I plan to revisit the topic of The Robots are Coming from the March post. My first glimpse of a fully self-driving car happened on the Nashville trip. Are we ready for the future? The world of the cartoon Jetson’s is almost here.
An overpacked June 2026 caught me behind and now I am catching up. The first three weekends involved out-of-state travel. Both business and pleasure encompassed the first two trips and the last was pure pleasure as we met our newest grandchild.
Squeezing chores in during the weekdays became more challenging as the month churned on. Furthermore, infrastructure improvements to the gas lines in the neighborhood filled the air with construction noises. I endured lots of beeps of backward moving equipment along with grinding engines and power tools breaking apart concrete. Hard hats knocking on doors and controlling traffic. However, once complete, peace of mind will compensate for June 2026’s distractions.
I have two varieties of peaches in the side yard. The free-stone type takes longer to bud out. This is actually beneficial since once again the younger, cling-stone tree blossomed out before one of the final cold snaps. Last year the same thing happened and only about six peaches were harvested from it. This year, I predict even fewer. On the other hand, my Elberta is loaded with small fruit. Thus, it will need thinning in May.
The cold frame I purchased last summer from a neighbor who moved out of town is a great addition. All the garden plants spent several days and nights in the unit before transplanting.
This year the oak tree once again leafed out in late April. My May schedule is so crazy I planted most of the garden early. Only eggplants, melons and a few peppers remain in the cold frame. The inside seed starts are complete.
The wacky weather on the High Plains brought warmer than usual temperatures during March 2026. We have been cutting asparagus for a week now. They popped up before any spring rains. But the highlight of the garden was the survival of at least one of the artichokes. The very mild winter most likely contributed to that. So, I will be harvesting artichokes for the first time.
Multiple seeds are growing into seedlings either under the lights in the basement or in the cold frame outside. Patience now comes into play. The old oak tree shows little sign of leafing out yet. As long-time readers know, I rely on Mother Nature’s signs to start transplanting into the ground.
Another baby quilt was assembled and now needs layering and quilting. Creating beautiful quilts soothes the soul. This one is a mixture of baby prints and classic fabrics made in the Log Cabin pattern.
The temperatures really fluctuated during the day this month, from below freezing to almost seventy degrees Fahrenheit. But once the sun goes down the temperatures plummet below freezing. Small towns on the High Plains lack the concrete infrastructure to hold onto the heat. Perfect weather for working on quilts.
This month brought both piecing and hand quilting. Best of all, it gave me a chance to help my oldest grandchild sew her first doll quilt. She is tall enough to reach the foot peddle on the sewing machine. It did take some practice to regulate the speed.
The strip quilt was 9 x 11, perfect for a Barbie doll. She picked out a favorite scrap and then several additional scrap strips to blend with it. I helped her with the rotary cutting. She also made a pre-printed Barbie tablecloth to give to her younger sister who loves to have tea parties and picnics with her dolls.
November 2025 was a transition month. The start was warmer than expected for the season. Temperatures were summer-like. Plus, a few rainy days and lots of wind. No snow yet. The weather experienced was more like Octobers of the past. But the seasons are changing.
Proof of the odd weather was the covered artichokes popping through the mulch. New growth occurred due to rain and warm weather. These plants were not re-trimmed. Instead, additional mulch was added. The third plant did not grow through the protective layer. It was the one surrounded by the bricks first. So, there are interesting notes for the experiment.
Finally, the end of the month harkens back to traditional weather. Cold, very cold, with chances of snow. Perfect for getting into the holiday mood albeit tricky for holiday travel.
Most of the baking this month was for social events. Get-togethers with family and friends and baked goods for fundraisers. Pies, cakes, cookies and muffins filled the kitchen with wonderful aromas. However, traditional Thanksgiving baking did not occur as a destination Thanksgiving was enjoyed.
The beginning of September 2025 was a return from a quick trip to Nashville. So short was our stay that we used the hotel at the airport for two nights. The Hilton Hotel attached to the airport is a beautiful property. Both a pool and restaurant on the rooftop.
While August travel took me to adventurous locations, travel this past month focused on conferences. Both took place in Colorado. The first was in Vail and the second in Golden. The leaves were just beginning to turn. And to be honest, the majority of time was spent indoors.
As long time readers noted, September 2025 varied from most months. Very few posts and not much reading occurred. Furthermore, the baby quilt is still not finished and only one of the Christmas stockings is started.
In addition to the travel, I canned produce from the garden. Lots and lots of salsa with a few batches of spaghetti sauces and pickles sprinkled into the mix. Plenty to share.
Finally, last week we said Bon voyage to neighbors of thirty years. They are relocating to the coast of France. I am looking forward to a visit in the future. It feels odd to now be the longest residents on the street.
