Welcome, June!

Captured by my daughter.

Captured by my daughter.

The sun shone all weekend, and I am happy, happy, happy!  We spent as much time as we could outside, soaking up all that sunny goodness, and we woke to warm sunshine again today.  I enjoyed my morning coffee outside with the birds for the first time this year.  Hubby was home with us all last week, and he started work on our new porch, something he and I have been dreaming about since first building our home. The deck is complete, and the ceiling rafters are up. Hubby is hoping to put the roof on this week.  What a perfect place to sit peacefully in the morning before the hustle-bustle of the day begins.  I look forward to many more mornings on our new porch.

Work in the vegetable gardens began this weekend.  I tilled the soil in the main garden and planted the snap peas while Hubby and the older boys worked in the squash garden, tilling and picking rocks (and a boulder or two), preparing it for our new garden plan.  We are making semi-permanent beds with pathways lined with some type of mulching material. Because we use manure in our squash garden, the weeds quickly take over, especially when the squash plants start vining out and weeding becomes more difficult. I hope that by making separate beds and permanent walkways, the smaller planting areas will be simpler to maintain, easier to weed, and only the planting areas will be fertilized.  I'm excited about the new plan and am looking forward to seeing how it works.  Now that the girls' track season is complete, I will have the luxury of more time in the gardens.  My plan is to have the main vegetable garden planted by the end of the week and spend next week planting the squash and cucumbers in the new garden beds.

A quick trip to the nursery to pick up a few seedlings (Brussels sprouts, peppers, cabbage and tomatoes) ended in a pot of sweet, yellow and purple Violas and a pack of Salvia in the loveliest shades of purple, lavender, and coral being added to the wagon.  I just can't help myself when it comes to flowers.

The crab apple trees are in full bloom; the grapes are starting to bud; the blueberries have blossomed; the cliff swallow mamas are now sitting on their little clutches of eggs, and the first lightening bug was spotted. All around us new life is springing up.  My favorite time of year has finally arrived, and I must remind myself to take deep breaths, exhale, and enjoy every moment of this lovely time of year.