Strawberries and Good Fences

 Strawberries from our backyard

 Mr. C. came in carrying a little bowl of berries for me during an especially frustrating time last evening when I was having trouble with my laptop that seems to have all sorts of issues right now, (I mean Really! It's one thing after another) and something as easy as printing out a shipping label became a multi-problem, big deal task. 

I've not been blogging as much, as you may have noticed. If I could post from my Kindle, I'd do it, but haven't figured out how.  Anyway, I've missed you all and I'm going to try to get to posts today. We'll see how it goes.

I wanted to try to get a couple fence pics in here and join in Theresa's Good Fences. There's something about barns and fences that always appeals to me, and evidently to others as well.

 Granary-turned-garage and red board fence.

Fence and out buildings in the Westby area

(I don't remember if I posted this earlier or not. Unfortunately, I'm not out and about getting new photos, so I'm dredging
 the archives.)

The Strawberry Man just popped in with a refill, but I passed on it and will eat the berries for breakfast tomorrow instead. There's nothing like fresh strawberries that have been allowed to sit on the vine in the sunshine long enough to get sweet. Amazing taste!

Speaking of amazing taste, a friend stopped in today, bringing with her a treat of watermelon. I don't even remember the last time I ate watermelon, but boy was it delicious! Summertime: strawberries and watermelon. Can't beat 'em.

I'm thanking God today for good friends, a kind and thoughtful husband, animals we love, and delicious summer fruit.

Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone.

Linking to Theresa's Good Fences.

My little pal Tuppence, always nearby.

She's such a sweet kitty!

Instagram: @cranberrymorning

Check out my natural, handcrafted vegan soap!
Buy any 5 or more, Get 1 FREE

Strawberry Mango

Natural Vegan Soap

Moisturizing, fragrant


...and more! Check out all my handcrafted soaps at
 
HomemadeSoapNSuch


and at


Our ETSY Shop

Strawberries and a Dog and a Cat

Strawberries finally arriving

Second week of July

I really need to read the UW Extension brochure on raising strawberries. This is the second year for these plants, and they're in two nice, pretty-much weed-free rows because I have strips of carpet on either side of the rows. We had a satisfying crop of berries until it got really hot, several days (it seemed) in the mid nineties. Then the berries seemed to stop. There are a few, but they're marble sized. Once they're completely done bearing, I need to figure out what to do for next year, whether it's transplanting the smaller berries and tilling down the row of older berries or what. I love having strawberries and I hate weeds. Hate may not be a strong enough word.

 

Just a handful, 

but a couple days later, about 5 quarts

They're not huge and beautiful like the ones in the store, but the taste is amazing!

 Some small, some big, but all sweet and delicious!

I checked with those who frequent Hometalk and one of the responses to my question about getting bigger berries informed me that my strawberries might be too close together (which they are!), and that they need to be fertilized twice a season (which they've not been). So, I think I have some good information to take into next year's crop.

Blind and deaf little Misty

The update on Misty is that since the photo above was taken, she is completely blind and almost totally deaf, never leaves the kitchen except when I take her out on lead to the great, scary outdoors. Right now she is lying on the cool kitchen vinyl floor. I try to spend several petting segments with her each day, for that seems to be the only time she interacts. She still usually raises her head and sniffs the air when someone comes into the house, so we know her olfactory receptors are working. 

Until a couple years ago, Misty spent summer afternoons running and leaping through the alfalfa field, chasing butterflies. She loved it! Now her world has become much smaller and she confines herself to the kitchen, except when I take her outdoors. Even then, she wants to get her business done and get back to the safety of the house. Misty is a sweet little girl, but something tells me that this (probably) 13-15 year old dog isn't going to make it another winter. Maybe she'll surprise us. I hope so.

Tuppence, in her favorite spot:

Lying next to me on the chair, watching TV
'Endeavor' - PBS Masterpiece
Check it out!

***

Buy Any Five, Get One FREE

'Fig & Brown Sugar'

Natural, Handcrafted Vegan Soap

...and more! Check out all my handcrafted soaps at

HomemadeSoapNSuch

and at

Our ETSY Store
 

This post may be linked to one or more of the following: Mop it Up Monday  and Get in My Tummy and  Cure for the Common Monday and  Clever Chicks Blog Hop and  Barn Charm and  The Marketplace  and  Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and    Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous and Get Your Craft On and Efforts and Assets and   You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and Creative Showcase and Memories by the Mile and Crafty Texas Girls and  Tweak it Tuesday and  Coastal Charm Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday  and Love Bakes Good Cakes and Mom on TimeOut  and Adorned from Above and Wildcrafting Wednesday and   Cast Party Wednesday and  We Did it Wednesday  and All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Artsy Corner Thursday  and The Girl Creative, Thursday and  Creative Things Thursday and Be Inspired and Time Travel Thursday and Thrifty Things Friday  and  Friday Fences and  Thursday's Inspiration and  The Self-sufficient Home Acre and  I'm Lovin' it Thursday and Creative Things Thursday and   Mandatory Mooch   and Foodie Friends Friday and Freedom Fridays and From the Farm and   Anything Blue Friday and Junkin' Joe and  Serenity Saturday and Get Schooled Saturday  and Inspiration Friday(ThursNite) and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and Share Your Creativity and   A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and Sunlit Sunday and  Market Yourself Monday and  Saturday Nite Special

My Huge Strawberry Patch

Above is a photo of my portion of our strawberry crop. Five strawberries. Okay, one is just the stem because I ate it before I thought of taking a photo.  I have three strawberry plants, each of which looks like this:

I could have had about 12 strawberries, except that the birds got the others. When I saw the beautiful robin flit from the strawberry plant to the fence, and wait for me to get away from her dessert, I took only five berries and left the others for her. After all, I have plenty of food in my refrigerator for lunch and dinner. I thought Mama Robin needed a break.

If these plants continue to look this good, I may plant a few more next year. We'll see how it goes.

Do you have a strawberry patch? And is there a particular variety of strawberry you'd recommend? (We live in zone 3.) Got any pointers about how to keep disease and pests (not birds) away from the plants? The time may come, when I have enough strawberries to make something, that I'll want to keep the birds from my strawberry crop, but not now. :-)