My Rock Gardens

    I have so many different gardens, I have so much room in my HUGE backyard too! I can get a bit overwhelmed with this much space some days.....I love it all of course but I have to take it by sections, I have to work it by garden to garden or I will feel like I'm not getting anything actually done! Gardening is a slow process when ya have so much space.
My rock gardens are some of my favorite parts of my home.
    Starting with the big backyard rock garden with stairs made out of stones. The frustrating issue I've had with this structure is how hot it will get by the summer sunshine. So I am careful now with what I plant there. It will take some more attention this fall to make it better looking I think....I also know it's fun for the cats to hang around up there hiding in the weeds and roses.  The other issue is trying to mow around it is hard but I have plans to create a drought tolerant landscape by this time next year!
This is such a fun rock garden with places to sit and watch the sun move across the whole back yard in the mornings. I think it should have more hollyhocks too!
When it comes to rock gardens being such a great place to decorate I've really had fun with mine! 

It holds such magic and wonder in not being over grown by the plants. This rock garden is on my patio and every night I sit next to it relaxing.....

Succulent plants are long lasting in the summer's heat and don't need so much water to thrive and grow, so I have been really reading up on what I can bring to my rock gardens. Different colors of succulents and colorful gravel also help bring a rock garden all together!

Rocks are beautiful in and of themselves so being apart of a garden makes them pop out, decorating the earth where I can't water and can't seem grow much. I love trying to figure out how to set up solar lights, loose rocks and ground covers that will come together finally filling up those dry spaces! 
I love all my gardens, all my trees and all of my space in this home. Yet it's the rock gardens that become the easiest to care for once it's all established. 
AND I could always add another fairy figurine to be displayed :-)

My Momma

It went by so fast my days with my mother staying with me here in Boise Idaho last week. We had a fun full week that wiped her out in activities. Monday evening we sat in Whole foods eating snacks during happy hour, Mom chatted on over all the fun she wants to have while with me. My husband had us all "Cheers" with our drinks this made my mother chuckle as she said "It's good I have at least one working hand to hold my juice." I loved sitting there relaxing and being together.
 I was expecting through out the nights to be awaken by her requests for things. She liked all the pillows I had to help her lay in different ways for comfort. The mornings were full of cooking breakfast and making hot tea as Mom relaxed before we headed out. Being in my own cozy clean home I loved putting fresh flowers where she could enjoy them. 
Sitting beside her drinking my coffee we would chat over anything and plan out our day without rushing through those cool late summer mornings. Mom explained why she was insisting on packing her sandals. "I never got to wear my sandals this summer, so for the Fair today I want to wear them!" I asked "Okay, sure, but why couldn't ya wear them?" Mom continued "Everyone said I'll trip or drag them when I walk but those sandals make me feel NORMAL again. Everyone needs to relax I know best!" I smiled thoughtfully at her stubbornness suggesting back at her "How about when we get to the fair and I get you in your chair then we will swap shoes for sandals then I will carry your shoes in my bag if you have to do any walking we'll put them back on for that moment?" Mom smiled so big and nodded exclaiming "YES! that's a GREAT idea!"

The day at the Fair went so smoothly, relaxing and very FUN! Mom and I took breaks getting ice water seeing my co-workers then heading back to the food lane to share something yummy. Afterwords I would push her anywhere and everywhere she wanted to go. Getting good at circling the display booths for her to see everything around her. Although during the stroll of the cow barn and the horses I had to really push the wheelchair with everything I had to get out of the soft dirt or loose gravel. I was glad to be so strong, happy to be so healthy for this day of go,go,go. When we began to head out for the evening Mom bumped right into her old high school friend Sonya. They caught up, laughing and sharing all that has been going on. I was so happy to of seen her as our list of everything to do while there was now completely checked off! What a PERFECT day with such great weather and having time to do and see everything Mom wanted! I felt tired in a good way of having worked out all day, successful bathroom breaks and good eats even seeing Mom's face light up simply by being there. Before her stroke she went to the fair every year for the whole day from open to close! Now returning a very different person seeing old familiar things gave her a sense of reminiscing all in all I was so thankful to be a part of it......

