Life of the Party

      First of all, I would like to thank the community in which I work. I'm thankful that they provide for their children a summer school of crafts and learning experiences. Our staff strives to make our children aware of their rich background.  I was blessed again this year to be  participating in cultural summer school. I was placed in the gourds class. Below is a mask that I made during our training session with the lead teacher. I'm not very artistic, so hopefully you can identify it as a bear.      After two weeks of extreme fun, I'm very tired and ready for regular school to start. My summer will consist of gardening and lesson planning. Maybe I'll be extra active and have my first weeks of school planned out. I want this coming school year to run smoothly. 

        My poor orca plants have lagged behind, but all hope isn't lost. I will be dumping the Miracle Grow in this tire. Research is in my near future. If any of you have ideas of how to effectively grow this plant, please feel free to email me.   The squash is blooming and I'm super exited.       The green beans have been picked, peaked, and boiled.   The steam coming from the stove fogged up my camera. My mom decided to help. She said you needed to add onions, bacon, and salt to make them eatable.           Gardening is such a rewarding hobby to have. I'm pretty much excited anytime I get to take in the food. I know this winter I will appreciate all this work. I will be bagging them up in freezer bags. Hopefully, I will have around fifteen bags. 

                            I know this seems juvenile, but I was completely ecstatic about reaping my harvest. My green beans will soon be mature enough to take also. The only complaint that I have to make is the fact that I didn't have the opportunity to expand my small garden. The insects are still being pests, but the SEVEN Dust has really accomplished its task. Now, if only I can keep the plants watered and my dogs out of the tire S.   :)  The smile across my face is currently priceless. I was decked out in my camo gardening clothing.    My first tomato is super small, and will continue to ripen in my window sill. I was poised and ready first thing this morning to water, weed, and take inventory of my garden. In all honesty, I was avoiding the squelching humid heat that seems to bear down constantly during the summer. I understand that it is a small tomato, but the joy of this new hobby ...

It's the End of the year, and we are trying to get into gear. As the EOGs are finished, the students are soon to diminish Laughter in the hallways die teachers breath a big sigh Scores are in and they aren't good but we thought they understood The last days with out the kids are like open bids we sit and work in our rooms putting away our witch brooms Silent hallways fill my ears and all the laughter has turned to fears Did I lock my classroom door, or did I forget that daily chore? No more long papers to write, the TURN IN box is a sight. We smile as the eighth graders are promoted, while we smirk at the demoted.

     I have ventured into the world of squash. After my first attempt of failure, I was reluctant to try this again. Squash needs plenty of moisture and care. My first attempt resulted in a dried up plant and anger on my behalf.      You need to also keep in mind the space that this plant requires. It will branch out and neighboring tires will be eclipsed. I usually keep the the ratio to two plants per tire. This allows the nutrients to be equally distributed and there will not be any overlap.      Miracle Grow seems to also help the plant take root. Soon my little plants will be blooming and creating the squash.      Purchasing a water hose was the best idea I have ever had. Carry water via a pail was completely crazy and very time consuming. I make sure that the tire is brimming in water before I move on to the next one. I water the tomatoes briefly. The duration for growth is three to four weeks, and you wi...

      Now that I have fully shown my planting process, I will share photos of how to string the beans up. This takes time and patience, but it's worth it. Having the beans climb will allow you easy access for harvesting. Patience is always the key.       Recently we have been having heavy rainfall and this has in retrospect created a burden. The tires if not properly placed will wash out.  I have now started to place small rocks at the bases of all my tires before adding dirt to them. This process seems to really make a difference in the appearance and effectiveness of the tires. The rocks allows the water to flow out without loosing precious dirt in the process.       Discovering other uses for my tires has been an enjoyment. I think my next step in fully understanding the alternatives to tires will be to explore the prospect of composting. I'm not sure how effective this may be, but I'm willing t...

        I have spent the majority of this peaceful morning on the banks of Panther Creek enjoying some quality time with my fishing pole.   The tranquil time spent alone is really good for reflection.            Sometimes we forget that our busy lives are worth living. I spend so much of my time working that often I forget to take time for myself. I vehemently despise having to spend long hours planning and thinking about work, so a morning spent fishing is worth my time.       Humidity had me in her grasp this morning. It seemed as if all the bugs were attacked to me in some sort of gravity pull. This trout could feel the warmth too, and so they decided not to bite. The rushing water drowned out my subconscious thinking and allowed me to fully relax. Usually, I fall asleep to the melody of the creek. (this may be dangerous)      I even e...

My first tomato! I know it sounds utterly ridiculous, but I'm excited that my little garden is producing vegetables. My camera just didn't do it justice, but you can still see the small tomato forming.      I wish other projects could feel as rewarding as this. I take pride in my work and I value having a place and time to myself. Ignore the white substance on the plant. It is only the SEVEN dust to ward off the ever lurking bugs.    As you can see the area around my plants is rocky/ sandy. I need these plants to help the eroding back from washing away. Every time it rains there is small rivers of muddy water that washes away. I will consider putting down fescue to help the eroding, but it only gets washed down the hill as well.   tip:  The bigger the tire, the more you can plant inside it. Wash out the tire thoroughly before using it, because it might have chemicals in it. (fix-a-flat or oil)

    Well today was an adventure!   Dad and I went and ventured for some old tobacco poles from the barn.  It's been decades since anyone has used them.   My beans are finally growing and they are starting to develop runners on them. (Runners need something to climb on or they'll collapse back on the plant) They have to have somewhere to climb and grow so my dad suggested we build arches for them.   They are tied with left over yarn.   They don't look too bad.  😒 I was surprised at how this worked.Often we  doubt the people around us and we don't think their ideas are better than our own.   My idea didn't really work. Below you can see my mess of an idea. Unfortunately, I'm not the most inventive person.  😕   I'm a very happy gardener right now!           I only wish it would rain so I wouldn't have to carry water up to my plants every day.   This do it your self project ...

    The bugs have tried to massacre my poor baby plants, so I had to purchase some SEVEN dust to protect them.   This can be bought at any local dollar store. I think I only paid six dollars for the entire pack.       I'm so excited to see how they turn out hopefully they will be successful. I spend around an hour every day weeding, watering, and just working to get them right!