Members of the family gathered in the foothills of the Rockies to celebrate Independence Day. A parade, a picnic and swimming ushered in the morning before the afternoon showers caused a retreat indoors just in time for naps-for the very young and the not-so-young.
The highlight of the garden mid-summer is the peach harvest. This year the crop was moderate in number but large in size. Fresh peaches with meals are the best. But low sugar peach jam and peach pies are also delicious. We were able to share with friends and neighbors.
The lettuce finally went to seed. The loose-leaf varieties were plentiful. However, the star of the lettuce harvest was the head of Great Lakes. The iceberg variety can be challenging to grow in the heat. 
Beets and turnips are still maturing, but the first of the crop were harvested at the end of the month. Both were good sized. Unfortunately, the seed potatoes from the first planting failed and so far, the second planting has yielded small spuds.
A mid-July trip to the Jersey Shore was a treat. Travelling with youngsters takes planning and patience but it is so worth it. The journey across time zones affects youngsters and adults in different ways. Babies are hungry when they are hungry. And to a certain extent so are school-aged kids.
Fortunately, we found a great seafood place a block offshore. So good, we took our larger group back there once the rest arrived. In the interim we hit the beach with gusto and wisdom. If you are ever near Monmouth, you can’t go wrong eating at Charley’s Ocean Grill.
The cherry crop was a few days behind schedule but yielded a batch of jam and a batch of jelly in addition to enough for several pies. The Big Garden continues to produce and we enjoy the bounty daily. Fresh green salads accompany dinner most nights. The second planting of potatoes are thriving and the first planting is getting very close to harvest. Green tomatoes pepper the side garden plants while the back garden boxes and The Big Garden tomatoes are full of blooms. Planting of seeds and onion sets continues, ensuring a staggered harvest.
I try to keep up and acknowledge the emails that come into the blog. Unfortunately, the majority want me to let them publish what they write thereby skipping the cost of a website. Others want me to write on their topic of choice. The vast majority are literary agents doing the job of promoting a client’s book.
My favorite correspondence is from writers themselves. Some write in the comments, others reference my blog on their websites and still others send private notes. This month I learned Ken Steele was recognized by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries in May 2025 with an award for The Promise of Unbroken Straw. Kudos to Ken, I am still gifting his book to various individuals in my circle. I highly recommend it.
March is a good time to start seeds. So, the cool-weather crops were started in early March 2025 while the tomatoes were planted toward the end of the month. Lettuce, kale, spinach and Swiss chard make up most of the plants. Six different tomato varieties were planted. The Genuine Heirloom Marriage Hybrid tomatoes took longer to emerge, and the germination rate was about half. But the seeds were from 2023. Viability decreases over time.
Additionally, repairs were made to the raised rows in the Big Garden. Early March brought tropical storm and even Cat. One winds to the Great Plains. Dust storms still exist in this part of the country in the early spring. Fortunately, by the end of the month the wheat stands turned green and helped mitigate the dirt-filled air. Hopefully, April will bring rain.
Early in the month before the bitter cold arrived
a few seeds were planted in the warmest, sunniest spot in the garden. In the past I have had luck planting before a light snow. So, the predicted cold front was not a concern.
However, a week after the gentle blanket protected the seeds, a second front stormed in. Thirty-mile an hour winds brought in a heavier snow and below freezing temperatures for a solid week. Furthermore, on two nights the temperature dropped below zero (Fahrenheit.) The worst of the weather was a solid week without sunshine. February 2025 proved to be colder than past February’s.
I doubt much will sprout from those early seeds. And since the end of the month is here and no crocuses have sprung through the ground, I will wait before planting any more seeds outside.
Currently I am piecing a king size quilt with almost 3300 pieces. The pattern is from More Twist-and-Turn Bargello Quilts reviewed here. The baby quilt made in this style was quite easy. However, the size and pattern of the current one is challenging. Once the quilt top is pieced, I will share a photo. My goal is to finish the piecing by the end of February.
Two more quilts are planned for this spring. Both are baby quilts for cousins to be. Pattern books have been part of the reading with nothing picked out yet, except for one of the fabrics. Since the two cousins are expected just weeks apart and their respective parents live about five miles apart, I have picked one key fabric to use in both quilts. But the coordinating fabrics for each will reflect the different genders. I am a bit of a traditionalist in that sense.
Grandkids and great-nephews enjoyed decorating gingerbread houses. Since the five kids ranged in age from 9 months to 5 years in age, it helped to pre-build the houses. I last experienced the process decades ago. And the get-together was on the 23rd. So, I hope to have a timely post with tips and tricks early next December. Much has changed since my kids were the little ones.
