Family garden

Nathan surprised me last week. I've spent the vast majority of my recent days indoors scurrying to complete several book projects before D day. In the interim, he prepared and planted our family garden.

After it cools off in the evenings we walk over to the garden to do the watering.

It's a nice mile walk round trip . . . assuming we aren't swarmed by bugs. First it was moths, then bees, then flies, now some even smaller flying critter that can all too easily be inhaled.

We're often told how romantic it must be to live here. It certainly can be but I assure you the constant flying insects are less than optimal. We will be procuring insect repellant today.

Grow garden, grow.

A gift

Cotton has a gift for finding shade on our mostly tree-less plains.

Spring growth

After last year's drought I am just amazed by how happy and green the vegetation is this spring. Baby grapes are popping up all over second leaf vines.

You'll notice a higher guide wire has been added to the trellis system to accommodate this year's growth.

And the vines aren't the only ones growing. My midwife just commented that I have officially "blossomed." Ahem.

That's a very gracious way to put it.

June 19

This week I was surprised to discover that our milk and baby girl's estimated arrival share something in common.

T-minus twenty-four days and counting (ish).

Ring of fire

Last night we witnessed a solar eclipse in our backyard.

Magical. That's the only word to describe it.

Vineyard love

Even I am now sick of talking about the move and new house. Enough already. Back to the reason we're here: beautiful second leaf.

Our newest vines. This is a nursery row grown to replace any vines that don't make it in the future. 

Home

And so after almost two years of nomadic living out of storage boxes, we find ourselves walking our new neighborhood at dusk. It's quite a view.