It's Official..... READY, SET, GROW!

Official-----> meaning it's safe, safe for planting outdoors.  

It's garden time. 

For most gardeners , mid-May signals the safe time for planting annuals, perennials, container gardens, herbs, trees, shrubs, wildflowers, etc.,  without the fear of a hard freeze!

Check out the few sites that are highlighted below to help determine time tables for planting! 

THE FARMERS ALMANAC  

THE WEATHER CHANNEL  

GARDENING KNOW HOW 

GROW GUIDES 

The amount of information for gardens, on the Internet is endless.

I'd love to know what your favorite sites include!

From our street view, one would never know that we are FARMERS.... SERIOUS FARMERS! 

NO JOKE!

Here ....... UNDER THE FLAPS......It's veggie/fruit garden time.

Those who know King Ron, know that he is crazy in love with his garden(s).

Flowers? hmmmm.... not so much, but I try to sneak in a few annuals, or perennials that require little/no care!

Here is a portion of our FRONT YARD! No one can see this while driving up/down our road.

The greens (shown below) in front of the hedge are Horseradish plants! and oh is it ever mouth-watering good!

It freezes well, so we benefit from the roots all year!

Check out this recipe for ----> HOMEMADE HORSERADISH.

Horseradish

To the right of the horseradish are several rows of onions. To the left of the horseradish are rows of zucchini, butternut squash, and yellow crook-neck squash.

onions

squash

Yep, ALL of the above produce are planted IN OUR FRONT YARD!

The backyard contains a space that measures approximately 12' x 21', designated for Ron, the Farmer!

Trust me when I tell you that there is little room for weeds to grow, once these plants start producing. 

Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, green beans, pabalano peppers, and collards seem to agree with this morning-mid-afternoon sunny location.

beans

Lettuce, onions, and Clematis vine growing on the fence

tomatoes

green peppers

collards

On a humorous note: King Ron tries to hide in the tomatoes, I'm climbing a ladder with our grandson to reach the sunflowers, and Ron is being.... just Ron! (These are not this year's photos!)

We've had great luck, good luck, and some failures.

Gardening requires consistent care!

It's not always just 'pick-and-eat'! 

Here's a post from 2012 on our garden---->How our garden grows

And here is another post from the same year 2012----->Veggies

Growing food isn't rocket science. 

It's takes time, but things like tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, beans are very forgiving. Gardening also has many health benefits, not to mention that you are inclined to eat more vegetables during the growing season! One of our greatest accomplishment is showing our grandchildren that greenbeans don't always come from the grocery store!

I'm not sure who was more excited in this photo!

Advice: START SMALL and pick a spot with at least 6 hours of good daytime light. 

If space is an issue, consider the community gardens!

CHEERS AND HERE'S TO ALL OF YOU THAT WILL BE GARDENING IN 2016 ♥

Those $100 bills

The following blog post was written by Lauren Elizabeth Hartman (our 3rd child, who will celebrate her 29th birthday on May 14th!). As you will notice, her blog was written 5 1/2 years ago. It was written specifically about her Granny "Dot" (Ron's Mom, and my Mother-in-law).
Granny "Dot" passed away March 17, 2016 at the age of 94. She is greatly missed, and is/and will be remembered in our daily conversations. 
What a legacy she left! 
It will take a multitude of  blogs to pay proper tribute to this lady. She loved me unconditionally from the moment Ron introduced me to her, 49 years ago. She never met a stranger, went out of her way to help others, and loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
We spent our first Mother's Day without Dot last Sunday. It was an EMOTIONAL experience. We went to the cemetery to place a flower on her grave. Moments of silence and grief took over..... as they will continue to do so for a long time. 
Be Kind. Be Generous. Let people know that you appreciate them.
Thanks Lauren, for allowing me to share this!
Enjoy her blog:

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010

A Story of Goodwill and $100 Bills

Anonymous letters.

They come nearly once a month and contain nothing but a blank card and a $100 bill.

No note. No return address.

Just a $100 bill.

It sounds a little too good to be true. But it is.

For the past three and a half years, my grandmother has been receiving anonymous $100 bills in the mail nearly each month, accompanied by a blank card and postmarked from various locations.

The first letter came in May of 2007. It provided a reason for the gift, but the sender never gave his or her identity. The reason for such generosity? My grandmother's kindness to this person's mother.

The first card was the only one to contain any writing. Subsequent letters have all been blank, with a $100 bill neatly folded inside of a pretty card. In order to further disguise the sender's identity, the letters are postmarked from various locations in Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, West Virginia, Alabama, Texas, and even Wisconsin.

