Long Time no visit....

When I say my life is busy...I'm not fooling.  I thought we were supposed to relax now that we're in our sixties?!
ANYwho....our main focus has been on the landscaping, flagstone patio and two, yes two, DG patios off the main flagstone.  The one on the left will have a fire pit and the one on the right sits under a massive oak that will be filled with lights to sit out on warm breezy summer nights with friends at the big wooden dinning table...ahhhh!!

Some new girls to the pack...and one boy..damn!  But too cute to send away...yet..ha ha.  Some garden shots...things are blooming around here.  PS. Don't forget, I'm the Tomato Lady...35 planted so far and six more coming soon...I LOVE canning them for the autumn/winter months...Enjoy!

This is a small shot...this DG patio of 20 feet long
and pretty wide...it goes to the gate entry...the hydrangeas
are coming in wonderfully.  The oak above is huge...it's
simply lovely here.We sit here every day for lunch..
too bad huh?

The flagstone is not set yet, and once finished will
have a sealer on it so you will see the deep deep
blue/green color of these stones...soooo pretty.
Step down to this fenced area where a Pit to come
will be on the right of the wide space in the middle...
looks awesome!

Mr. Big...a lemon cuckoo orpington,
who is almost 5 mos here...
can't wait for that tail to come in.
It will be a brown stripe eggs-travaganza...
see how I did that?  Right now it's softer in tone
and not bushy or long...

The newest cluster of chicks..
the front one is Hermione a blue splash orpington.
 Amazing blue color in person, I wish you could see it.
 Behind her to the right,
is Sweet Pea, who was originally
Mrs Big..or Ms. Bradshaw, aka Mrs. Preston...
who turned out not to be the lemon cuckoo female,
but a Buff Columbian cuckoo...so she's still just
Sweet Pea..and Buckbeak is hiding out in the back..
a black orpington.  And Mr. Big on the left.

This is my chocolate orpington...Maggie May..
so big and fluffy..and an amazing array of brown tones
from deep chocolate to a light latte on the bottom..
spectacular in person!

Sweet Pea..Buff Columbian orpington
four/five mos. old.

Millicent...Millie for short...a black laced Barnevelder..
who does NOT lay dark chocolate eggs as she
is supposed to..bummer!

Ha hahahaha...Lydia..my old barred Cochin..
love love love!

Ms. Chickie Gaga...
a light Brahma..strutting her stuff

Ziggy Stardust...BEYOND love!

Ms. Bette...as in Divine!  A blue laced red wyndotte,
 who never turned blue..
bummer again..but pretty nonetheless.

My favorite in color..dont tell the others..
Princess Buttercup..a gold laced Cochin

Ms. Gilda...my homage to Ms. Radner...
a dark Brahma...the hen, not ms. Radner.

And last but not least my oldest gal..
a Silver Laced Cochin..Ms. Wynifred...
or Winnie most days.  Millie is behind her.

Hope your summer is starting off peacefully and full of fun and exciting adventures to come...keep in touch.  Big hugs to all my besties..xoxo juner.

SO HERE'S THE STORY...

I haven't written in months...we've been having quite a time of it here in Santa Cruz this summer...which by the way, never felt like summer..(although today it does...geez global warming!)  ANYWAY...my poor husband and his heart....it's been a long journey and we're still not quite out of the weeds yet.  The hospital four times this year already, but that didn't stop us from heading out on our yearly vaca to Tahoe, but it definitely slowed us down a bit that's for sure.  I was constantly telling him to slow down and walk slower, especially up in altitude.  But he'd just huff and puff and tell me he was fine...which he wasn't and a trip to the hospital was in order the week we returned home.  As of today, things are finally looking good, we'll know for sure in the next two months....so here I am.

Just a quick update....something (we're assuming a fox), got into the chicken pen and sad to say...all but two girls are gone!  SUPER sad and rethinking a few things from this disaster in terms of critters, farming, etc.  So my two lonely little ladies, Winnie and Lydia, have grown to be best mates now...I will be adding some new girls in the spring, just maybe not as many....too heartbreaking!  And two duck left, Ruby and Vida...sad to say the new little gal, Penelope, with the top knot did not make it.

I really don't want to get into a big post right now, so I'll just throw in a couple photos from our trip, which turned out to be good.  Even though it rained the first night we got there and went down to 30 the next day!  No lounging on the beach and reading...we mostly stayed huddled in our very cold and drafty cabin and wore clothes to bed.  But in the end, the sun DID come out, and on our last day, of course, it was super hot and the band was playing on the beach...perfect, right?..so we decided to just stay an extra day, and it was perfection!