Mom waves me over to stop rolling along the sidewalk as we enter the Fair in cool mid-morning, "I need a diet coke, this is the FAIR and I always had a soda in my hand." I laughed back at how she wasn't wasting any time to get into the whole Fair atmosphere! That's my Momma for ya! 

My Fair Job

Over the last 8 years I have worked the Western Idaho Fair as a Check-in clerk for the produce, now as a contest department assistant. Once I get the produce in on the shelves over a 2 full day time the judges arrive early the day before the Fair opens to look it all over and I keep track of who won first, second, or third places with ribbons in hand I stage the whole place along with many fun ladies. Then on the first day of the fair I head over to "Western Town" a nice AC building off the main pathway of the Fair goers to setup the table and chairs for whatever contest unfolds that afternoon each day of the 2 weeks is a contest of some kind like for example "Salsa day" means I setup all the decor for Mexican foods, with one long table for dips and another for salsas. The judges move in and out tasting while all the contestants play a raffle game that's when I dance around, make jokes and share info on all our sponsors for that contest lasting a few hours from start to finish. 

I love doing the dishes and clean up too, while talking with familiar faces as they all enter these contests each day. On the last Saturday of the Fair I am there bright and early due to the setup for the popular BBQ contest. That is where in the courtyard of Western town these contestants bring their grills and chairs for a busy fun day of entries for a panel of judges. This contest is a huge event with great prizes and the biggest reward being 500 dollars. I love BBQ foods so this is a fun time to sample and visit with all the different cooks outside. I have worked among the judges as they have a comfortable private room to taste everything. I prefer the outside environment among the music and beer. The laid back enjoy cooking and coming back from walking around the fairgrounds then excitedly cheering on everyone in the race to cook up the secret round and get it all end at the deadline is most defiantly my kind of people.  The tables of judges being more critical and more formal is informative yet just not so relaxed as those outside. I have always enjoyed BBQ day there is some drama here and there among us ladies working it but for the most part as we get better every year I think it's a perfect end to the busy crazy days of the Fair. I will always love the Fair, I will always love these memories getting to be apart of it all from behind the scenes to the upfront stage.  When I walk around by myself in the early mornings or late evenings I think about life as it ever changing....Imagine if I had been around when the Fair first started up then I would be even more in awe over how different it is now. Yet since I was a kid saving up all summer for this event I walk around now amazed at how different and the very same it is! My fair job came along in a perfect time of my life now I am growing older and not so enthralled with this place like I use to be........

I think maybe I want it feel more like a small town in this growing city? I think I don't want to hang on to it when it is so clearly not the same. This year I have so much to be grateful for, working the Fair was magical in that perfect nice weather! I got to take my Mom out and I saw so many old friends! I will always feel a bit like a kid every time I go there and know this was such a fun job to have!

My Joy

I will always believe that dogs are the higher beings on this earth! My joy is in knowing when I see a stray I will care, I will do what I can for those moments of tenderness....

Because there is ALWAYS a much bigger story at play here in our lives and in this beautiful world! 

Be the one who can be trusted!

My Veggie Garden

              It's all growing around here lately! Amazing how time flies in the summer! I'm surprised by this depth of growing when in June everything looked so small? 
How magical is the earth I ask you??? 

I love seeing where I will plant better next year too, I spend hours just watching the sun light move across my yard, watch how the water flows and where things really grow good! I love knowing how my garden soil will be even more rich by next spring because I'm studying EVERYTHING. My veggie garden has taken off with my system of layering newspaper, soil, brown paper bags, soil, more paper laid down even a bit compost mixed into the potting soil where I planted my 6 tomatoes and 4 peppers. Then after covering it all with a biodegradable weed block sheet I planted 4 pumpkin vines to grow under and through the whole triangle space of land. I also laid out 6 bags of mulch to keep the weeds down and hold moister better. My soaking hose is on a timer and everything seems to really thrive now! I'm so proud and so thankful for this summer of possibilities and how my veggie garden grows!

My Water Day

           

It wouldn't be possible to use city water for irrigation on my back yard, because it's like a small field so I am very grateful to have a home with water rights and weekly flooding schedule. I am also glad to be towards the end of the line in order to use the water whenever it's splashing into our canal box. This way I know that I am not "stealing" water from anyone as it freely flows off into the other water ditch. My delight in capturing the water never gets old, all summer long I look for it and plan my whole day around it slowly hydrating my trees and gardens again.

