As you know, Dave and I go thrifting a couple of times a week. We don’t always buy things anymore – it’s really just a way for us to get out and get moving – and thrift stores are always turning over inventory, so there’s usually something new to see.
But… I did find something at the ReStore last week. Something super exciting…
Yup.. SEEDS! The had four LARGE boxes just jammed packed full of seeds. And the asking price… 25 cents a pack! Most of these packs retail for between $3.50 and $5.00 a pack!
Now yes… seeds do “expire”… but if stored properly, they can keep for quite a long time. And since I mostly plant for fun and my garden is relatively small (i.e. I’m not relying on my garden to eat) even if I get less than 50% germination rates, I’ll still be ahead!
In the end, I bought 96 packs of seeds (some are doubles of things I really like, such as sunflowers, cosmos, and zinnias). Total cost – $24. Had I paid retail, it would have been well over $400!
I got a mix of regulars, as well as a lot of new things to try (beets, corn, etc) So, I’m set for seeds for the next few years! I will still have to buy a few particular favourites that aren’t part of this bunch… but it should still save me a tonne in the long run!
Finally! Some really good progress made on my little Woodland Fairy! First… I finished up her hair
It was three shades, but it went pretty quick. Then I turned my attention to her little bun…
But he was just looking like a little blob, and it was bothering me so I went ahead and outlined him, even thought outlining is something I normally leave to the very end. I felt much better after I did it.
Then I finished up her ribbon and got started on her wings! Now that I’m onto the wings, I really want to just keep going. I may end up working on it this week, instead of waiting until the weekend. There’s still lots to do.. but I’m close enough to the finish that I can almost smell it. (And I’m already thinking about my next project.)
It’s a long weekend here in Canada. And a much needed one. But as you read this, I’m probably spending my holiday Monday sitting in my chair, in front of a fan trying not to sweat too much. Saturday, our heat pump conked out on us (yes… the one we had installed less than two years ago… no… I’m not happy). The company that installed it can’t get someone here until Wednesday.
It rain most of the weekend (much needed), so thankfully it wasn’t killer hot. We were able to open the windows and get the breeze moving through.
Saturday, Burton and I headed up to the studio and got one of the Christmas quilts charted out…
With that done, we got to cutting.
With that done, Dave decided we should try changing the HVAC filter to see if that got the heat pump working again…. so we headed out to buy one and grab dinner. Sadly, the filter did not solve the problem.
Sunday, after a long snuggle in the morning, listening to the rain fall outside the window… Burton and I decided we might as well get the top sewn.
Lemmy joined us for laying the squares out. And slowly, row by row….
The top came together by dinner time. It finished up at about 61″ x 72″
I still have to dig through the bins for a back (It was far too muggy to be muscling the bins out of the corner then back in again), but we are going with a scrappy binding.
Now I just have to get the top done for his sister’s quilt, then I can book a quilting weekend with Mom!
I’m pretty sure this is a yellow-fleshed watermelon – which came from the neighbour. I’m not sure how big it will get, but I hope it’s on the smaller side – I don’t think the ladder can handle a full-sized watermelon!
I’ve only got three steps and they are already claimed!
I am happy to announce….
We have our first cucumber! The cucumbers last year made a very poor showing. The ones this year are a little behind, but I hope once the plants catch up, it’s going to be a banger of a season!
While I don’t have any fruit on my birdhouse gourds yet….
…they do have the prettiest flowers.
The peppers, I think, aren’t going to make quite as good a showing. After losing the first three to a weird brown mush, only two more have come along. Maybe I’ll get more, but somehow I doubt it.
But the blackberries are FINALLY ripening! They don’t ripen all at once, so the few I get each day are getting put into a bag in a freezer. They are destined for a batch of jam and I want to make sure I have enough!
And last… technically, I should have left these a little longer, but some of my carrots felt girthy enough to pull!
They weren’t super long, but otherwise they are a good size. These are my rainbow carrots – there were four colours in the seed pack.. the only one I’m missing here is the white. Aren’t they just the prettiest carrots you’ve ever seen? And there’s lots more to come!
If there’s one thing that stays routine for August…
… it’s Sunflower Season! And thanks to many volunteers, a few I started, and a few I relocated – there are sunflowers all over the garden – with more just getting started.
