Check it out! We planted a garden this weekend! It includes green beans, peas, bell peppers, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, and onions. We are for sure getting some tomato plants later! It is hard to imagine the quantity that can come from these little bags of seeds!
Although it has been about 10 years since there has been a garden at my parents' house, we had one for years when I was growing up. It was usually located in part of the "pasture". This plot is usually planted as a very small field with whatever crop is in the rotation. The pasture hasn't been used as a pasture since my dad's childhood but it still retains the "fertility" that results from being filled with manure for years. It is also bordered by a creek. It is usually a soggy, weed filled mess regardless of what is planted there. For a few years we planted a pumpkin patch there, which was really fun for us and every other kid in town because we gave them away for free.
This photo of the pumpkin patch was taken in the mid 1990's sometime. That is my brother and one of his friends in the picture.
The garden was situated in various places in the pasture along with a patch of sweet corn. It was usually a pretty large garden and we planted alot of cucumbers and dill for pickle making. Even now, after almost 20 years, the smell of dill still makes my mouth water. Even the dill weed in the little container on my spice rack fascinates me. We also had alot of zucchini. My sister and I used to sell oversized (and past the point of being edible) zucchini to my grandparents' elderly neighbor, Helen, for twenty-five cents each. She really could put on a show! I'm sure she disposed of them as soon as we were gone!
This all sounds very idyllic and charming but in reality our gardens were always on the verge of disaster. The weeds really were uncontrollable. We weren't just dealing with dandelions and infiltrating grass. We were attempting to control mustard, marsh elders, and other weeds that farmers spend thousands of dollars and hours of time trying to suppress. Also, our naughty Golden Retriever, Penny, loved to go into the corn and pull full grown stalks out by the roots and run around the yard with them. She was always doing something wierd. And, of course, there were rabbits and deer always looking for a snack. However, we usually ended up with at least some bounty due to the fact that it was growing in an old pasture! How could it not flourish? If it weren't for the weeds those vegetables probably would have been mutants.
Now, back to the present. . .
There is our freshly tilled plot! The area as it was was kind of an odd shape so Justin made it square. That white material around the outside is grass seed.
There it is all finished! We have a sprinkler system! (The brand name on the box in the garage is called "Rain Bird")! It has been really dry around here for the last few weeks and there was even a fire conditions warning last weekend but it actually started raining this evening so hopefully the grass will start to flourish!
The poor lonley tulip in the front opened so now we know it is yellow! A few in the back yard opened also and it looks like they are yellow and red.
On another topic, Allan is really cute. I have been fussing over him all weekend. Here are a few photos. Try not to swoon, everyone! Haha, that was a joke, by the way. He is as cute as any other cat I guess!
He is so relaxed!
He has gained some weight since I last saw him three weeks ago. In this photo he is sitting with me and his abdominal area has definitely expanded. He has become a fiend for cat treats and charges into the kitchen when he hears his drawer opening!
This plant is in the flower bed lining the sidewalk leading to the front door. When we moved in it was overgrown with an unnatractive spreading perrenial that was growing into the lawn. I wouldn't mind, except whatever it was looked like a weed. This plant is on the end and we were told both by Justin's mom and the neigbor across the street that it was worth saving. It's coming back! Also, it appears there are some sort of bulbs in there as well! We'll see what they are when the flowers come!
That is the flower bed in the back yard. I can't wait to dig into that as soon as the risk of frost passes! There seems to be tulips or lilies in there as well!
There are the empty flower pots that we had on the apartment balcony last year! I forgot they were back there because I haven't walked in the yard since before Christmas! The apartment balcony got around 3 hours of sun during the longest days of summer. I can't wait to plant some sun loving geraniums and marigolds this year!
Those little plants look like some sort of spawn at the moment, but soon they will be ferns! Justin wants to dig them up but I like them so we will see what happens to the little guys!
Here is Jake getting down to business and destroying an empty Coke box. I let him rip it to shreds because it was so funny! He will take the opportunity to destroy anything and when the snow melted from the yard this spring many treasures were revealed. Included in the trove was a scattered box of screws! Yes, he scattered a box of screws all over the yard. Such fun!
This was on Easter. I was holding that frisbee preparing to throw it and he was anticipating it! 
This was also on Easter. He was swimming with his "cousin" Wallace in the creek! The both just stood there and drank the water and Wal kept dunking his head under! They both love water.
I love this picture! I look it as "Skeezy" was trying to jump on me! Check out those "hybrid" ears that mix the pointy, alert ears of a German Shepherd and the floppy ears of a lab!
I met Justin at the farm on Saturday evening. In the morning, in the old familiar place, there were Easter baskets! The Easter bunny came! He left five baskets, And also, it seems, a thermos and a bunch of bananas. And a mail order catalogue.
We went to church and had a lovely egg bake breakfast and one of my Grandma's friends made everyone there sing happy birthday to me and Annie, a 16 year old who I used to babysit and shares my birthday.
My Grandma made me a new quilt! She churns those things out on a weekly basis. She said if I didn't like this one I could trade it in for a different one but I like this one!
Justin gave me a new iPod! I have a 3 year old ipod that I got for my birthday in 2007. The battery barely stays charged anymore. This new one is an ipod touch and I have enjoyed downloading all of the pointless but amusing apps that are available!
Look! Signs of life after winter! The bulbs are coming back! That flower bed needs some help! 
Notice that muddled blueish egg with the smiley face and some sort of hair...what the ____ is that about? I spent alot of time shrink wrapping those animal cases on eggs. They are very cute. Much cuter that that watered-down NDSU egg on the right!
These are not attractive. In the corner is a poor attempt at a Minnesota Twins egg. Nice work, Pete. The dye was supposed to be a reddish color but it was the first tablet we dissolved and we forgot you needed to add hot water to instead of cold. That green turd was Andrea's attempt at making an egg version of Jake, her "German Chocolate" mixed breed dog who is brown. I can't look at that thing without laughing. 
I have to include this picture of Allan! Justin sent it to me as a picture text when he got back to Bismarck on Sunday evening. I miss this little guy!
