Smiles and Dreams from the Farmer

Last Tuesday I got some new "bling"....a tooth pulled and an implant installed instead.

Lucky me. And I had just gotten a medical spending account set up the week before.

In one dentist visit, I emptied the account before I had deposited a dime into it.

The tooth was put into a necklace so I could take it home and try to get the tooth fairy to comp me.

No luck with that!

Having someone implant bone and drill into my jaw= ouch.

And the pain meds=zonk out.

So I took the rest of the day off, put on my jammies and headed out to the deck where I sprawled out on our former apartment IKEA sofa. Having a real couch on the deck is so soothing. We both find ourselves catnapping out there all the time!

The funny thing: I fell asleep and awoke with a humming bird whirling inches from my face. I think he though I was a new kind of bird feeder or something.

A relaxing view...

Soft clouds to watch slipped by...

The Japanese maple forest is still in summer green. I can't wait to see the color change on the tiny trees come fall.

The gardener showed up and tended the bonsai.

I remember when the apple trees were covered with soft pink blossoms.
I took pictures last spring of two branches that over hung our fence.

The branches now hold small blushing apples.

I decided I should investigate...see if they might be ready to be picked. They aren't...not yet. Still hard and sour. Wish I knew when they usually ripen.

As long as I was rambling about the garden, might as well check the vine yard too.

It wasn't too long ago that the grape vine had tight buds....

Now they are turning purple.

Are they ripe?

Some are sweet, some are tart, and all of them have three seeds. I'm hoping they will swell a bit more. Otherwise I think I will just have to squish them for juice. Right now, there are too many seeds to deal with for a tiny bit of grape. There are lots of purple bunches...any one want to join me for a grape stomping party, bare foot ala "I Love Lucy" style?

There are a few vines that are producing seedless grapes. I'm thinking next year there is going to a few more of those vines planted.

Besides the apples and grapes there were a few other things to look at too.

The other pink blossomed tree now has red berries. Jeff says they are called Spanish Olive trees. I can't find any evidence that this is the correct name, so I think the berries will be left as a treat for the birds this winter.

(Anyone out there know what this tree is really called?)

There are hints of fall...one Japanese maple is bleeding some red into its leaves.

I'm hoping for a few more weeks of summer. The tomatoes are just getting started!

If it suddenly turns cold....well, maybe you'll hear me saying "Fried green tomatoes anyone?"

As a farm family, I don't think we are going to be making much of a splash with our crops.

We like sitting on the deck more than we like doing farm chores.

We like watching the birds at the feeders, the clouds overhead, and taking naps on a warm summer afternoons after dental work has been done in the morning.

I feel pretty good now. The bone has to heal until November then a permanent crown will be implanted.

I suppose that will be a tad uncomfortable too. But by then the deck will probably be covered with snow, and the crops will all be harvested.

On that day, I plan to curl up on the inside couch, and enjoy a long nap before a warm fire in the living room.

And maybe enjoy a slice of warm apple pie, from the apples on the tree, and perhaps a bit of grape jam on toast.

Nice to have something to look froward too, isn't it?