There are also Cosmos
Zinnias
Globe Thistle
Butterfly bushes and Butterfly weed.
The Spotted Bee Balm I planted this spring has bloomed… it’s much more subtle than I expected, but it is so lovely!
And last…the Strawberry Blonde Marigolds I started from seed….
The are small, but they are so pretty! I’m going to be saving some of these seeds for next year!
If I’ve got a long dress on (which is often) and decide to sit down (which is also often) Burton loves nothing more than to play hide and seek. He will immediately run under the hem and make himself comfortable between my feet!
I mean it loosely. I have made some progress as in, I’ve started the second sock. But I got the ribbing done. I then started on the seed stitch pattern, and I just kept messing it up. For some reason, my brain just can’t handle it! I put it in a time out, but I’m hoping to pick it up and try again tonight after work.
I mentioned on a previous post that I don’t mind weeding my gardens. In fact, I actually enjoy it (I just wish I had more time to do it!). I love the chance to get down on the ground and up close and personal with all the little denizens who call my gardens home.
There have been TONNES of praying mantises in the garden this year. They are still pretty small. The one on the left is only about an inch and half long… and the one on the right is even smaller.
It’s also grasshopper season! They come in varying shades of green and brown. Each one is totally unique!
And just look at this little carpenter bee snuggled down in a portulaca bloom!
Or these two little solitary bees! These guys tuck into the sunflowers as soon as as the temps dip when the sun goes down.
Or what about this fuzzy little bumble bee doing a spiderman impression on the underside of the willow leaf!
Yesterday, I was thinking how I hadn’t seen any red-spotted purple butterflies in the garden yet this year – they are regular visitor. And as soon as I went out on lunch… there was one in the raspberries! The universe must have been listening.
And last…
I will leave you with these two sweet mourning dove babies, nesting on the ledge of Uncle Billy’s cottage porch!
I continue to make small amounts of progress on the woodland fairy.
But that small amount of progress, has made quite the difference. She got her arm, and her face… as well as a leafy crown and just the start of her hair. I feel like she’s really come alive now. I know 14-year-old me (how old I was when I bought the pattern) would be so thrilled with how it’s coming along!
As mentioned earlier, on Saturday, Dave and I were up early, headed to Long Point.
For those don’t know, Long Point, is a little spit of land that just out into Lake Erie.
The majority of it is a nature preserve, but a small portion of it is covered in small cottages. One of those cottages belongs to Dave’s uncle. And, after many years, he has finally decided to start renting it on Airbnb. Dave’s uncle is now in his late 70s, so Dave’s been handling the computer side of things for him – and I’ve been contracted periodically to help out with marketing and other digital assets (photos, write ups etc.)
He finally has his first booking arriving this Friday, so I put together a small cottage “manual” for him
This trip was to drop off a hard copy (ie, binder) to leave in the cottage for guests. It was a short visit, but he was thrilled with what I put together. And now we’re waiting to hear how the first guests enjoyed their visit!
It’s a two-hour drive there, and two-hours back… but with Dave, those trips are always longer! We stopped at not one, but two garage sales on the way home.
Where I got several new pots for my plant collection.
And this very charming cross stitch! I think it’s going to look great in the studio. We also got some farm-fresh eggs!
Complete with straw and a little bit of chicken muck! That’s how you know they are authentic! 😉
Then… went we were a little more than half-way home, Dave saw a small road-side sign that said “Vendor Market Today!”. We started following it. It took us down some dark and twisty backroads… and I was starting to wonder if we were about to end up on a Netflix documentary, when we finally got to a long driveway filled with cars
We parked, walked down the drive rounded a corner, and came upon a large yard filled with vendors.
Dave had a wonderful time as we wandered around. He chatted with each and every vendor, and while we didn’t buy something from every single vendor, it felt like we did!.
Most things were small… a notepad, fancy taco seasoning, homemade cat treats, a small planter for me to paint (more rage craft), and a hilarious lens cleaner.
But a few were a little bigger
There was a young lady who did painting on scrap wood. Dave could not resist this one of Pingu!
He’s already put it up in his garage.
We also got this pretty little towel to use as a hand towel in his bathroom. (You may recall that Dave has a thing for crabs), and some fancy hot sauce.
I also got a beautiful pair of wire-wrapped earrings, and a garnet tree of life pendant.
Wandering Cat Studio 