Where I have been hiding...

I have been so bad at keeping up with my blogs. July just flew by as we went on two short vacations - Colorado July 1-5 and then Maine July 15-19, for a family reunion. The photo at top is from Maine. After having a lobster dinner with family we walked on the beach for the end of a perfect evening. We returned home to Iowa and took part in the first day of Ragbrai (Des Moines Register's annual great bicycle ride across Iowa). August seems to be going equally as fast even though we are home.

The flooding along the Missouri river area has been going on now for almost two months. It sounds like it will be late September before some people will be able to return to their homes. The government has rejected sending any aid and I feel so bad for those who didn't have insurance coverage. This isn't a flood that was caused by heavy rains that came and went, but rather was a government managed flood. Much of the land that flooded wouldn't have under normal circumstances. I hate to think what is happening under all that water. Interstate 29 is still under water both north and south of us. The Corps of Engineers has reduced the amount of water being released from the dams up north, but the water has only dropped about a foot and it is still at a dangerous level if a levy should break.

We have been working out at the farm preparing about 2 1/2 acres of ground so we can plant some Aronia berries in September. We are going to grow them organically, so our only chance to get control of some of the weeds that have taken over is before the plants go in. Our little two plus acre 'plantation' as I like to refer to it, is going to be planted on some ground on the family farm where the house, barn and several other buildings once stood (shown in photos above). The buildings were all in terrible disrepair due to age and neglect and consequently had to be knocked down recently. A lot of debris including glass, heavy concrete chunks, tree branches and roots, wire, scraps and pieces of metal, and nails were scattered allover the property. This all had to be picked up and hauled to a pile which will be burned this winter. We then sprayed the weeds and planted 'orchard mix' grass that will remain between the rows of bushes. We (meaning my husband) goes out every week and mows the two plus acres. I have now been drafted into that since we now have 'his' and 'hers' riding mowers. Oh boy! (Sorry, being a bit sarcastic there since I would rather been in the sunroom stitching or in the studio painting). Our plants are to arrive the first part of September and will have to be planted by hand into holes dug by a post hole digger attached to a tractor. I really hadn't planned on getting into this type of physical work at the age of 62 ~ lol. I had always pictured myself sitting along the beach somewhere during the winters while everyone else here in Iowa suffered through the cold weather.

I will share photos as we progress on this venture.