My water days are very important to me, I love my muddy feet or how easy it is to shovel around the dirt. I follow the fence line closely on both side of my huge yard, it's taken time and awareness to create a place that pools the water instead of letting it shoot off to that easy low pathway....I am my own "Ditch Rider" now! I love this hard work, I love being outside in the heat of the summer sun while splashing around in the cold water puddles, when my dogs join me running around happily even playing with me in the deepest part of all the water, I love it even more! I laugh so much sometimes watching my dogs get soaked through in the heat of the day that I will simply lay back in the flow of it all to really relax!

 My water days are my most favorite stay home days in the summer time! It's important to never leave in case the flooding reach the house and went under the foundation. So I am always watching it while I garden. Once I cut across the palm of my hand as I dug around a thick rose bush to bring the water in more and if it hadn't been for rinsing my muddy thick hurting hand off in the irrigation water to see why it hurt so much I wouldn't of noticed how deep the bloody cut was! So without water nothing can be seen so clearly, and  most importantly nothing would grow so big or beautifully in my backyard like it does!

My water days are my magic days! I want to capture every drop for every second to help all things grow! Then I can sit back admiring such different colors of green in my happy muddiness!

   

My Wind Dance

  

 It was strong and forceful yet it would stop suddenly then a few minuets later a huge gush of wind through out my dark rich back yard. "OoooOooo A THUNDER storm!" I ran out into the soft clover yard in my bare feet, the cats and dogs chased around me then laid down to watch as I wasn't heading inside until I was soaked by the rain!

This is my wind dance and my soul is alive to feel the storm completely!
It is easy to forget the world, the latest news and the many things on my "to Do" list when a summer storm arrives! I dance and hold out my hands in hopes to feel what wind is like mixed with those little rain drop from the sky! As my clean cozy bigger patio started lighting up with my solar lights the shadows of these huge trees moving in the wind made the sights and sounds of the thirsty earth welcoming in the cooler night. This is my wind dance that we should all remember to "play" outside in the rain!

My Stormy Night

It never gets old being outside in the summer evenings especially when a big dark storm sneaks in with cool winds and many shades of gray clouds all around!

 I can understand the thrill of chasing storms, of wanting to capture pictures of the every changing earth against the sky line! After a long hot day of setting up at the Fair last night's storm was PERFECT as all my pets stayed in close to each other the running frenzy or hiding under the covered patio we played all night outside and it was so magical! Summer time storms give off such an energy and most importantly they are sooooo very refreshing!

My Hope

I find hope inside my soul when I smell Lavender, I find such beauty when I cut those purple delicate flowers or when I walk by with my hand out that touches that magical scent of my most favorite plant of ALL. There is nothing like this flower, nothing like this scent and aroma which gives me peace of mind!  Without Lavender I'm not made whole,  For it is my hope, my joy and my pure sweet Love! I find my hope in that peaceful moment of growing along side it!

My Herb Garden

 It's taken some time to get it laid out where I want my herbs to grow and as I read every morning an article about each and every herb out there I wonder if I will ever get them all in the ground surrounding my courtyard?
I want a "sea of color" with each plant growing into each other starting from the tallest growing herb in the back drop of the house to the ground cover of the low growing herbs.....One day after I plant it all then I will sit back admiring the Honey bee paradise with my morning cup of coffee thinking we had to start somewhere!
There is clay soil under my weed barrier, so I had mixed potting soil and top soil together above the barrier with mulch and gravel. I had trouble at first with creating a bark pathway of all my cats loving the easy potting place so I made them a big outside litter box away from my herb garden while also decorating around my freshly planted herbs with stones and rocks to keep the cats from tearing it all up again. The slope away from the house allows nothing to touch the actual house while blocking the irrigation water to soak into the lawn of the courtyard. I water every other day with a small hose and the lavender gets less water then that actually as I LOVE those plants above all else!
 It's taken some time to get back into my bedroom being surrounded by lavender once again and now I feel so proud of this hard work and successful focused summer on improving my home and my many gardens!