What's snew?

Not much and everything - what's snew with you?

Our lives have revolved around trying different medications, doctors and treatments to get my DH back to a fuller life. Hasn't happened yet but with the Lord's blessing - we are working on it! Life is a work in progress for anyone isn't it?

Current series was my fascination with our dill plant - grew beautifully and was so full and fragrant. We've used a little to season a sauce or two

- but mostly enjoying it's lacy beauty.

Yikes - an invasion - dill plant was suddenly covered (total of 13 caterpillars at one time) with small army devouring dill devotedly.

Hard to believe these small critters can eat so steadily - but in a short time we were seeing them peel off the stem coverings to eat those also.

Each day I was seeing fewer and fewer caterpillars -a friend identified them as fourth instar (stage) of swallowtail butterflies.

As far as I can tell - only one made it to the chrysalis stage just under rim of planter pot. Hopeful it will be able to fully develop without some nosy bird finding a meal from it. Always something to see on Buhlaland - that's good

Tin can gardening?

IT was a cruddy year for gardening in Parker County - the reality of farming or gardening in Texas includes the occasional poor return year. The other problem would have to be our vegetable garden spot. We located the large, heavily tilled and fertilized 25 ft. by 25 ft. garden patch behind the workshop, completely out of sight from the house. You've probably heard "out of sight out of mind".

Having my garden spot so completely out of my sight - definitely contributed to being out of my mind (both forgetting to tend the garden and feeling a couple of bricks short of a full load!) DH and I (mostly DH) removed the elaborate sprinkler system he'd installed in the garden and burned off the knee high weeds. He used the weed eater to neaten things up (and eliminated about half my herb garden but how can I complain about it when he did all the work??) THEN we planted a genetic dwarf Bonanza Peach tree and a nice sized Brown Turkey Fig. DH next installed a NEW sprinkler system making sure everything was spaced so a riding lawnmower could be maneuvered easily in previously weed infested garden area.

Now we move to our new idea - we are experimenting with using a galvanized container with drainage holes drilled in it. The big tin can is placed not ten feet from the breakfast room windows and back door. Theory is - if I see the "garden" constantly there is higher probability I'll take good care of it. Right now we have 3 tomato plants, bok choy, red leaf lettuce (which is NOT doing well at all) and two kinds of summer squash. It does seem very late in the growing season to be trying all this but we normally have mild winters and shouldn't have a killing frost for at least 45 days. So we'll see - I think it is fun and if it works - we'll add more containers for a decent veggie garden.

I'm blessed with a clever and resourceful Mr. Buhl here on Buhlaland and that is very good.

He makes it look so easy

I sometimes have trouble believing that DH can always do everything - he said he could just drive the tractor up on the trailer. Obviously once again - he can do it and I'm impressed - how cool is it on Buhlaland? Pretty cool! See it is the little things in my life that just tickle me!