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Well.  That was an interesting 10 days :)  In spite of the challenges and obstacles we've faced, each day dawned just like the picture below... pink and glowing with promise.  Not a bad way to start a day is it?

The truck got fixed, the hard drive was replaced, the garden was replanted.  The storms eventually wore themselves out and the rains finally let up.  We've gone a whole week without a tornado warning and the subsequent "everyone batten down the hatches and scramble for cover, NOW".  We've slept through the night for a solid few days with no thunderous electrical storms keeping us up at all hours.  The sun has come out to stay and weeks of standing water has evaporated.  This is all very good news for this weary Mama...

  

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Now onto the good stuff :)

After the heartache of losing a lot of our garden due to storm damage and subsequently the dreaded cabbage moth, the kids got busy and made this scarecrow for the garden.  I was so touched, I cried.  Kids are so astute.  They were equally saddened by the losses ~ after all, this garden is the result of all of our work, but those 2 kids knew that I was putting up a brave front and they knew that I was upset to lose so much.  All those months of work for nothing - a short growing season can be pretty intense.

This frightening face is BOUND to scare off the cabbage moths, don't you think?

Can you believe that they did this all themselves, including nailing it together, and pounding it into the ground with a sledgehammer?

Coupled with this fantastic painting, how could I not smile and be hopeful for another try at the garden?  Notice the sunny, storm free weather, bountiful harvests in the garden and on the trees with a happy Mama and her harvest basket?   I just love the optimism of children...  it keeps me from my default pessimistic state during trying times.

On to other happy things...

A bit of thrifting of late has netted me 3 wonderful baskets for harvesting and general household use.  As well, a handmade dibble for a dollar!  Do you have a dibble?

I also miraculously stumbled upon a sizeable amount of new and nearly new clothing for myself all at the thrift store.  All told, I think I spend about $40.00 on those clothes, but I have enough new pieces now to revitalize my tired and worn out clothing all for the price of one NEW piece from a retail store.  Nice!

Our "teenager" hens (Black Copper Marans and Olive Eggers) have just come into lay!  They have finally settled into the coop and the appropriate poultry hierarchy has been established.  I LOVE the rich brown colour of the Maran eggs...  they are small yet, but the shells are strong, the albumen is stiff and the yolks are bright orange - all good signs of health.

Those new to me baskets have been put to immediate use, hauling in the surviving veggies...   Easter Egg and French Breakfast Radishes, Snow Peas, Carrots,

Herbs,

Calendula and Peas....

Kitty loves to come out to the garden to "Supervise" my work.  Isn't he a big help?  He's proven to be a stellar hunter, and he's done a fine job of keeping the prolific mouse population under control out here in the country.  He's therefore entitled to a nice long nap in the afternoon shade :)

The promise of salsa and pasta sauce in our future has me cautiously optimistic about the state of affairs in the greenhouse... so far, with some fierce lower leaf pruning and compost feeding, the tomato plants have avoided the dreaded blight.

The beans are all a-flower which means lots of snapping and blanching are in my very near future

and with all the rains, the celery is doing well.  I could not have picked a better year to grow this water demanding crop for the first time :)

I'm trying again with the brassicas...  I direct seeded under the row cover, and have a flat of 2 week old seedlings awaiting transplant.  Wish us luck!

The delicious fragrance of this clover has me bowled over.   I can't get enough of it, so little bouquets of it sit in every room...

Two lovely surprises arrived in the mail this week.  One, a cookbook featuring local foods from an old neighbour who moved out of province (notice the first tomato that I picked on that VERY same day?) and.... 

two, a gift package from "Vegiegirl" on the Down To Earth Forum.

I participated in a potholder swap on the forum, and my sweet partner sent me some lovely extra little goodies...  oh HOW that cheered me in a time of trial!

And on to more happy news....  I'll be taking a Master Organic Gardener Course from September till December!  Additionally, I've inquired about a Permaculture Design course and have found a local session that I'm able to take beginning in February 2013.  I'm tremendously excited for the opportunity to learn more about creating sustainable agriculture/gardens/landscapes in our climate.

Wish me luck!