JULY DRAWING TO A CLOSE!

LEAVING THE CITY EARLY FOR BERRY/CHERRY PICKING, 

WE SAW THE CTV BALLOON FLYING LOW OVER THE PERIMETER.

SOMEONE WAS OUT FOR A VERY EARLY MORNING FLIGHT.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING FOR FUN ACTIVITIES!

 IT IS AMAZING HOW THE GRAIN HAS RIPENED IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS! 

THE HEAT SURELY HELPED THAT ALONG.

WE HAVE HAD A COOLER WEEK, WHICH I HAVE WELCOMED.

A LOT OF THE CANOLA HAS FINISHED BLOOMING.

THERE ARE STILL A FEW YELLOW FIELDS.

THE FLAX, WHICH IS FEW AND FAR BETWEEN,

IS ALREADY IN FLOWER AS WELL.

 OUR DESTINATION 2 WEEKS AGO WAS THE SASKATOON

U PICK FARM SOUTH OF CARMAN.

WHAT A FRUITFUL MORNING.

WE PICKED 16 PAILS IN 3 HOURS!

THIS PAST SATURDAY WE HEADED NORTH OF CARMAN

TO PICK SOUR CHERRIES.

 SINCE OUR EVANS CHERRY TREE DIED, WE HAVE MISSED

NOT HAVING THEM ON OUR YARD.
WE PICKED 7 PAILS IN 1 HOUR!

WE HAD 5 VARIETIES TO CHOSE FROM BUT NO EVANS.

THEY WERE ALL DELICIOUS ANYWAY.

THE SIZE RANGED FROM A NANKING TO BING AND COLOUR

WAS NOTICEABLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN SOME VARIETIES. 

BACK HOME, I AM BEGINNING TO HARVEST A FEW THINGS.

MY HARD NECK GARLIC IS STANDING ABOUT 5 FEET TALL.

 I HAVE PICKED A FEW CUCUMBERS BUT NO BIG TOMATOES YET. 

JUST CHERRY ONES. I HAD MY FIRST YELLOW CHERRY TOMATO

TODAY. IT WAS SWEET!

 LILIES, DAY LILIES AND A FEW ROSES ARE IN FULL BLOOM

THE WHITE NEPAL LILY

NIGHT EMBERS DAY LILY

 MY FAVOURITE ROSE - DOUBLE DELIGHT.

 THE COLOURS ARE AMAZING AND THE FRAGRANCE IS WONDERFUL.

NOT SURE WHERE THIS LILY CAME FROM BUT I HAVE SEVERAL PLANTS

IN DIFFERENT FLOWER BEDS. 

LAVATERA

BLACK TIE AFFAIR

I THOUGHT I HAD AN ORANGE CRUSH BUT THIS DOES NOT LOOK

ORANGE AT ALL. WILL NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK THE LABEL!

SNICKLEFRITZ - WHAT A NAME BUT A BEAUTIFUL DAY LILY.

EVERY YEAR I WAIT FOR A FROG TO VISIT MY POND. THEY COME

SELDOM BUT WHEN THEY DO, THEY ARE WELCOME.

ALTHOUGH THE FISH WILL TAKE CARE OF ANY TADPOLES

THAT MAY SHOW UP IN THE NEXT WEEKS.

THIS GUY STUCK AROUND FOR A LITTLE WHILE WHEN THE WEATHER

WAS REALLY HOT. HE HAS SINCE DISAPPEARED AGAIN.

THE WRENS FLEDGED!

I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE YARD YESTERDAY.

IT WAS NOT SWELTERING OUT SO TIME TO DO SOME

DEAD HEADING.

THE WREN BABIES WERE VERY NOISY SO

I INTERRUPTED THE YARD WORK TO WATCH THEM.

AND I WAS GLAD I DID. IT WAS TIME FOR THEM TO LEAVE THE NEST.

I NOTICED THAT NEITHER OF THE ADULTS WERE AROUND.

IS THIS NORMAL WHEN THEY WANT THE BABIES TO LEAVE THE NEST?

I WAS WONDERING IF THE ADULTS HAD BEEN DONE IN BY THE CROWS.

ONE OF THE ADULTS WAS FEEDING THE YOUNG ON TUESDAY BUT 

LOOKING A LITTLE BATTLE WEARY.

THE RIGHT EYE LOOKED PRETTY BLOODIED. I DID NOT SEE THIS ADULT

ON WEDNESDAY AT ALL BUT THE OTHER ONE RETURNED. 

I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE FEMALE, BUT I CAN NOT BE SURE.

THE MALE WAS USUALLY SINGING AND NEITHER OF THEM

DID ANYTHING BUT SCOLD OR CHATTER. 

 THE BABIES KEPT GETTING A LITTLE BRAVER AND 

ONE BY ONE BEGAN TO

FLY TO NEAR BY BRANCHES

 FIVE DOWN - AND I THOUGHT THERE WERE ONLY FOUR IN

THIS SMALL BIRD HOUSE.

AMAZING BUT THERE WERE SIX IN TOTAL.

NUMBER SIX, RESTING ON THE CHAIR BESIDE THE BIRD HOUSE.

THE ADULT SHOWED UP WHEN #4 FLEW OUT OF THE NEST.

IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME BEFORE #5 DECIDED TO PEAK OUT AND 

A LITTLE COAXING BY THE ADULT. THE PARENT SHOWED UP WITH A

JUICY WORM FOR THE LAST TWO. 

