Future Band

Emmy's cousin from Juneau is now old enough to really interact with her. Here they are rocking out with each holding half of a video game guitar.

Seeding today

Well, the septic took a bit longer than expected to get completed.  The contractor's backhoe broke down, and a few other mishaps took the project into the middle of this week.  But I am happy to say it is all closed back up now and we have the nicest, newest septic system on the block!  He he.

Since we have quite a large expanse of bare dirt now, today we are planning to rake and seed the back and side yards with grass.  I hope this will result in a nice grassy expanse where the girls can play.  I'll post a photo late in the summer to show how things turned out.

The back yard, our beautiful Three Sisters view, and the telephone pole.

In other news, my potatoes have sprouted, along with the sugar snap peas and nasturtiums. We got my birch tree planted in the front yard, decided to spare the sickly maple tree from the burn pile for one more season, and things are starting to look pretty nice out in the front garden.

Septic Installation

After nearly a year of trying, waiting, and stressing, we are finally getting our septic tank and leach field replaced.  We don't feel...excited exactly, but I anticipate feeling very relieved within the next few days to know everything is back in working order.  We will also have a nice flat backyard which will be nice for the girls to play on once the grass grows in.

Our contractor is doing a very meticulous job, measuring and leveling at every step.

Emmy, playing princess of Gravel Mountain.

Unrelated to the post, but just had to include this cute pic of Laura, who is smiling more and more every day.

Laura

Baby Laura laughing. She turns two months this weekend.

Garden 2011

Well, the garden won't be much this year.  Due to the length of time it is taking us to get the septic field replacement project completed, the backyard will be lucky to just get reseeded with grass before the end of the summer.  I did buy two trees, a small ash tree and a paper birch which I hope to establish in the back yard, but we'll see how long we have to wait before that happens.  I used to have three raised beds back there, so I am planning to ask Jeremy to build me some new ones next year for my potatoes and other food plants.

The front yard is now the primary garden, and is hardly worthy of a report, but since it is sort of a tradition to give garden updates, I will go ahead anyway.  The large rhododendron which suffered for years in my shady yard (before rallying last year after I finally began putting miracle grow on it) is still alive.  I will post photos of it soon, though it still looks like it would have liked to remain in its original location out on the Coast Guard base.  It was outside of a building out there for 15 years or more in a nice sunny location before it was removed (yanked out of the ground with a chain tied to a truck) and rescued by my step dad.  Keeping it alive has been quite a job, but it still blooms bravely each summer.  My small rhododendron was pretty badly smashed by the snow being pushed off the road by plows last winter, but still has some leaves on it.  I think I need to protect it with a fence or some large rocks before next winter.

My rhubarb, which was moved last year to the front yard is now getting more established and I may be able to harvest some this year.  I LOVE rhubarb pie!  I have about 4 plants, 2 of which are of good size.  My only other edibles this year are some chives which are doing great, some sugar snap peas in a planter, and two halibut tubs where I planted some potatoes.  I got the potatoes planted late, and in store bought potting soil, which I plan to add some kelp to.  I am wondering how they will do.

I am a big fan of perennials, and the flowering plants that survived include a couple types of primrose, a columbine, two colors of astilbe, and some lily of the valley.  I had two different types of mint last year but neither overwintered, which surprised me.  Rounding out the front garden, here is a hedge of rugosa rose, foxgloves, and some nasturtiums which have not yet sprouted, along with some filler annuals from the nursery, and a few more items waiting to be planted. Whew!

Now that I listed out everything, I guess my garden isn't too pathetic.  It is no "master" garden, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of it and It can only get better as time goes on!

Stop the Belo Monte Dam!

The Brazilian government has just approved a massive dam project that will displace 40,000 Indigenous and other residents of Brazil, and flood over 120,000 acres of rainforest and local communities.

Chief Raoni of the Xingu cries when he learns that Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff approved  the beginning of construction of the hydroelectric plant of Belo Monte.

Even if it is too late, the Brazilian government needs to know the rest of the world is watching. Sign a petition to be delivered to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff here.