…or is it Apples and Pears?
So far it looks like we have a bumper crop again this year.
We’ll see how many grow to maturity.
Photos taken on June 16, 2017.
This rabbit thought if it kept still I wouldn’t notice it.
We are heading out on Saturday morning with a summer walking group. Hopefully I’ll get some good photos to share next week. Then in the afternoon we have a Father’s day barbecue with our Western Washington kids. Hope you have a good weekend.
A view from my kitchen window on Saturday April 29th.
The apple tree is in full blossom and several other plants are greening up nicely and pushing forth their buds.
It’s a very green time of the year here. This is a view from the back of our home looking towards our old pear tree in the distance beyond the chain link fence.
The steps into our home from the deck.
Some of the apple blossoms close-up.
The Pink Dogwood is just now getting ready for it’s full glory with it’s pink blooms unfurling.
We’ve had a quiet weekend except for me going to a Sounders game with our daughter and son-in-law on Saturday evening. We went down early in the game and in the 2nd half at the 74th minute we were down by 3 goals to none. In the last fifteen minutes of the game we scored 3 goals to tie the game. The last few minutes were amazing. Too bad about the folks that left early thinking we would lose. Weather wise we had some dry stretches in the morning and into the afternoon the rain began as we headed to the game and after the game it was pouring as we drove home. Sunday has been a mix. The weather people are talking about the possibility of us getting up to 70 degrees this next week. We hope so!!
Linking up for Mosaic Monday with Maggie at Normandy Life.
I got to break in my handy dandy fruit picker that my kids got me for Christmas on our apple tree today. The apples have been falling from the tree so it was time to do some serious picking. The wild rabbits and crows won’t be happy with me.
We are not sure what kind of an apple tree this is or what variety apples these are but…I saw some Transparent apples that look real similar but these have red on them so they are a different variety.
We got quite a haul and now I’m wondering what to do with them. What do you suggest? If you live close by come on over and grab a few a bunch.
We’ve had a nice quiet Sunday. After church this morning we stopped at Trader Joe’s to pick up a few things and besides some veggies, spice rub, Green Dragon Sauce, cereal, we bought three little potted herbs. I re-purposed this bulky candle holder into a herb planter. Now my mint, oregano and basil are sitting in style. So I suppose our Sunday has been largely green and I’m wearing a green shirt, too. How’s your Sunday?
Joining Kati for July photo-a-day challenge.
Days 19-25
19. Black and White
20. Colorful
21. Red
22. Tree
23. An ordinary moment
24. Close-up
25. Far away
The Cape Flattery light house in the distance on Tatoosh Island at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Vancouver Island in Canada and the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.
Yeehaw! We got a good amount of rain last night instead of just a drizzle. It’s nice to see the streets wet for a change and the droplets of water on the plants! Have a great weekend everyone!
It’s time for another round of ABC Wednesday! Thank you to Mrs. Nesbitt for starting it up and for a wonderful team of people keeping it going!
A is for my apple tree and the apples that I have no inspiration to do anything with at present.
So time will tell if an apple crisp or an apple tart or an apple pie or applesauce is in our future! What would you make with my apples?
… we had fun watching the birds and squirrels in our yard and we managed to prune our apple tree. The Pine Siskins were quite active and numerous at the feeder.
Incoming!
Outgoing!
Showing all their color!
This industrious squirrel thought maybe it could get to the feeder from the un-pruned branches of the apple tree. Silly squirrel…
Three squirrels, the most we’ve seen altogether in our yard decided it was easier to pick up the droppings below the feeder.
We braved the dripping skies and started to prune the apple tree on Saturday.
On Sunday we managed to get the majority of the unwanted branches removed and cut down to size for the yard waste bin with just a few stragglers that we may or may not trim. We wouldn’t have been able to get so much done without the help of Andrew and Katie who came over after church on Sunday.
So we are feeling quite accomplished here at this old house. How was your weekend?
Sing to the Lord of harvest,
Sing songs of love and praise;
With joyful hearts and voices
Your alleluias raise.
