Shelling Peas and a Cats Help~

~~Today I picked about a quart of Pea pods from the Kitchen garden. First big batch of veggies for this season.
Decided to shell them once I got back in. So found a bowl to put the shelled peas in and a towel to put the pods on and a small bucket to put the leavings in.
Figured the sofa would be a nice comfy place to do this, so set things up there.
I started to pop the pods, scoop the peas out of their shells and as they hit the bowl they make a neat little bell like tinkling sound.
Which, after cleaning out a couple of pods, the sound attracted Nari, our 9 month old Maine Coon old cat. Nari moseys over, hops up on the sofa and she sat down just on the other side of the bucket, staring at me, then stared at the bucket and then at the spent pods being thrown in the bucket.
After a few moments of her trying to decide what I could be doing with those weird green things, she decided to stick her head in the bucket. She sniffed and looked at me again,, could almost see her thoughts.
I tossed another spent pod into the bucket and she jumped a bit. So her response to that, was to stick her head in the bucket again..adding one paw to bat the things in the bucket for good measure. Again I tossed a spent pod in the bucket and again she jumped a bit.
Bet she was thinking what a great game this could be!
As I am shelling peas,, I see a gleem enter her eyes... and a second later,,she trys to steal a spent pea pod. Most likely to add to the collection of odds and ends she puts behind DH bedroom door.
I took it back from her before she could get very far and gave her a big fat shelled Pea. Figured that would keep her busy while I continued to shell peas.
She looked, she sniffed, batted it a bit with a paw..... then it was major play time with a pea on the sofa, right next to me. As I am still shelling, I watch her bat, jump and play with the pea.....until she looses it. Most likely in the cushions of the sofa, but darned if I can find it.
By now she has draped herself over my legs, along with the pea pods in my lap, am pretty much pinned down.
During much of the time I kept shelling peas. Then I see a not so small paw reach out and touch one of the pods waiting to be shelled. I give her that look and I get her answering look back as if to say.... I wasn't doing any thing!
Like I do not know what wee thoughts are dancing around in her head.
I pretend not to watch..... still shelling peas.. and she carefully grabs the stem end of the pod and moves it a bit....keeping an eye on me to see if I notice. I smile to myself. By now I am almost done shelling the peas....finally. Nice to know I have help when I need it.
And I bet if I look,, there will be a pea pod added to her collection behind the door.

Am sorry I do not have a photo today. But I can offer one of the kittens helping DS with his Drivers Ed work, awhile back.
Nari is the brown mackrel colored tabby on the farside.

Evening Visitors~

I have been sitting out in the evenings the last couple of nights because of the beautiful Sunsets. My camera doesn't have a powerful enough telephoto lense but I took a chance with the birds anyway. These are Cedar Waxwings, not something we see too often around here.
And the next evening, these visitors were "Wild canarys". Which is the local name for them. Bird scare tape doesn't seem to worry the birds at all. Sigh ~~
One of the beautiful Sunsets I have been sitting outside to watch.

The hay is in finally ~

Turning the hay.
And Baling.
Of course is was the hottest weekend on record and an impending thunder storm on the way, it was a race to get all the hay hauled in.

Lucky for us, a close neighbor needed some hay and willing to use his equipment to help bring it in faster. He also bought the extra 100 bales, which was a godsend.

DH & DS was very glad for the help and so in turn they helped the hay buyer to store what he bought. Made the job go a lot faster.

Within two hours of getting the hay in........it started to rain.

Time for Haying~

We had the hay guy come out and this is the first part of the process of getting good hay. There are daisy's in the field but they are totally non toxic to the horses. Is very important to me that my hay has no toxic plants in it, since this is what my horses and donkey eat.

The Kitchen Garden~

We have a kitchen garden this year. Is starting off pretty well. Already have some peas and lettuce. DS got me some Doug Fir bean poles... which sure add some character to the garden.
There are also beans, artichokes, squash, spinach, pumpkin, watermelon, carrots, tomatoes, onions, egg plant,broccoli, bell pepper, corn....sure I am forgetting something.
Though it is hard to see, we are doing raised beds.
Is nice to have a Kitchen Garden again.

The second part ~

Yes, these are sand pit shots,, couldn't help myself. ;O) Robert said, "dear" and I said, "Yes"....
You aren't taking photos of this are you? Why yes I am...with a big smile on my face!


Practice at the Driving Range before going out on the course.
Ready to pull the flag up for Chris.

All in all, it was a very nice Father's Day!

Father's Day 08 ~ An Golf Adventure!

I liked this shot a lot but sadly I did not have my camera adjusted for action shots. But not bad anyway.


Guy talk about Golf.
Practice at the driving Range before going on the Golf Course.
More in the next post.