Rain...it is wet! Amazing.

Thank you, who ever you are, for sending us rain! We really appreciate it more than you will ever know.

We had a half an inch of rain tonight with more on the way!

Maybe we will be able to breathe without smoke in the air. Maybe it will put the fires to rest.

Maybe.

But, thank you!

Ah, summer

It's here......for sure. Lovely cool nights and warm days but no rain yet. The monsoons should be on their way in the next few weeks. Let's hope so. We sure need a respite from the fires and dying plants.

I was worried that my lovely garlic plants had succumbed to the monster (probably another gopher) that is tunneling my garden. Some of them survived and have sent out scapes...yes, they really did! Here they are, and they are delicious.

 

 

I was so delighted with them that they had to be the star of tonight's dinner. And, well they were. I had made boiled shrimp for the main course as a salad with a little toasted sesame oil, lemon juice, tamari, hot chili seasoning, some celery, carrots, white beans and a handful of thinly sliced garlic scapes! Fabulouso!

The heat and marshaled water have saved my three (am not going overboard with water or plants this year) tomato plants and the red tomato automators are a a blessing. This is the first year here I've had tomatoes on the vine in June! See below!

 

Of course, this is Early Girl and she sure knows how to produce. But I love what those red dishes do, at least the water isn't wasted. And in a severe drought that is mandatory. The duff you see in the bottom of the dish is slow release fertilizer that wants to float around all the time. But it is cheering the plants on!

Forget the eggs......

Didn't I tell you that mama snake looked pretty relaxed the other day? Well, lookie here, her first hatched!

I just spent a half an hour playing hide and seek with this little beauty! What brains they have, when I hid behind a bush it peeked over to that side to see where I was and when I went closer it ducked down behind a rock. Now, the question is....how many siblings? I've put out water for them, the mice are pretty shrewd and we haven't seen our lizards in days. Hmmmmm, who ate them or did they just flee?

JB's question is, where's Mom? How about, where's Dad?  I'd come in to post these wonderous photos and JB came back to the house, passing the apple tree...guess who was sunny herself beneath it? Mom! All 6 feet of her!

Yesterday was bread making day, here are the results. Peasant Rye and Buttermilk. Fantastic texture to both.
Had gotten my order of 50 pounds of flour from King Arthur and was inspired to bake. It was also too windy to be outside.

It starts......

As of today, June 1st, we have two wildfires going in the surrounding area. One to the east and one to the west. The air is getting denser and the visibility is around 8 miles. Pretty early, but then we haven't had a decent rain in months. Please...send rain!