keeping birds, chipmunk and squirrel out from stealing our strawberries.

 

 

We are still dealing with these guys. Thankfully they do not eat the vegetables or fruit.

Wishing you a fun filled August. We have a busy month ahead enjoying the warm summer days and cool summer nights. 

 ♥

Carla 

Hello August and it is the Hodgepodge

 

August Sunset

Hello Friends, it is Wednesday and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

 1. What's something on your August calendar you're looking forward to? Or dreading if that's easier to answer. 

 We will be having our big family summer party in August. Our family will meet up at the family farm. We will have good eats, time on the water, time on the trails, time playing games and time together.

2. August 5th is National Oyster Day...do you partake? How do you feel about pearls?  

 No, I will not be taking in National Oyster Day.

As far as pearls, oh yes, I do like pearls. My parents gifted me a lovely pearl necklace and earrings a few years ago.

 3. Tell us about a time when you felt like 'the world was your oyster'. 

I feel that way when I plan the garden for the new season. I can play! I can pick out new plants to me, old favorites, switch things or keep them the same.

  

4. Trip Advisor lists seven islands in the US that require no passport (for US citizens). If you're answering today from outside the US you'll still need to produce yours. An-y-way, have you been to any of the seven? Let's pretend you get an all expense paid trip to one this month...which one do you choose and why? 

Catalina Island California~Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts~Mackinac Island Michigan~Key West Florida~South Padre Island Texas~or Kauai Hawaii

I have not been to any on the list.

I will choose Mackinac Island Michigan. I had a friend visit and enjoyed it. Her trip sounded very romantic. 

  

5. Sylvia Plath is credited with the following- 

"August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time."

Agree or disagree? In other words, how do you feel about this month? 

I agree. We can feel Autumn in the air here in Wisconsin by mid August for sure. As far as how I feel about August, I LOVE this month. It is my second favorite month of the year. 

  6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Another August Sunset 

 

 

On The Road ~ Brunet State Park

 

 

Episode #31 of our Day Date's was to Brunet State Park. We enjoyed a beautiful bottle up summers day. Brunet State Park is one of our favorites. 

Ernie enjoyed the hike too. 

 

 

We enjoyed low humidity, a gentle summer breeze and no bugs. Making a great day to hike in the woods. We saw three fawns and their momma. An Osprey caught a fish along the river and we witnessed it!

 

 

I could never in a hundred summers get tired of this.

 

 

I seek quiet joys. 

John Clare 

 

 

We enjoyed our day out. On the way home we stopped in at a farmers market. We picked up some fresh blueberries, a gift for a friend and a big tomato.

 

I am the only Tigger and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Hello Friends,

It is Wednesday, that means it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

1. What was the last thing you celebrated?  

 

 Our wedding anniversary and your youngest son's birthday.

 

 

  

 2 July 29th is International Day of the Tiger. Besides the wild animal itself, when you hear the word tiger what's the first  person-place-thing-whatever that comes to mind?

 "The wonderful thing about Tiggers is Tiggers are wonderful things! Their tops are made out of rubber, their bottoms are made out of springs!"

  Tigger of Winnie the Pooh, he is a favorite of mine. 

  3. The expression 'eye of the tiger' describes someone with intense focus, determination, and the drive to succeed. What area of your life are you currently bringing that kind of energy to?  

I am focusing on the garden harvest right now. We process most of our garden goodness for winter eating and I will soon be in the thick of it.

  4. What was the last meal you cooked? 

I made a salmon dish last Friday.  

5. Describe your July using exactly five words.  

 America ~ celebrating the 250!!

Hot ~ Wisconsin has been in a heat wave for most of the month.

Smoke ~ wildfire smoke made things interesting.

 Garden ~ keeping the garden watered and tended. 

Praying ~  our military son was away for training.

  6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We do not receive many messages  from our military son often during training. We did receive a message after a nasty storm rolled through, with a photo and the following ...

"Hanging in there."   

