July or is this REALLY summer?

I have been putting off this writing for reasons I can't really define other than a sense of inertia and depression. The result of my laziness is that now I have far more to say than I have time to say it. So goes the story of procrastination-listen all or you to out there who might be doing the same!

As you ALL know, summer has passed by Kingston. We had one day of summer last weekend and it was glorious but was followed directly by 24+ hours of solid rain and thunder. My raspberries are finally ripening but they are 50% mold. Still I should not complain because I did have enough for 3 batches of jam and a cobbler as well as some breakfast enjoyment. There is true luxury! The strawberries looked and tasted great but the harvest was affected by grazing deer coming in after the first picking to eat their fill. Huge RATS I call them.

David hauling the wheel barrow of wood

Since we have enjoyed winter for 9 months, the wood is totally depleted  this year. We were starting fires well into May to dispel the wet  air so David had a big task on his shoulders. I had 2 trees cut down- a Eucalyptus and a Willow- because they suffered great winter damage. That started the ax chopping. Then a neighbor down the road offered the use of several downed trees and after a long 8 weeks of hard work, our wood pile is again fat. I sure hope we don't use it ALL this year!

Our new Wood Pile

Tomorrow we are heading off to the lake for our second summer visit. The 4th of July was amazing weather so I hope we get lucky again and Kyrsa can feel the summer sun and water relaxation.

Despite the  lack of warm air,  I have been busy in the garden and with summer projects. I created a new screen door for the front door based on the Nick Cave exhibit at SAM. It is up but still has some additions to be made. It definitely makes a statement as it is- I like to call it the "Witchy Woman " door.

Witchy Woman lives here

Since I need to run to bed so that I can make the last raspberry harvest before we leave in the morning, I will stop talking and send along some garden pictures. You can not even imagine the destruction the deer have done this year. Because it continues to rain incessantly, even the spray does not dissuade them so gardening is dispiriting at best.

Peas and Greens- all

Still, life in Kingston does not include tragedies of catastrophic proportion or even weather events so we are  lucky people .

New York Hot

Love you all and I hope and pray every day that you are smiling.

Mama Llama