Snow in October

Unusual? Yes. Cold? Yes. Bearable? Yes. This is yesterday's snow. I went for my usual walk outside. If we quit living because it snows, then we miss half a year. I'm grateful I 'm not in North Dakota, where my in-laws live, because they're dealing with a record-breaking blizzard. 

Zucchini Bread

This is Martha Stewart's zucchini spice bread. https://www.marthastewart.com/318960/zucchini-spice-bread She made it with fresh zucchini from her garden, I'm sure. I, however, had to buy zucchini from the farmer's market. (Buy zucchini? I never thought I'd write those words. I feel lost without a garden.) Even though I have made this in the past, and it looked like Martha's, this time it did not. Not at all. It flopped. It tastes good, but it collapsed. Could it be the humidity? It was a high dew point day. Or maybe my baking powder is bad? It had been moved from place to place. Maybe it's the quirky oven I'm still learning. Ah well, mistakes happen. It's part of being human. 

Mixed Feelings

We have moved from our country place to a small city. This is the reason for the lack of posts during a normally busy gardening time of year. The move is a good thing for our family, but I'll be sad to leave the place where the juneberries grow and the turkeys thrive and the frogs sing each spring. And now I have a blank canvas of a city yard. The trees are nice, and I see a few perennials. I'll keep track of my plan and the changes I make. I have so many plans! I have too many plans! 

Hello, new home.

Wild Strawberries

Tiny wild strawberries (no bigger than a centimeter here) hold a big burst of flavor. I braved the biting flies and mosquitoes for these photos and a few berries. Completely worth it!

Not Lawn

Grass?  Who needs it? If a person lives in a city or town, then, yes, grass may be necessary due to covenants or ordinances or other rules. But my country lawn is full of stuff! Above is a photo of clover. Below are daisies. Even further below is a photo of our brilliant lilac. It has finished blooming for the season, but it's worth the space on this blog. 

Lilac and Hawthorn

Yesterday's rain and wind have bent the old-fashioned lilacs, but they perfume the air. The wild hawthorn looks spectacular this year. The apples bore heavily last year and the winter and late frosts have stressed them, so I didn't seen any blossoms this year. Yet the bees are feasting on the hawthorn's flowers. Wild strawberries grow robustly (along with a few weeds, in the foreground of this photo).

Petroglyphs

Yesterday we took a day trip to near Comfrey, Minnesota, to view the petroglyphs. Currently the Minnesota Historical Society site is named Jeffers Petroglyphs, though there is some discussion about changing the name to better reflect the people who created it thousands of years ago. This image is of a Thunderbird. I learned about the history of the sacred site, and I'm impressed by the management of the prairie. 

On May 29, I took a walk in the woods. The yellow violets are blooming, and I found a patch of wild strawberries, unusual in the dense woods, in one small sunny spot. The mosquitoes are hatching as I swatted one (just one!) while taking photos. I'm thankful for their delayed arrival this year.