As We Approach Summer Solstice

 How is it that we find ourselves in the middle of June, headed down the home stretch towards the longest day of the year?  We are also headed into the hottest week of the year thus far.  This gal is not a fan of the heat (and neither am I if truth were told!)

Fly masks are a must these days.

And believe it or not (if you've been on this journey with us for a while you will understand what I am saying).... Chloe actually let me put a fly mask on her yesterday.

Wonders never cease!

Mornings are still relatively cool and remain everyone's active time.  Both Faith and Ginger can be found out in the pasture at this time of day.  When they see me at the barn, they come over to beg for their breakfast.

Forrest assumes they are there to play with him.

Faith says, emphatically, that they are not - she stamps her feet and gives Forrest a little head butt.

This week, finally, is liberation week for the birds.  We have kept them in the past 6 weeks during the yearly season that foxes teach their kits to hunt.  We learned our lesson a few years ago when we had a Mother's Day massacre.  Now they stay in their yards from Mother's Day til Father's Day.



There are so many lovely sights at this time of year.  Summer has a way of making us forget the dull, grey tones of Winter... filling our eyes with so much color - so much life!



The wheat field across the street... "amber waves of grain" when a breeze blows.


I am planning on filming a garden video in the coming weeks.  However, I am going to wait just a little while longer.  The garden is looking great right now... but should be looking even better in a couple of weeks


The tomatoes are getting tall, and this nasturtium plant is huge!


It's berry picking season.  I've been getting up before the sun to get the chores done while it's cool.  This leaves me enough time to also pick berries and garden produce.  Our perfect spring with its abundant rain has given us a bumper crop of raspberries and blueberries. (Blackberries to follow.)