IT TOOK NEARLY AN HOUR BEFORE ALL 6 OF THE BABIES WERE

GONE. I HEARD A FEW OF THEM FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

HOPE THEY SURVIVED THE NIGHT.

- - - - - - - -

 

IN SPITE OF THE HEAT, THINGS ARE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD.

WE COULD USE A LITTLE MORE RAIN BUT THINGS ARE

GROWING WELL. MY DELPHINIUM, WHICH SEEDED ITSELF, 

GREW ABOUT 6' TALL LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR IT IS NEARLY 8'.

 THE LOLLIPOP LILY IS LOOKING GOOD.

MY RED CORNER. 

THERE ARE SO MANY SHADES OF RED - I DO LIKE THE INTENSE

RED OF THE CALLIOPE GERANIUM.

 I THINK THEY WILL GET MORE SPACE NEXT YEAR.

TIME TO CUT BACK THE THYME BEFORE IT SEEDS ITSELF ALL OVER THE PLACE.

THE GRAPE HAS COME BACK, SURPRISINGLY. 

GLAD WE DID NOT DIG IT UP AND TRY TO REPLANT.

JULY - WEEK ONE - HOT!!!

THE HEAT WAVE HAS CONTINUED INTO JULY!

MOST MORNINGS THE HUMIDITY IS 99% BUT NO RAIN!

SO LOTS OF WATERING!

THINGS ARE GROWING WITH THE 35+ DEGREES.

AND THE GRAND KIDS FIND A PLACE TO COOL DOWN

THE SPLASH PARK IN ST NORBERT HAS HAD A LOT OF USE

THESE PAST FEW MONTHS!

FUN!!

TRYING A NEW TOY

BACK TO A THREE WHEELER!

THERE WAS A HUGE WILLOW IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD THAT 

WAS TAKEN DOWN. RON ASKED TO TAKE HOME THE

LARGER PIECES FOR FIREWOOD.

HE GOT HIMSELF QUITE A JOB!!

 NOTHING LIKE SPLITTING WET WOOD

WE HAD A STORM ONE NIGHT - NOT TOO MUCH DAMAGE BUT

THIS PIECE OF DRAGON WING BEGONIA BROKE.

I DECIDED TO ENJOY THE FLOWERS FOR A FEW DAYS

AND THEN SEE IF I COULD ROOT IT.

STILL IN PROCESS.

THE ROOTING GLASS NOW ALSO HAS SOME MOCK ORANGE

CUTTINGS IN IT. COULD NOT THROW OUT THE

TRIMMINGS WITHOUT TRYING TO SEE IF THEY WOULD ROOT!

WITH THIS HOT SUMMER, THE CACTUS THAT SURVIVES OUR MANITOBA WINTERS HAS

HAD A LOT OF FLOWERS. THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL BUT

LAST ONLY A DAY!

 LOVE THE LEMON YELLOW COLOUR!

 THE SAMBA PORTULACA ARE FINALLY SHOWING A FEW

FLOWERS BUT THEY ARE RATHER SLOW!

 MY MORDEN BLUSH ROSE IN FULL BLOOM

AND THE PEONIES ARE FADING QUICKLY!

 

BUT THEY LOOKED BEAUTIFUL THIS YEAR!

THE LITTLE RAIN WE GOT DURING BLOOMING TIME

 DID NOT DO TOO MUCH DAMAGE.

 

A NEW CLEMATIS I PLANTED LAST YEAR. 

I HAVE NOT FOUND MY TAG SO I CAN NOT

REMEMBER THE NAME. THAT BUGS ME!

I WILL HAVE TO DO MORE RESEARCH TO

IDENTIFY IT. IT IS A SMALLER FLOWERING ONE

AND QUITE WELL SUITED FOR THE PLACE IT IS GROWING.

PRAIRIE JOY AMIDST THE BABY'S BREATH!

WE ELEVATED THIS 1/2 BARREL FILLED WITH WAVE PETUNIA SO THAT IT

DISPLAYED A LITTLE BETTER. WE USED ONE OF THE CHUNKS OF

WOOD RON DRAGGED HOME. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE FLOWERS COVER THE

ENTIRE PIECE OF WOOD.

MY RED PIIXE LILY BLOOMING AMID THE THYME.

THE BLACK SWALLOWTAIL CATERPILLAR ON MY DILL.

NO SIGN OF ANY MONARCHS SO FAR THIS YEAR.

IT HAS BEEN A SLOW YEAR FOR BUTTERFLIES AND

DRAGON FLIES.

THE NUTHATCH HAS NOT BEEN AROUND MUCH THIS SPRING

IT FINALLY SHOWED UP AT THE POND. HE GOT HIS HEAD PRETTY WET!

AND IT IS STRAWBERRY TIME! 

MY SMALL PATCH HAS BEEN PRODUCING

QUITE WELL. ALTHOUGH THE HEAT HAS STUNTED THE GROWTH THIS 

PAST WEEK.

A SECOND PICKING FOR THE GRAND KIDS TO ENJOY.

TOMORROW WE WILL SEE IF WE CAN HEAD TO THE

STRAWBERRY FIELDS TO GET 5 BUCKETS OF BERRIES

TO FREEZE.

AND AFTER THE STRAWBERRIES, WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR SASKATOONS.

NOT SURE IF THE EVANS CHERRIES WILL BE AVAILABLE 

BUT WE HAVE FOUND A COUPLE OF PLACES THAT

HAVE A U PICK CHERRY ORCHARD.