Receiving just one of these anonymous letters would be enough to blow me away. I even feel flattered by a simple "thank you" card. But over the past three and a half years, Granny has received at least 35 of these letters. That's $3,500. All given because of a simple act of kindness.

Granny is always kind and friendly with everyone, friends and strangers alike. This makes it that much harder for her to attempt to figure out who this mysterious giver could be.

Granny recalls one of her friends (who has since passed away) who never learned how to drive. This friend had children, but they also had their own families so they couldn't take her everywhere she needed to go. So each Friday Granny drove her to the grocery store and took her out to lunch. Granny's friend looked forward to this day each week, as I'm sure Granny did, too.

Granny isn't completely sure this woman's family is the source of these monthly blessings, but she certainly is flattered by it. She just wants to know who to thank.

Even though these letters have come steadily for the past three and a half years, she hasn't come to expect them. In fact, there were many times when she thought the letters had stopped coming. When alas, another letter would show up in her mailbox.

Being the caring person she is, Granny doesn't go buy herself a shiny new pair of shoes each month when the special envelope comes around (I'll be honest - I probably would, which is probably why I'm not the type that would get anonymous $100 bills in the mail). Instead, she turns it right around and uses it for birthday and Christmas presents for her friends and family, or she donates it to the Good Neighbors Fund, which helps those who are less fortunate in times of need.

I don't mean to go all "Sunday School" on you, but I know I've learned a few lessons by all of this. Be kind. Be generous ($100 bills not required). And let people know you appreciate their kindness and generosity.

BRM ~This Mom is Smiling....

Recapping the BRM 04/16/2016 .....
( Blue Ridge Marathon for those that are not familar with the initials!)

This race was a BIG DEAL for us peeps here in Southwest Virginia.

It was a BIG DEAL for those people that trained so vigourously to participate in the event.

The race was a BIG DEAL for THE NOKE .

It was a BIG DEAL because I ♥  Roanoke Outside, and this is my hometown.

The MOM in me is smiling because all of my chickens  adult children ran the 1/2 marathon. 

They ran together.......
from.start.to.finish!
and that was a BIG DEAL!

From the looks on their faces.... They had a few laughs along the route.

Walter, Sarah, and Lauren planned, trained, texted, and had a blast getting ready for the big day! (I think one of them trained more than the other.... Not real sure).  
They were HOKA ready!

And they were excited.

Not only are they siblings, they are friends.

This Mom is smiling.

Thanks Kemper for the photo!

Run, walk, skip, jump, crawl, pant, laugh, huff, puff... 

This much I know is true: 

Walter, Sarah, and Lauren encouraged and supported each other.

They never left each other's side.

They accomplished a goal while enjoying each other's company.

They ran as a team, and not as an individual.

Their commitment and loyalty to each other, as well as finishing the race, made me smile.

Yes, this Mom is smiling ♥

Robin Hood and his Arrows

Archery has been a part of civilization for millenniums. What was once a means to provide food and protection for one's family is now a favorite pastime for both young and old.
Robin Hood, aka, King Ron, loves his bow and arrows.
While I confess to not knowing a lot about archery, I do know that he can tune out anything that is not important to his shot execution. His mental game dominates! 
Robin Hood  Ron would agree that archery has many lessons to be learned:
1. Discipline
2. Mental focus
3. Attention to detail
4. Persistence
5. Patience
6. Confidence
7. Personal responsibility
8. Play by the rules
9. Social skills
10. Fun

Use your instinct
Position yourself
Draw your arrow
Position your fingers on the string
Prepare to shoot
Breathe easy
Be consistent
Build your strength
Be still

OK..... I had a little fun today as well!
The photographer in me, wanted to capture the arrows in flight.

Bam

BAZINGA

Maybe I'm not quite the Princess Bride, but....then again.

A walk in the park

I know this particular portion of the Roanoke Valley Greenway almost blindfolded.
It's the section that runs from the tennis courts at River's Edge Sports Complex and ends across the bridge in Wasena, next to the The Green Goat Restaurant.
The walking is easy, flat, scenic, friendly, and not quite 2 miles round-trip.
Today, I carried my camera (oh are you surprised? ha!).
Instead of looking at the river, trees, skies, people, I looked DOWN.ON.THE.GROUND.
Other than looking at my tennis shoes, checking occasionally on my Fitbit, I practiced using my macro lens, on my camera.
Yes, I got down on the ground.........actually, a few times, I laid on the ground.....ahhhhhhhchew.
When I started looking around, there was lots to see.....weeds, dandelions, clover, clover flowers, red clover, wild daisies.
What do you see when you are looking down?
You should go for a short walk in the park!
I took my camera, but phones work great, too.
Oh yes, when you get home, check for ticks!
Happy Walking!