By Him the rolling seasons
In fruitful order move;
Sing to the Lord of harvest,
A joyous song of love.
By Him the clouds drop fatness,
The deserts bloom and spring,
The hills leap up in gladness,
The valleys laugh and sing.
He filleth with His fullness
All things with large increase,
He crowns the year with goodness,
With plenty and with peace.
Bring to His sacred altar
The gifts His goodness gave,
The golden sheaves of harvest,
The souls He died to save.
Your hearts lay down before Him
When at His feet you fall,
And with your lives adore Him,
Who gave His life for all.
To God the gracious Father,
Who made us very good,
To Christ, who, when we wandered,
Restored us with His blood,
And to the Holy Spirit,
Who doth upon us pour
His blessèd dews and sunshine,
Be praise forevermore!
Words: John S.B. Monsell, 1866.
The Autumn (1833), by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Go, sit upon the lofty hill,
And turn your eyes around,
Where waving woods and waters wild
Do hymn an autumn sound.
The summer sun is faint on them —
The summer flowers depart —
Sit still — as all transform’d to stone,
Except your musing heart.
How there you sat in summer-time,
May yet be in your mind;
And how you heard the green woods sing
Beneath the freshening wind.
Though the same wind now blows around,
You would its blast recall;
For every breath that stirs the trees,
Doth cause a leaf to fall.
Oh! like that wind, is all the mirth
That flesh and dust impart:
We cannot bear its visitings,
When change is on the heart.
Gay words and jests may make us smile,
When Sorrow is asleep;
But other things must make us smile,
When Sorrow bids us weep!
The dearest hands that clasp our hands, —
Their presence may be o’er;
The dearest voice that meets our ear,
That tone may come no more!
Youth fades; and then, the joys of youth,
Which once refresh’d our mind,
Shall come — as, on those sighing woods,
The chilling autumn wind.
Hear not the wind — view not the woods;
Look out o’er vale and hill —
In spring, the sky encircled them —
The sky is round them still.
Come autumn’s scathe — come winter’s cold —
Come change — and human fate!
Whatever prospect Heaven doth bound,
Can ne’er be desolate.
This is one of my very favorite times of the year. I hope you are enjoying your days…
Before I take you on a walk about the yard I wanted to wish everyone in the good ole U.S.A. a very Happy Independence Day.
We landed in the country we gained independence from on the 4th of July!
Because of my early Thursday morning walk about I found myself another job to do and another request to make of our house guests before we left the country.
Many of the blueberries are ready for picking. This will be a nice fresh treat for the guests!
I love the hydrangeas at this stage of coloring.
We also have white ones and a small potted pink one this year.
The lavender has made it’s debut, too.
I’ll leave a note for our guests to feel free to snip the fresh thyme for their meals.
The apples won’t be ready until we return home.
So how’s your garden/yard growing?
“Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree”
Don’t sit under the apple tree
With anyone else but me
Anyone else but me
Anyone else but me
No no no
Don’t sit under the apple tree
With anyone else but me
’til I come marching home
Don’t go walking down lovers lane
With anyone else but me
Anyone else but me
Anyone else but me
No no no
Its lyrics are the words of two young lovers who pledge their fidelity while one of them is away serving in the war. Made popular by Glen Miller and the Andrew’s Sisters during World War II. Just yesterday as I walked under our apple tree and commented on the beauty of the blossoms, Dear called out “Don’t sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me”.
Seems somewhat appropriate that I post this song and my apple blossom photos as our daughter Katie and I think about packing the car to head to Camp Lejeune for her to be reunited with her beloved who has been serving with the Marines in Afghanistan since September.
No, don’t go walking down lovers’ lane
No, walking down lovers’ lane till you see
When you see me marching home
Then we’ll go arm in arm and
Sit down under the apple tree
Baby, just you and me
When I come marching home
Happy Friday to you all. Today Katie and I have hair appointments and Dear and I have eye appointments. Am I packed? No. I do have some piles going. Katie has made some good progress. We both have 1 P.M. events tomorrow and then tomorrow evening we’ll pack up the car.
What’s going on in your part of the world?
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 