Gardening and Wildlife

Garden - 6 pepper plants.....................Wildlife - 1 pepper plant.

I started out with 7 pepper plants. I planted my raised bed garden and I didn't have any problem with wildlife (deer) until the other morning. I knew there was a herd of 10 - 12 deer in our area. I hadn't seen them this year...........still haven't seen them...........only the evidence of a sad looking pepper plant left behind.

I'm not mad at the deer............I should have already put a fence around my small garden to protect it.

Rich and I had bought a screen room to put up in the yard. We wanted to be able to sit outside without the flying bugs bothering us this summer. Rich thought that it would be a lot easier to buy another screen room and put it up around the garden than put up a fence. So I went back to Wal-mart and purchased another screen room for the garden. So far it seems to be okay. I go out and unzip the flaps so the bugs and bees can pollinate the plants during the day. Then I go out and zip the flaps in the late evening so the wildlife can't forage for dinner. It seems that the garden is getting plenty of sunlight.

I've been harvesting radishes and onions so far. I see little squash, tomatoes, cucumber, okra, melons and peppers on the plants. The green beans are starting to produce blooms. The beets and carrots are growing.

We can hardly wait for more fresh veggies.

Last week I bought 2 crates (24 pints) of strawberries from the local produce stand. It's about 1/2 mile from our home. I was able to freeze 8 pints berries, made 6 pints of sugar-free jam, dried 4 pints of berries in halves and we had fresh strawberries three times.

The berries were so sweet that you didn't have to add any sugar to them. This is the first year I have made jam without sugar. I got tired of paying almost $4 for 10 - 12 ounces of sugar-free jam or jelly. I don't know why they have to charge so much for foods that people with medical conditions need for their special diets. I guess we are paying for all the artificial flavors and chemicals they use to make sugar-free foods.

Well, I better get off my soapbox and get busy..............or maybe I'll scrap for a while.

I SURVIVED SCRAP FROM YOUR STASH

I made it clear through the 2 weeks without shopping and I scrapped 196 layouts. Whew!!!!!!! I couldn't believe that I could scrap that many layouts.

Congratulations are in order for Joyce and Susan. Joyce scrapped 338 layouts and Susan scrapped 319 layouts. Way to go, Ladies!!!!!!

I was able to get the photos of our trip we took for our 25th Anniversary in 1998. I finished 45 layouts of our trip to Wildlife Safari. Now I just need to get all the photos of our Anniversary party and get them scrapped. I usually just keep my layouts in decade albums........I think I will make a special album for our 25th Anniversary.

It may sound strange but we celebrated our 32nd Anniversary last year at Wildlife Safari. Yes, it is a favorite place for us to visit. It's less than 20 miles from our home. We buy a annual pass that lets us go through the park as many times as we want throughout the year without paying any admission fees.

I was also able to get the 2003 Bear Fest in Grants Pass, Oregon photos scrapped. With these photos I was able to use a lot of items that I had received in a Teddy Bear Swap.

It is a good feeling to be able to use some of the items that you have received in swaps with other scrapbookers. I also used a lot of my supplies with this SFYS. Don't worry I won't run out any time in the future.

All I could think of Sunday that cash registers from around America were going.........Ching, Ching with all the SFYS Ladies out buying after the 2 weeks of NO SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I did a little shopping. Not too much.........only around $25. Mostly what I bought was 12 x 12" page protectors and Xyron refills..............and cardstock. I was running out of blues..........so I really needed it.