My one trip this month was to a favorite location, Lexington, Kentucky. The weather was quite warm in early November (in contrast to the snow the television showed there on this last day of the month.) Short sleeves felt a bit strange with the beautiful foliage. Babies have been weaned from their mothers, and the paddocks no longer have little ones frolicking around the mares. Now, horses are grouped by age or perhaps by breeding status. Warm sun rays filtered through the colorful leaves.
Late harvest included tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes and onions. Herbs such as horehound and rosemary survived the light frost and will be harvested soon. I let the basil go to seed and need to collect it soon.
Some months race through and others, like August 2024 linger, allowing one to savor the end of summer. So many hot days punctured by thunderstorms giving respite from the sizzle. County fairs, all day canning sessions, and refinishing furniture wound through the month. And the highlights, relatively cool days in Castle Rock, Colorado watching the BMW Championship professional golf tournament and attendance at a beautiful wedding just down the interstate at the beautiful Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs.
Some great reading, visiting with friends and family and finishing a baby quilt all added to a sense of non-stress summer accomplishments. One could wish all months were like August 2024. Certainly, it was a month of productivity. But there was more. Perhaps, it was a concerted effort to unplug from national politics. Two full months remain before the election. Plenty of time to study candidates and ballot issues.
Or maybe because August 2024 allowed me to see three of my four offspring. Family is important. No matter the reason, the past month was quite enjoyable.
Summers during my childhood were filled with ocean swims, biking up and down the Daytona Beach peninsula and hours of reading every day. Now, I have many other activities to fit in as well and of course no beach a block away. The time spent in Castle Rock and Colorado Springs offers a replacement for the Atlantic. I could see myself living full time in the Rockies—someday. Hiking and biking and the smell of pines after a rain connect me to the earth as much as salty breezes and cries of seagulls.
Book reviews flow best just after finishing the last chapter. However, sometimes the final page comes just after midnight. This is why my review of The Women has not posted. I am struggling to express the depth of Kristen Hannah’s writing on a topic so close to my heart. The 1970s was not a good time to be an Army Brat.
August 2024 outshines last year in the garden. While the tomatoes are not a banner crop, they are a good amount. Cantaloupe are sweet and prolific as are jalapeños. The last week of the month the serrano pepper bush finally flowered, so barring an early freeze, September will offer even more peppers. Green beans are flowering as well. Plus, the two slips of sweet potatoes are thriving.
Cucumbers are eaten fresh and pickled. And onions are still abundant. I have let some of the salad greens go to seed and will begin collecting that seed soon for next year’s use. I encourage everyone to grow at least a small garden. Even apartments can have a few pots of herbs, lettuces or perhaps green onions.
While June 2024 yielded many positives such as a bumper crop of cherries, the overwhelming takeaway was one of early summer heat. Multiple days of triple digit temperatures. Quite unpleasant when coupled with winds from the southwest, near or above 20 m.p.h. and the heart (and heat) of the summer is still to come. I sure hope we don’t break the all-time high this year.
Naturally, the heat means the salad greens in the garden are bolting. A few heads of lettuce will be left alone in order to produce seed. Then, the saved seed will be collected and saved for next year’s planting. I have great success with saved seeds of salad greens.
The tomatoes are producing many fruits, and the cucumbers are loaded with flowers. Melons are beginning to form. However, the garden is not receiving much rain, so the drip lines are hard at work. And the star of the June 2024 Garden, is the old cherry tree. A bumper crop from the nearly thirty-year old tree was unexpected. The late winter snows provided the perfect amount of moisture.
Weekend trips to Wyoming and the mountains of Colorado provided relief from the heat. Wyoming is a sparsely populated state and has much to offer. It will be interesting to see if the fairly recent discovery of the rare earth minerals needed to make computer chips changes the demographics.
I am torn about the discovery. It is good to not depend on outside sources for these important manufacturing materials. But the mining process is usually in the form of strip mining. Reclamation of the land after mining is difficult. Our reliance on computers is definitely a two-edged sword.
Sophie the cat is restricted on how much time she spends outdoors. This is prime nesting for the birds both permanent and passing through. Birders find so many varieties to spot in this migration corridor. The hummingbirds return for a few weeks along with the robins and finches. Meanwhile, the grackles and turkeys tolerate the invaders.
Various types of bees are pollinating perennials, annuals and weeds-oops I mean wildflowers. A few giant bumblebees but mostly small honeybees’ flit around the garden. They are joined by a variety of butterflies, yellow, orange and white. The milkweed will bloom soon, so I hope to see monarchs in the mix. Fortunately, the miller moths have not been bad this year.
