A Blank Canvas

As many before me and as I promised I would not do, I fell way behind on my blog.  Imagine this, life happened!  I got so caught up in the actual gardening and my other goals that I let it slip.  No more empty promises, I will do the best I can this year.
So mother's day is this weekend and the planting is scheduled.  Bamboo is battled, only plain old weeds to deal with.  I really wish I'd taken a before photo because I didn't think that I would get them all cleared in one afternoon.  It's amazing what one can accomplish with the right playlist.

Several hours ago you would think that I was only growing weeds.  Now it is prepared for the planting to come.  If you look closely at the right side of the photo you will notice there are already rows started.  Those two rows hold 100 asparagus crowns which sometime in the next 2 or 3 years we will be able to harvest.

This time of year is better than Christmas!!

Updates on the other big goals I've mentioned here before, I've kept up with the running.  (no, no one is chasing me) I've run races in two states due to a thanksgiving trip to PA.  I also completed my first 10k two weeks and live to tell about it.  I hope to maintain a successful garden and train for a half marathon in the fall. That is as long it doesn't interfere with  Lockn.  Happy Gardening everyone!

DIRT

So here it is, the biggest pile of dirt I have ever had to move.  The picture does not do it justice.   Dad and leveled this thing in under 3 hours and that includes breaks.  As I have described to friends and family we were a machine.  This is the final product:  

I was also able to add a sitting area to watch the plants grow, lame I know.

There were several other photos with me in them to give perspective of the dirt pile's size.  They were less than flattering and will only be available for viewing upon personal request.  

Typically this post should include all of the planting photos as that should be done on or about mother's day.  I instead spent the weekend in Roanoke and had a wonderful time with Mom while Dad is off sailing the Chesapeake   Turns out one again there was a divine power involved because there is frost warning for tonight.  As long as I can get my hands on a roto tiller soon, the planting post will be up next weekend. 

For now, potato pic update:

       

                                        

Future

You know how sometimes when you look forward to something and it finally occurs it can disappointing because of the hype?  I have been looking forward to some changes occurring at my office that I thought would change my attitude and career forever.  This morning the announcement was made, the person I have blamed for my stagnancy is relocating.  I should be jumping for joy right? Now I have to take full responsibility for what happens and that is terrifying.  It was easier to blame someone else than own the fact that I give just enough to get by just like everyone else.  Unfortunately the state employee system does not foster hard work or originality so it’s easy to be lethargic.  See there I go again blaming.  The next several weeks will be exciting and I have decided will  determine the direction of my future dramatically. 

I am sure you are thinking how is this sad little carrot dramatic?  Let me tell you.  Dad and I were cleaning up the garden and preparing for the roto-tiller and 12 cubic yards of dirt (yes 12 cubic yards of dirt) and I found this carrot.  I was amazed because I did not get any carrots last year thanks to my friend Bambi eating off all the tops.   I knew that I had to include it in this post and it was going to be the star.  There were actually two and after a long day of yard work, I forgot them on the trunk of my car Saturday evening.  On Sunday I ventured out to the lake for VISA recommissioning, still not remembering where I left them.  This one survived the trip and was rescued by my dad.  So not only did it survive a winter in the garden it survived 55 miles on my trunk.  What determination to be famous right?

Zorba the Greek

I have a new found respect for those of you that have a blog that you keep updated.   I promised myself that even after the garden was covered in leaves and then snow that I would find something else to write about, well I didn't.  I was pleasantly reminded why while watching Jeopardy the other night when this quote was an answer to one of the questions.

"All those who actually live the mysteries of life haven't the time to write, and all those who have the time don't live them! D'you see?” 
― Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

So that is my explanation for being unable to keep up with a simple blog.  It also helps that spring has finally arrived (I hope!) and the gardening season along with it.  

My attempt for this year is to use all organic, non-GMO seeds and gardening products.  I ordered all of my seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.  As my brother and I am sure many other people have taken on the attitude to pay the farmer rather than the doctor.

I started simple with potatoes...









and Kale...

For those that have been following battle bamboo this year has not been without little victories.  The picture below is only a small portion of the work dad has done to keep the bamboo at bay.

One last update for this post.  Last weekend I completed my third 5k!   Definitely excited about the warm weather for that hobby too!

Vacation

Another important lesson learned.  Don't go on vacation in late August without spraying your garden for bugs.  I was not going to spray anything but while I was away some sort of flying creature that looks alot like the stinkbug took over by garden and ate almost everything.  I am glad to give back to God's creatures but I wish they had left me at least one watermelon, I am sure they were delicious.  
 But with views like these who can complain....

These are a couple of warriors that survived the battle.

Tomorrow I will be back to the daily grind.  Nothing like a week in paradise to motivate healthy eating.  I even restarted the Couch to 5K program while I was gone and should be on track for Run for Their Lives on October 20th.

How could any day be bad that starts with this?

Well friends as the garden is tilled under there will be less gardening to blog about.  I hope that you will stick around to see what other awesome things are happening in my life!

Ripe

This title was inspired by the message at Brentwood Church.  When I started this project I wanted to share my gardening experience and I have found that I want to write about more experiences because they are all interwoven.  Today's message was about choosing joy.  It really spoke to me that we have a choice to choose joy over sadness and that is really what God wants us to do.  This project has helped to me to that.  I have experienced joy though the achievements and the relationships that have been cultivated along with the plants.  When life starts to beat me down I can look at this small patch of space that used to be barren and now is producing new life and find hope.

I am winning the battle with the groundhogs on the cucumbers and might get to eat a couple before the season is over.  Anxiously awaiting the beautiful watermelons, pumpkins and cantaloupes.   As the zucchini and squash wrap up their season I am preparing for the winter by freezing pounds of zucchini.