A Brown Orchard, A Shoe House, A Round Barn, Pork Belly, and a Rainbow

It is always a treat for us to visit out-of-the-way places, on side roads, not traveled by many. It doesn't have to be world renown, famous, or a big tourist attraction.... just a little sidebar.
Our trip destination was York, Pennsylvania. Included were Biglerville, Dallastown, Orrtanna, Loganville, Hellam, and Springettsbury.

(Don't forget to click on the highlighted site words, for further information about these fabulous places to visit!) 1.***BROWN'S ORCHARDS*** was anything but brown! This gem is famous for their killer, to-die-for, 5" chocolate chip sugar cookies. Ron and I been receiving these treats for many years from our son-in-law's parents, who live in York.  Brown's is loaded with orchard fresh fruits, bakery gift baskets, as well as deli foods, flowers, jellies, jams, candies, veggies, plants, trees, trinkets, clothing, cookbooks, cards... everything you can think of, plus more.

2.***THE SHOE HOUSE***.... Who would expect a house to actually look like a shoe! The Shoe House was build in 1948. The place provides guided tours, hand-dipped ice cream, and a gift shop!

The old woman in the shoe?

3. ***THE ROUND BARN ***is  a historic barn and market, that is family owned. The orchard-covered hills nearby provide a picturesque backdrop for the round barn. I loved reading about the history in the above site. Our son-in-law's GREAT GRANDFATHER worked here. What a small world it is!

4. THE FIRST POST ***This was the restaurant where the rehearsal dinner was held. I'd give this place 5 stars! The service, the presentation, the taste....YUMMY! I could have made a meal on the Asian Pork Belly Tacos, but saved myself for the Salmon with the brown sugar glaze, sweet corn relish, warm potato crab salad, and sauteed spinach! Be sure to check out the menu available in the above site!

5.The last, but certainly not least, was the WYNDRIDGE FARM ***.... a picture-perfect setting for an outdoor wedding at the Chapel, as well as reception in the restored barn, complete with chandeliers, farm to table menus, and handmade farm tables!

This was my favorite site for the weekend.... 
the rainbow over the chapel.

The Shelter in the Woods

THE SHELTER IN THE WOODS

We knew we wanted to do something special, simple, nothing elaborate, and something we knew our children would enjoy.

We wanted the bare minimum, a lean-to, and nothing involving a kit to resemble the park play ground equipment.

It had to be a structure that was safe, sound, and provide an escape from under the regime of our watchful eye.

Thirty-five years ago (35), this spring, the story of that sacred shelter, the TREE HOUSE, began.

What sounded like an easy task, involved a bit more than the following:

1. Find a tree

2. Take a few measurements

3. Buy some lumber

4. Wing it

5. Nail it to a tree.

Although we checked out a few books from the library, we realized that children could care less about design, function, 

and neighborhood curb appeal. Tree houses, after all, are meant for forming life long friendships, sharing secrets, and living in 

the pretend world, as long as possible.

As soon as the structure was complete, our house became an instant magnet. Not many of their elementary school friends had a tree house.

It became a fort, a kitchen, a tent, and a Mickey Mouse hut.

It was a look-out, a hiding place, and a reading room.

It was a grocery store, complete with smuggled-out-of the-house can goods.

It was a classroom, filled with table and chairs. I remember coloring books, crayons, Lego's, star wars, baby dolls, and paint.

There were ocean waves painted on the inside, so I suppose it was once an ocean liner.

The snowy months of winter, provided a time for a nice hike on the path to the tree house. It was a safe haven from bear, deer, snakes, and raccoons.

During the later years of junior and senior high school, the tree house was equipped with fans, jam boxes, hairdryers, and the famous orange electrical 

cord that ran from the house to their retreat! The floor of the tree house was designed to accommodate four sleeping bags. I suspect, however, that there

were times when that number doubled.

Fast forward to another generation. Our three adult children are now passing the torch and their secret stories to our five grandchildren. 

Walter and his nephew Landon

Did I mention secrets?

Ha! Whatever Walter, Sarah, and Lauren tell you..... believe what you must!
(What goes on in the tree house, stays in the tree house!)

Fact or fiction, only the walls of the shelter in the woods know for sure.

Three generations-----one tree house!