Ben is...TWO!

It is unbelievable! No more babies among our grand babes....because our littlest, Ben has turned 2 years old! How quickly they are ALL growing up! (I must be getting old to be spouting such euphemisms!) Wasn't it just yesterday that Nate phoned with the exciting news that our new little one had arrived...and he was Benjamin Lee??!!! Now he is Mr Personality and Mr Silly! How we LOVE him! Have so much fun being two, precious BEN!! We are so happy you are in our lives in a BIG, wonderful way!

Weekend respite...and back home to garden bounty!

We had such a beautiful weekend, enjoying some of our favorite things; the generous hospitality of lovely friends, time on the water, a little boating and fishing, nature walks, birdwatching, plenty of wild life, and yummy food and drink. Vallecito, Colorado is at about 8000 feet, so the air is crisp and cool. There are bears, white tailed deer, wild turkeys, and so many gorgeous birds! Fred especially loved the chipmunks. And the mud at the edge of Vallecito Lake. We wondered if he would go out into the water and swim. He did not. (To our surprise!) The "super moon" was spectacular! Our drive home Sunday took us through the amazing scenery of northern New Mexico; we stopped at Ghost Ranch just to say "hello" to that splendid landscape! We had felt reluctant to leave Little Bird Farm at this very busy time, but guess what. The work was still here when we got home last evening! So - off to it I go now - to peaches, cukes, okra, and green beans! Oh, and dead heading. Fun to go! Wonderful to be back home!

We honor our country! Independence Day - 2014!

Up early to enjoy the fragrance of last night's big rain! It was quite something; I love the smell of damp dirt - dirt that's so dry that when the rain drops first hit it, the dust floats up and fills your nose with that unmistakable fragrance of high desert! In spite of the grasshoppers, most crops are doing well. This week we will have our first tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, and maybe even zucchini. Daisies abound! Hollyhocks are so tall they are beginning to fall over. I have never seen so many honeybees as are on all the mermaid roses, blue mist, and cat mint right now! The gardens are a true celebration of freedom and independence! Happy July 4th!

A Mighty Fine Father's Day WEEK!

It was a wild and busy week! Nate's little Ft Worth crew was here and the whole (local) fam headed up to the Jemez cabin for some Father's Day celebrating. Some big fun was had here at Little Bird Farm too, that's for sure. Thanks for coming, kids! We loved it. And Ichiban, we all missed you, P & little p. We are so grateful for our fathers!!!

Roses, Peonies, and Snap Peas....and Herbs!

It is mighty colorful right now at little Bird Farm! This is the moment when the gardener feels almost in control of things - a fleeting moment for sure! It will last about two days. We had a crazy storm yesterday, wind, thunder & lightening, rain and then hail - 1/2" sized balls of ice. Very unusual. A real boon to all of our growing things...and to the new crop of weeds that will be appearing any day now. Chick weed and bind weed, I expect, now that the mustard is done. Oh, and ragweed. And tumbleweeds. My dad tells me you can pick a young tumbleweed, steam it up, and eat it - "They are delicious!", he tells me. We will spend the Memorial Day weekend moving 6 tons of gravel into place here and there. It always feels (hurts) so good to get a new area of "the farm" cleaned up with plantings and gravel. Happy Memorial Day! Fly those American flags. And remember.