Instead of going to my brother's the weekend AFTER our time in Tahoe, we had to go the weekend before as he had a prior commitment he couldn't change.  So he suggested we come the weekend before and that's what we did.   We really enjoyed this idea better as it turned out.  First, we weren't too tired after a week of playing, and second, we didn't have to worry ourselves about having a commitment causing us to leave Tahoe too soon, so yay all around!  
We ended up out on his boat for the afternoon at a place near them called Bullards Bar...SUCH a terrific day!  Then we stayed up super late laughing and playing a dice game that brings out the hysterics in everyone....the following late afternoon we drove up to Quincy to stay with some friends, Diane and Barry...then onto to Truckee the following day, down into Tahoe and SEVEN days!!  Yahoo! Then a quick stop in Auburn to visit Maggie and Glen and then home.

What the heck are they all looking at?
Ha!...just the beauty of the clear water and
the birds..it's really amazing here.

The King of his Craft!

The little tiny town of Quincy..super tiny.

Lunch in Truckee...awesome place!

Cabin in Tahoe...yes, I wear that hat AH-LOT!

At the new Hard Rock Cafe Casino...
amazing art work from albums!

So that about wraps it up right now....only to say that our little scamp, Ziggy Stardust, is turning out to be a really perfect cat in our little world here in Santa Cruz...so happy we have him. ..and our big lab Louie would agree..they are BEST of friends. 

In closing...We're keeping the faith that Ray is on the road to having this condition permanently recovered.  I intend to spend the rest of my days with this man, so he better get into ship shape!   And here it is...Autumn is upon us...and with it come the holidays and all that that entails...REALLY looking forward to seeing the kids,  friends, music, food and cheer...so enjoy your own little worlds and  all the joys it brings.. as well as heartaches..and just remember, everything changes with the seasons...so keep smilin!  mucho love from the juners!

NEW LIFE...

I'm going to keep it short and sweet...so much going on, as per usual around here.  Mainly, my husband has really had a time of it with his health..we just got back from the hospital again, today...but all looks like it should be on the mend...let's only hope so! 
Either way, we were able to have a moment to play before things went south...We had a great pre-4th party on the 3rd...tons of food and a lovely day with friends and family.

the patio has not been sealed yet so you
can't see how spectacular the color really
is...all blues and greens...soon!

We got a new kitty...!!  His name is Ziggy...Ziggy Stardust, for obvious reasons...he's a goofy looking little varmint...but loving his guts!  He's easy going and simply hangs on your lap for hours..plays with your face for a bit and snuggles like the dickens...A-dor-able!! 

Then there's the garden...since I'm working on changing things over to make for a more efficient home farm...planning on putting up a small barn down on the road to sell our goodies...I've been re-working the layout and importance of exactly what it is I am planting.  And right now that is mainly Tomatoes..and loads of them.  All amazing heirlooms and getting ready for canning, sauces and pickin right out the garden to eat!

                            

And let's not forget the orchard...first and foremost, the grapes!!  I have a major crop going of Champagne grapes that I can't wait to eat and dehydrate into pounds of currents..one of our favorites around here.  The apple trees, the peach trees...apricot, plum, pear, cherry, fig, orange, lemon...however, not retaining a major crop as expected with the new hell that has become farm life...squirrels!!@!!!  So far this little fuck has completely cleared my plum and apricot..literally not one piece of fruit spared...and now he's half way through my two peach trees...you'll notice the netting surrounding one...it didn't deter him in the least...it's beyond heartbreaking...there are no words...moving on.

champagne

concord! yay!

fugi

figs..ah!

white snow queen..what's left of them!!@@

looking back in from orchard..sweet brick
deck with fountain, potted plants and
drinking water spigot!

front gate from patio down into garden

nice view of back gate with trellised
grapes above.

strawberry patch

overview from backside, showing rose garden
on right and lawn above in back

heirloom, Rhode Island green..

staircase from front lawn down into orchard,
where theres a firepit, a soon to be deck, but for now
 a long bench and horseshoe pit set up...quite the
hang around here...soon to be planted in
"wedding"urns, peonys...concord grapes growing
along grape stake fence...awesome!

And chamomile flowers from the tea garden..yes, I am growing a tea garden...chamomile, lavender and lemon balm.  Will be including, ginger soon...big giant containers to go on the hillside in the back, next to the soon to be extended orchard, and...wait for it...the bee hive, and...still wait..the sheep pasture...don't ask!

The girls are having a fun summer thus far...and that's about it!

from top...Ruby, Penelope, and the old gal, Vida

Miss Monroe..need I say more!

Petunia...!!

The Ladies!

Much love to my besties...taking time to just "be" around here...been a very stressful year to say the least..as I'm learning, however, it seems it's been that way for all of us in one form or another...and I'm sorry to hear about your sadness' and set backs  too...hope all is moving forward for everyone...mucho love to you all..enjoy the rest of your summer....be happy! xox juner