Getting better in the Manadala Gardens Salon

I posted six months ago about purchasing tools to set up my own dog-grooming salon. I'm pleased to say that although I have a long way to go, my pups are looking better each month. I try not to go too long between sessions and I look up a tip or two each time I groom (YouTube is great!).

Mocha, almost 4 years old

 

Aiko, almost 5 years old

 

Pretty girls!

 

Never-ending Apple Harvest of 2012

I never would have guessed that in the middle of June, I'd have one last box of Arkansas Black apples that needed to be processed. I've been eating them from the refrigerator all winter and spring. Only recently did they start to get a little wrinkly. What a great storage apple!

I decided to run them through the peeler/slicer/corer. 

 

I love the ribbons of apple peel that will nourish my compost.

 

They start out almost white, spread out on my drying trays.

 

Then turn golden as they dry. 

 

Yumm!

 

More apples to share with my loved ones!

 

Grandchildren!!!

 

I guess it's close to cliché', but I don't know if there is anything more precious than grandchildren. I am fortunate enough to have four of them to love...with another on the way (so exciting).

Jesse is 20 years old and the most wonderful young man. He came out to help me build a new summer sleeping platform this spring. We had lots of fun, got the job done, and shared many great conversations.

Jesse and a couple of other young bachelors realized a rite of passage when they moved into their own rental house earlier this month. When Moriah and I went for a visit to Albuquerque last week, Jesse invited us to a barbeque in his own backyard. It was delicious! I can't believe how quickly time flies. It seems just a short while back that he was standing on a chair in my kitchen, helping me to cook!

Matthew, my second grandboy is 15 1/2. His grades in school are excellent (straight A's at the end of his freshman year), but his true loves in life are playing sports and fishing. 

Matthew participates in track and wrestling, but football is where his heart is. His self-discipline is amazing to me.

Matt would rather be fishing for bass than doing almost anything else. We enjoy fishing together and he teaches me something new every time we go out. Sweetly, he thought we should document my big catch of the day just to prove I wasn't skunked!

Canyon is six years old and is constantly adding new skills and levels of understanding to his world. He proudly graduated from kindergarten in May, able to read simple books and add and subtract numbers.

He's always creating and engineering something. He worked for two evenings on the "Overflow Creek" dam (the water that briefly runs down a slope when my tank overfills).

He practiced snorkeling the last few days so he can try it out when he goes to Hawaii this summer.

Trek Blue is a happy 4 year old boy with the most amazing imagination. He tells me incredible stories and I realize he isn't sure himself where reality ends and fantasy begins sometimes.

While Canyon was trying to get his dam to hold water, Trek offered his assistance in the form of "Mighty Mud"- a superhero who could bring handful after handful of wet dirt to the engineer.

This little boy LOVES dogs and other animals. He was so tickled that Aiko wanted to take a nap on his lap. And he snuck treats and bones into his bed at my house one night to lure one of the dogs to sleep with him. Mocha was glad to oblige and slept at the foot of his bed all night.

These four boys, from four to twenty, are such joys in my life! We are all excited that another baby will be joining our family around mid-January of next year. Canyon and Trek are thrilled at the thought of a baby in their home. They sort of think they'd like a girl. I guess all of us would be tickled with that, but loving these guys as much as I do, I really can't imagine it will make a difference in the end.

June Flowers, whether wild or cultivated, bring joy into my life each day.

 

 

Snow Dogs!! A late post from February 2012.

Since I had so little time (none really) to blog during the whirlwind Spring semester, I will be posting some "delayed" entries along with current events for the next few weeks. It's great to be back in touch 

Bo is a nine year old Border collie-Siberian husky mix. His coat sheds snow like a husky. He's as loyal as a border collie. He's the sweetest guy you'll ever meet. And he LOVES a good winter storm!

 

Aiko and Bo are smiling (almost laughing) as they cavort through the winter wonderland.

 

Mocha loves getting her coat on and romping through the snow. Happy snow dogs at play.

Full Circle on the Blog...Garlic Harvest 2013

Stage one of the harvest... Dig up the garlic, trim the roots, clean the bulbs, and let them air dry.

 

Stage two... Lay the garlic in a shaded place (the Grace-house this year) until they are ready to braid.

 

 

Stage three... Braid the garlic.

 

I love this part. The braids are so beautiful and smell delicious.

 

I put these into a bundle for Skye; she'll cut them into individual bulbs once they have cured.

 

 

The "seed braid" for next year.

 

Stage four... Hang the braids to finish curing and enjoy all year long!

 

Finally, separate the cloves from any bulbs left over from last year. As soon as they are completely dry, I'll rub the peels off and grind the garlic into powder for those "lazy days" or special recipes that don't call for fresh garlic.

 

Summer's here! It's blogging time again...

 

I snuck up on a honey bee gathering pollen from this lovely squash blossom. It stared back at me as if to say "Hey, I'm busy here!". I quickly backed off hoping the bee will choose a female flower next so that I can have my first summer squash in a few days!