 

 

Garden Time in July

 

 

Hello Friends, 

July is waving goodbye, already, golly this year is flying by. It is time to take a tour of what is going on here at The Little Garden That Could.

The above photo is a miniature tomato plant I have in the greenhouse. It is called Tiny Tim. It has been giving us tomatoes since July 4th. Thank you, Tiny Tim. 

 

 

I quickly snapped a photo of this yellow Dahlia and picked it for a bouquet. The pest pressure has really picked up in the heat and humidity that we are having.

 

 

Hello Gardener's, what is causing this on my Fuchsia? The flower blossom gets nice and big. Just when it is ready to open, it turns brown? Is this some type of blossom rot?

 

 

Water drops on one of my favorite lily. I love taking photos of water drops on plants. 

 

 

The sunlight dancing in the garden is another favorite time I like to take photos. The sun is dancing on my dill patch. 

 

 

Beans and more beans. I pickled the first crop of beans. Yum, cannot wait to try them.

 

 

The raspberry patch is having a fantastic year. We have been busy freezing the berries for winter eating.

 

 

See that fella, that is the pest pressure I was talking about. Nasty old beetles.

If you can help me with what is going on with my Fuchsia I would appreciate your advice.

 

 ♥

Carla 

A Yellow Flower Filled Hodgepodge

 

Hello Friends, it is Wednesday and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

 1. Do your goals and dreams energize or exhaust you? Elaborate. 

My husband and I can feel both. We are currently working on a goal right now. It is feeling a bit exhausting because of several hiccups we have experienced along the way. 

 2. July 23rd is national lemon day. Are you a fan of this flavor? What's a favorite dish or beverage you enjoy that calls for lemons? 

 I love lemon. I love a good lemon bar, lemon bread, lemon pie and I even tried lemon ice cream and loved that. 

 

 

 Lemon Poppy Seed Cake ... yes please!!

 

 3. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"...is this something you're pretty good at managing? Have you had to do this recently? If so tell us about it. 

Yes, I am pretty good at making lemonade out of lemons in life. 

Yes, we had to do this just last week. We had our beach day planned on Lake Superior. The smoke from the fires came rolling in. We made the best of the day.   

 

 4. Something you love that is lemon yellow in color? 

Flowers!! Flowers!! Flowers!! 

 

 5. How would you describe your attention to detail? 

 

I do notice things. I usually will point out the detail I am seeing to my husband. 

 

  6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

 I must have flowers, always, and always.

Claude Monet 

 

Going Back

 

Hiking at Colfax Day Date #22

Hello Friends,

Well, I just am not going to keep up with sharing my 52 day dates with you. I do not want to feel stressed about it. I will share the real fun ones. Ha!  We are doing something fun each week. It might just be a movie night, it is something I am documenting for my photo book I plan to make for Jeremy. I take a photo of each of our dates. 

Our current Day Date story is here 

 

Going back to Day Date #22  we went to Colfax. We went hiking. It was a beautiful day.

We ate at the Blind Tiger.

It was a fun place sharing the history of the speakeasy.

 A "blind tiger" is slang for an illegal establishment that sells alcoholic beverages, commonly known as a speakeasy. The term originated in the 19th-century United States from venues that charged admission to see a "blind tiger" as a front, but actually provided customers with an illegal drink to evade liquor laws.

 

 Several of our day dates are going for walks.  

 

On the one trail we like to hike we see these three deer often.

Can you spy the turtle?

We always love this view as it changes with the seasons.

A baby turtle.

We should have put something down in the photo to show how small it was, but let me tell you this was a wee little turtle.

 We went thrifting for one of our day dates #19. This was Dell's Architectural Antiques and it was very unique. 

Day Date #23 we watched the "new" Sabrina with Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond and Greg Kinner. 

Day Date #25 we had another movie night. We watched the "old" Sabrina.

We both decided we like the "new" Sabrina over the "old". 

 

Walking, cooking together, movie nights and some adventures too. That is just some of our Day Dates. We celebrated day date #29 last week Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 

On to #30!! We are doing it. We can make it to #52!!

 

 ♥

Carla