Garden updates

Brad was puttering down the garden a few days ago and came home with:

Our 1st Cucumber

Dusk

Another bag (I made 3 of these)

This is the same Tshirt bag shown in a previous post

as is this

and the snowflake bag

Carry version

Shoulder version

Sailboat jealousy

Seal and pup (which went under the water as this pic snapped)

I bought this off a local FB page. Only to discover that although it is expandable... And in my mind this is my size.... turns out that is incorrect. Hoping it will still be useful at least for pics of the bags (as above) and as I don't make much without shoulders.... maybe I can still use it.

1st Onion

I've been picking blackberries

I spread them out on a tray and flash freeze them before putting them in a freezer bag, this ensures individual berries instead of a solid mass.

Haven't shown this before I don't think but if any bread (I make a small loaf each morning) goes stale I make croutons out of it with a bit of oil and seasoning.

The garden is filling in very well. Coffee is the trick for slugs!!!!!!!

Butternut squash has begun

Cucumbers, I cut another 3 biggies off yesterday. I slice, flash freeze and vacuum seal before putting in the freezer

Trimmed down my basil, slow baked, crumbled and put into a jar

Oregano too

Grapes are getting huge, although they look small against this hanging basket... you will see below the size of these hanging baskets.

Peaches are ready for picking (but we don't touch these as they are part of the 'orchard crop' and we have been provided some for us).

This red hanging basket was on deaths door a few weeks ago from being in too much shade. Now it is voluptuous once again.

Brad keeps these baskets and they are doing fabulous

There are 2 purple baskets on either side of the woodshed, hard to see in the evening shade

Red basket on left, purple on right of the orchard gate

Piece de la resistance. These beauties frame our front door.

Brad was spraying me with the garden hose

Almond. There is an almond tree in our front yard. Looking forward to trying these.

Dad & Ann have set their wedding date with the church finally (3rd week of August) but it doesn't appear that we will be able to make it. Dad understands though because its a very long way to go for a 15 min ceremony, and the risk with Covid especially for them and their friends as well is just not reasonable. They will try to arrange a Skype or such for us to watch on.

Happy Feet, Garden and Sewing

Wednesday was massage day this week so off to Salty we went. My shoe inserts were also ready so that was great and I now have proper support, although I've had these before so we'll see how long they hold up - pardon the pun - but I must say they do feel stronger.

On Tuesday, while waiting for the RV inspection we went to Home Depot and picked up some 2X2 for the tomatoes - the stakes for which keep getting bigger and bigger. 

 

2X2X4 to hold the tomatoes as they were collapsing under the weight of themselves.

Only 1 broccoli survived. We chose to pull the rest as they just weren't growing properly.

My transplanted Romaine are holding well and the cauliflowers are massive

Pepper plants are not growing much, we've tried everything. Any suggestions?

The Cucumber plant has outgrown being propped up on a tomatoe stake 

Brad made this Cucumber Condo, there are roughly 12 cucumbers already and plenty more still in flower.

Tomatoes with new stakes in front of the green beans which have been providing nourishment to us for weeks already. The Corn is not ours.

Romaine, Carrots, Chives and Onions

Can't recall if I mentioned it but I had the idea to make shopping bags when we were on Salt, however there were plenty of others selling them in the market. At this market, there aren't any being sold so... I've been buying material from thrift shops on both islands and yesterday I made some more. Hoping to make a stock in time for the Xmas market and go from there.

Placemat to...

Bag with phone pocket - I made 2 of these yesterday.

These next 3 I had made a week or so ago

Some christmasy (faint snowflake) curtains made another bag.

Tshirt bag

Tshirt bag

My sewing machine was getting bunged up yesterday, the needle was catching and pulling bobbin thread through creating a mess so I stopped before it frustrated me. Today I shall fix it (I hope) and create some more.

The T-shirt ones are super fun and easy but I've run out of Tshirts to use and the local thrift wants $4 each so I'll keep an eye out maybe in Nanaimo for a better price. 

Used to be that you could get brand new at Walmart for $5 - $8. Perhaps not so much anymore but I don't want to pay $4 each, simple as that. I'm hoping to sell them for $5 - $10 and send the proceeds to the local food bank as Brad does with his lasagna.

So we heard back from the next person interested in the RV and we will be speaking again tonight. I sent him the inspection report which was forwarded from the previous deal. His wife has yet to see the RV in person so perhaps we will do that tomorrow. He has a 5th Wheel he needs to sell first and will be dealing with that today. I suggested that with a deposit we would hold it for him until he can sell his (time frame obviously) since we are in no rush. We shall see what transpires as the process moves along.

Can honestly say that this whole process has become such a burden that we almost pulled it off the market all together but I really don't want her to go to waste sitting in storage, so we'll see what comes of this deal and go forward from there.