It's Raspberry Season!

This week my family found the first raspberries off our plants. I can't tell you how excited I am, as we've never had much luck growing raspberries in past years. This year our plants are large, healthy, and full of berries! I spent the morning weeding the garden and the berry beds and picking the first crop of my favorite fruit.

Did you know: An individual raspberry weighs about 4 g, on average and is made up of around 100 drupelets. each of which consists of a juicy pulp and a single central seed.

We have two kinds of raspberries; the traditional red raspberry and blush- a lighter colored variety.

My faithful, hilarious companion Lexi. Apparently he likes the raspberries too!

I got the garden completely weeded this morning...let's see how long it lasts.

This is our gentle giant, Thor. We have a small row of corn growing right in front of the chicken run.

Me, surveying my handiwork with my other companion, Dylan.

Hines Drive Photo Shoot With Carl

Wow.  I can't believe it has been so long since I've blogged.  Life feels like a speeding roller coaster right now.  We are in the countdown weeks until Shelby's graduation, I started a new job, and every time there is a break in the cold, weird, rainy weather we've been experiencing this spring, we try to get a little more of the lawn mowed!  As of today we still do not have our lawn completely mowed for the first time this spring!

However, on one of those lovely spring days we were allowed, the stars and planets came into alignment!  Carl came into town from Santa Fe, I had the day off, and there was sunshine!  Hines Park here we come!  The lovely hike was followed by a yummy lunch with our friend Barb and my daughter Shelby (yes, I made her skip school so she could see Carl).

Here are some of my photos from that lovely day...

A close up of Elm bark

For some reason this graffiti didn't offend me

My friend Carl Schuman, Santa Fe artist

These next two pictures were pretty exciting for me as I had never seen a jack-in-the-pulpit in the wild!

This plant starts life male. After 2 years, or longer in poor soil, it turns female, flowers and bears seed. If the plant receives a shock, it may turn back male again.  Isn't that crazy?!

Bear with me please...

Where did April go?  It is May 3rd and I am amazed that it has been over 3 weeks since I last posted on my blog.  I was hoping to post on a new project I was working on that eventually got scrapped.  It's now on a shelf waiting to be picked up again when I have the courage to face all the "wasted" hours I poured into the idea.  I know I said scrapped...but I have found that usually the things I think are failures end up becoming favorites.  I just need a little time to regroup.

In the meantime I have started a new job.  As the overtime at the fire department has dried up and summer is approaching - meaning no college classes to teach - and the fact that we shall have two children in college this fall, I have taken on a job to take stress off of my husband.  Granted, it is only part time, but the schedule is highly flexible and the coworkers are friendly!  I was delighted tonight after my 2nd day on the job that I feel comfortable.  The training is challenging, the memorization requires a lot of homework, and the procedures are detailed, but it is fun!  I love meeting and working with the many women that come through our doors each day.  Figured it out yet?  It's Curves!

Anyway, until I get the training out of the way, I will not be posting as frequently as I have in the past.  Please be patient.  I still plan on committing time to my artwork, it's just that with a high school graduation and party around the corner, a garden to plant, and a job to work, my posts will be a bit fewer and farther between.   I hope to submit the occasional Illustration Friday as well...Thanks for hanging in there.

Pysanky Season

Since Easter is late in April this year and I have only one class to teach so far, I have only just gotten out my Pysanky and supplies.  I took advantage of the fruit tree pruning I've been doing and brought in three budded branches that I secured together and placed in a vase along with water and some beach glass-looking stones for weight.  I had to learn to do this the hard way; last year I broke one of Shelby's first eggs when the top heavy "tree" fell over.  Then I covered all the branches with eggs the girls and I have made over the years and several eggs I have collected as well.  In a week or so all the buds on my branches will bloom a pretty peach-pink; since I used peach tree prunings!

 These are more of the eggs we've made over the years with the exception of the eggs in the left carton which are from Romania and made by monks.  I bought a whole dozen on my last visit to Romania.

I heard about the Relay for Life that my local Curves chapter is supporting.  They are accepting donations for a silent auction.  I decided to put together a little Pysanky kit which includes: one of the Romanian eggs, a porcelain egg holder, one medium kistka, a block of beeswax, 9 different colors of dyes, 2 egg lifters, a box of Polish matches, a sheet of instructions and design ideas, and a basket.  Here it is...

Here is a little note of interest; in all the different countries that create these beautiful Easter eggs, like Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Hungary, and the Czek Republic, each of the design elements and each color have special meanings.  So although an egg might be pretty to look at, there may be great significance attached to the egg by it's maker!

Miracles Still Happen

Ten days ago I published a post on my new little tomato seedlings.  Look what has happened in 10 days!  Who says miracles don't happen anymore! :)

Saturday I spent several hours in the still cool and cloudy weather cleaning out flower beds.  It was like an Easter hunt for all the lovely little seedlings and bulbs peeping out of the newly warmed soil.

 Yesterday, it had jumped to 81 degrees and I had to rush home from church to unplug the heat lamp so my little chicks didn't become chicken nuggets in the heat!  They are fine. See...

 I certainly hope we aren't going to skip the spring season and dive directly into summer!

Reaching For Spring

I have begun the small duties of spring that seem to bridge the gap between the weariness of the cold and the outside chores in the warm sunshine.  A few days ago I started my tomato seeds.  I have been saving my seeds for several years; ever since my neighbor gave me the largest Roma tomato I have ever seen!  I would like to start seeds for other garden vegetables and flowers, but I have not the space for it currently.

I now save seeds for that same Roma and a variety of Beefsteak that are huge and rarely crack.  The flavor of both are amazing.  I am very relaxed about the purity of the next year's prodigy.  In fact, last year I grew Roma's that had apparently crossed with some Green Zebra Tomatoes.

They were beautiful, but had little flavor.  Needless to say, I did not save their seeds.

I was startled to note that my tomato seeds have already sprouted!  With the cilantro, rosemary, and basil that I started from an herb kit my husband gave me at Christmas, it is looking very spring-like in my kitchen and laundry room.

I've also taken the opportunity to divide an African violet that was obviously already dividing itself in the container it was housed.  After that, my cactus looked so pathetic and unhappy, he too received a new pot and nutrient rich soil; suitable for a cactus of course!

Sold!

I am so excited!  I sold my first piece of artwork!  In fact, it was my first collage called "Proverbs".  One of the gals at the bank where some of my work is currently displayed fell in love with it and bought it.  (Basha, if you are reading this, take heart.  I have not forsaken your request!) 

I still have not made that giant leap into Etsy yet.  I need to be able to nail down how to figure postage costs.  I will have to commit to get this completed this week.  If the weather turns, I KNOW where my priorities will be...outside!

Finished and framed

Before framing and a bit of a yellow hue.  My lighting must have been off.

Right detail of "Proverbs"

Left detail of "Proverbs"