Gardening and Grandkids

My daughter Kelly reminded me that I have been getting the grandkids involved in my garden for many years.  Here are some photos I found in the archives:

Here Tara and Sami posed behind the tiller. They were five and six

years old at the time. They are now 24 and 25.  I haven't grown a

garden that big in years. I'm getting too old to work that hard.

 

A few years later they became tomato entrepreneurs.

 

 

 

Marley, Hunter, and Jenna have always loved the garden.

 

When I had surgery my son-in-law Burk tilled the garden.

 

Marley and Hunter picking squash.

 

Jenna was barely a year old when she experienced her first

potato planting.

 

 

 

New Potatoes

Gracen came to see us this morning so I thought it would be a good time to dig for some potatoes.
She's a true Okie. She hates shoes, loves to be outside digging in the dirt, and loves to eat southern food.

Gracen proudly holds up a potato she just dug from

the earth.  When I first uncovered them I said, "Oh my gosh,

look at those potatoes!"  Then, every time she dug one up

she would say "Oh my dosh!

 

 

 

 

 

We gave the potatoes to Grandma and she cooked them for

lunch along with some chicken and dumplings and corn cakes.

 

 

 

 

More Lilies

We have several varieties of lilies that grow in our yard. They are the main attraction for June.

 

 

 

 

 

Labor Negotiations

Hunter wanted to earn some money this summer and he thought he would like to mow the lawn. So after some intense negotiation we arrived at a reasonable payment for services rendered:  I paid him $20 and a stack of pancakes.

This was his first time on a riding mower so I stood at the ready

just in case.

Riding Fences With the Grandkids

We noticed two of our neighbor's horses in our pasture, so it was necessary to check the fences between our properties for a break big enough for a horse to get through.  I thought it would be a nice project for the grand kids since Marley (13), Jenna (7) and Gracen (2) were spending the day with us.

Two beautiful horses in the corner of the pasture.

 

Dorothy catches a photo of us as we ride by "checkin the fence".

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't find any holes in the fence so I'll call the neighbors and let them check their fences. Horses and cows have been known to find circuitous pathways that lead to our pasture.

 

 

 

How can you Tell that Summer is Near?

The hay is in the field.

 

The Lilies are blooming.

 

Tomatoes are on the vine.

 

Winding Down

On the 29th we took Gin and Dave to the airport and they flew

back to Arizona. We hated to see them go because we had such a

good time with them.

 

 

As the days warm up our neighbor's horses seek the shade of

their front porch

 

This is a good year for our Stella D'oro  Lilies

 

 

The garden is coming along. I'm looking forward to some good

meals from this little patch of ground.

 

The sky in this corner of Oklahoma is a color you don't see elsewhere.

 

 

 

Not Eager to Resume the Routine

My mind rebels against the mundane. You would think that a person my age would settle into the comfortable routine of retirement, but since our return from our trip I'm finding it hard to get back into the swing of things. You know, mowing the lawn, paying the bills.....things like that. I suppose the only way I'll ever achieve a totally spontaneous life is if I win the lottery.

Here's one routine I was looking forward to resuming.

 

Gracen loves Tank

 

During our first week back we had a pizza night.

 

 

And celebrated Kelly's birthday

 

 

We decorated the graves of family members.

 

 

We ate lunch at the Restaurant of the Cherokees.

The Principal Chief of the Cherokees, Bill Baker

and his Deputy Chief, Joe Crittenden were eating

there and the graciously agreed to pose with Dorothy's

sister, Becky.

 

That weekend we attended a reunion of the Whitely, Coleman,

Dunaway families on the Illinois River.

 

Family members took a ride on the rafts.

 

Candace

 

Katy and Jason

 

 

Kelly and his grand son Mark Kelly

 

Dorothy and her sisters Gin and Becky

 

Dorothy, Becky, Gin, Bill, and their niece Paula

 

Kelly visits with the Whitely, Coleman clan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Day of School

Marley, Hunter, and Jenna ready for their last day of school.

My, how they are growing.