The fruits of our labor

We decided to build a couple of raised beds at 3800 Hayes this spring and try our hand at little gardening. After much debate about what to grow and how to grow it we ended up with tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, zucchini, onions, eggplant (one plant, not for me, not after the eggplant parmesan dinner that turned into pizza night), green beans, peas, radishes, beets, carrots, spinach, lettuce, dill, cilantro, parsley, sage, rosemary and of course thyme.

In the beginning....

And now, see the tomatoes in the pots against the house and the bean pole, which is also where we planted peas and nasturtiums, and the totally filled raised beds mmmmmmmm.....

I am so pleased! This is what we picked from our garden last night! After sharing some with the kids we have enough left for a couple of salads...lunch will be good tomorrow!

Not there yet...

We don't live at the farm just yet. This is to be our retirement home. When we bought it in 2007 we thought, "Ok, in 3 to 4 years Francis can take early retirement, I'll find a job in Park Rapids, Bemidji, Detroit Lakes, where ever and we'll move up here!" Well, due to the economic down turn, the falling prices of real estate and the hit we've taken on our pensions, we probably won't be moving for 5 to 6 years. Let's pray for a turn around soon!

In the meantime we spend as much time as we can at the farm, fixing up and painting the house, removing dead trees, mowing (there's lots to mow), watching the deer in the pasture. And of course driving the tractor! (Oh yes, that is a RED tractor you see! and yes there is a GREEN one but it's just not as pretty and not practical for hay rides....)

The rest of our time is spent in the Cities keeping up with work and home and church.