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

LIFE'S CELEBRATIONS

I wonder if I'm ever gong to keep up with real time around here!  Every time I'm away or take photos at an event I think, I've got to put this on my blog and I'm going to do it immediately…and then a month or more goes by….geez!

So here we are catching up again.

We went off and had our first anniversary a couple weeks ago..as you are aware.  We drove up to Tahoe and followed the backroads…it took double the time, but was well worth it.  We stopped in the little old mining town of Jackson and ate lunch in a park.  We sat under a big tree next to an old school house, then drove the backroads through the high sierra's past several lakes…it was a spectacular drive.

Then we arrived at our destination…Tahoe!!  It's like home away from home to us…and we CHILLED in a really big way.  Did basically nothing but sit and stare at the lake…three of them to be exact.  And yes, there is a black smudge on the lens…could not remove it for my life!  In the meantime I'm working on perfecting the "selfie"…as you can see, I haven't gotten very far with that yet!

Dinner with friends with a perfect sky and the afternoon at Fallen Leaf Lake, which is my favorite place in the world…although Ray has turned me on to Meeks Bay, which is where we spent our last afternoon and I almost began to cry when we had to leave…odd looking ducks swimming by and of course the little critters aren't afraid of any of us anymore…one walked right up to me assuming I'd feed him, which I wouldn't…wild animals aren't meant to eat salty human food…..and then there's my sexy husband…not bad for an old man, ha!…..we had just magnificent days!

This is the general store that was used by
Meg Ryan in the movie City of Angels…
still a very cool spot to hang.

                       

                            

Too bad for these folks..huh?!

Then we drove off the northern route towards Grass Valley and Nevada City to Yuba City where my brother and his wife live and spent the weekend with them….had a BLAST!  They have a super lovely home and an amazing guest bed by the way…beyond comfortable.  We tooled around Nevada City and took in the unique sites.  An old mining town again, this one is where the gold rush hung…so loads of crystals and gems and a little museum to check out just how involved the mining went…and deep, holy cow!  They had a model set up to show the depths…no thx!  One store had black rocks as the floor, it was incredible, really, you needed to see it in person, so unique and cool.  We ate and had fun.  Went to a party at a neighbors and everyone had their vintage cars….my brother is in the process of restoring his new little beauty, a 70 something Spitfire.

Solid loose black rocks floor…awesome!

I simply love traveling with this guy..
we are so good together!

Someone took Barbie for a ride on the back
of their motorcycle…
looks like she had a good time!

thats my tribe ahead..my brother Justin,
his wife Holly and of course my guy
and it was….good times! (couldn't resist!)

my kind of sofa…loved it!

beautiful country side

I came home to a load of tomatoes from my garden and got right to work…here's the harvest and the results! (actually I just realized I haven't taken any photos of the results yet, so there, something else to share in a couple of days…don't hold me to it!) And the other photos are of our Labor Day lunch here with a couple friends…forgot to share in the beginning…and the last photo is from my day bed in my den/library where I work everyday…it looked so inviting and beautiful I had to snap a photo and share….hope you enjoyed our celebrations of life and that you had plenty of your own this past summer season.

Several different varieties…Yellow Voi,
Yellow Brandywine, Purple Cherokee,
Paul Calabash, Juliet, Beefsteak.  I canned
them all…made some tomato soup
last night that was out of this world!

My fig tree is Rockin!!
Can't wait to make some jam!

Tomatillo's

my cute sweet son!

this was the BEST lemon meringue pie
 I have EVER made, bar none!!

my first time actually having pumpkins
show up..yay!!

                                   

also my first meyer lemons ever!!

   

Mucho love to all my besties and I do hope you all had a terrific summer…it's officially Autumn now, my favorite season…yay!  Loving the cooler days already.  Canning, making jams, and dog food, getting ready to dehydrate some treats for them as well.  Making my sourdough starter to gear up to bake breads and continue with my monthly sauerkraut and kombucha….simply enjoying being a farm to table kind of gal…fresh chicken eggs, etc…am loving life here in the foothills of Santa Cruz…love to you all..xoxo juner