I couldn't help but take a couple of pictures of last night's dinner.  Everything was grown in my yard.

Let the eating begin......

This is my favorite part of the garden so far.  The vegetables are plentiful and delicious.   I have been able to make meals for friends and family.  I've even given veggie baskets as birthday gifts!

Just because I am enjoying the fruits (or vegetables) of my labors the work is far from over.  I am still battling  nature and by that I mean all the animals that think I am growing food for them.  I can't figure out if it is deer or groundhogs or bugs or all of the above.  As all of you are also experiencing it has also been a very dry summer and the rain barrel has been empty.  So an unanticipated expense of a higher water bill has been an adjustment to my budget.  Don't get me wrong it has all been worth it.  I learn something new almost every week and am already laying the plans for next year.

There have been some newcomers to the party.....

watermelon

cantaloupe 

It's been amazing to watch everything start from a tiny seed and then become a plant and begin to bear fruit which also starts small and will hopefully grow enormous and delicious.   

Derecho

I'm sure some of you have been thinking ok great thanks for the vaca update but what about the garden?  Well here it is.  I don't need to say too much except that most survived Derecho the tomatoes were pretty sad and so was I being without power in my office all week (insert sarcastic comment).  After assistance from the support team (mom and dad) for allowing Yoshi and I to stay with them for a couple of days and two attempts to upright the tomato plants we all seem to be getting along just fine.  

remarkable recovery

I can't wait to eat you......

As for the couch to 5K it did not survive the Derecho.  The record setting temperatures and stress associated with temporary relocation are not conducive to new exercise program.  I haven't given up, just taken a break.  I appreciate the supportive emails and facebook message.  Keep them coming and don't hesitate to comment here too....

Florida

For those of you that know the Keely's we love to take vacations but are not good at relaxing.  It seemed fitting that I took a week of vacation and spent half of it in a car driving across the country and the other working.  Not the kind of work I do all day but more of I enjoy and what inspired me to start this gardening project.  Good old-fashion hard work.  The goal of second half of this trip was to prepare my brother's house in Pensacola for new renters.  He didn't realize he brought along a professional.  In his words, I was a machine.  We cleaned everything from floor to ceiling replacing all the light bulbs, (who steals light bulbs?) drawer pulls and fixing leaky toilets.  We even flew in our support team (Dad) from Roanoke.  After two full days of work and some help from my sister in-law's sisters husband James (again I should just stick with calling them what they are...family) and many trips to Lowes and Home Depot we were able to make the place livable again.  We even had time for a quick outing on the bay on Saturday.  I wish there were pictures of that event.  I can only say that it if were not for the quick thinking of James we might be at the bottom of that bay.
Note to others:  Don't overload an already infirm pontoon boat without the expectation of getting a little wet and maybe heading bow first into shark infested waters.

KVLN

KLVN (Keely’s Leave Vegas Now) officially began 18 June2012 with an early morning exit.  I had grand plans of taking actual pictures of Vegas in the rearview but with the amount on things loaded in the Subaru that proved to be difficult.

So instead a picture of Lake Mead

The stops along this epic journey are multipurpose so there are lots of pics from the car.  We are on a mission you know.  The following pictures were taken in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas (in that order).  I thought when I took them I would be able to tell the difference when I got to a place where I could blog about them.  The jokes on me. 

The first night after 9 hours of travel we stayed in Albuquerque New Mexico with my sister in law’s Aunt Connie.   I tried to figure out how that makes her related to me but after spending the evening with her I just settled on family.  It was nice to get out of the neon jungle of Vegas and have a home cooked meal where the volume was low enough to carry on a conversation. 

We also stopped in San Antonio to see my brothers college roommate.  I would've taken pictures of his beautiful new home but we got there late and left very early.   While in Texas we also made a stop to see a friend of mine from high school but again it was little more than a drive by so no pictures.  I will say that when I walked in the door is mom said immediately that I had not changed at all since high school.  (even after three days on the road).  It made me feel like a million bucks.  


On the final day of the first leg of our journey we traveled through much more Texas (who knew so much state could look exactly the same) and then Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and finally to Florida.  

When I started this adventure I promised myself that I would not be one of those bloggers that just quit posting or did not post on a regular schedule.  Like many things in this gardening project This is a learning experience.  I have not kept up so I am going to attempt to catch everyone up in a couple of posts and then return my previous promise.  (see second sentence)

My last post started with this view from my window of the garden and I thought it captured the growth really well.  Don't worry I am not going to spend the rest of the summer taking the same picture and posting it here over and over again.  I did however want to provide this update before my brother and I begin what he has named KLVN (pronounced Kelvin) otherwise known as Keely's Leave Vegas Now.  He will graduate from the class he has been taking there for the last 6 months next weekend.  That will be followed directly by our epic journey across the country back to our respective homes with several stops along the way to visit friends and family.  I will update as much as possible hopefully with lots of pictures for a little change of pace.  

For now here's the update on the garden.  I've learned there are somethings I am good at (or the soil in the garden) and some that I am not.  We'll start with the worst....

green pepper...should not be miniature 

another casualty of the bamboo that was growing below it

Here's the good stuff...

mint

garlic

cantaloupe

sweet potatoes

potatoes

Here's the best....

tomatoes

it's outgrowing it's trellis!

squash and zucchini 

my favorite view

Two more updates before I wrap this up.  First I have move into week three of the Couch to 5K and it is serious business and pretty painful.  If there is anyone who has completed it and has any inspiration please let me know.  Second the reason I did not post this weekend is because I joined some co-workers for Relay for Life.  Great time but I learned I am waaay to old to stay up all night.  It took me all weekend to recover.  Here is a picture of some of our team.

I'm the one in the shadow with the glowstick headband :)