summer update

i know, it's been far too long.  i kind of forgot how to do this, but leslie asked for an update so i will try.  i keep losing the pictures i just downloaded from the camera.  iphoto is a very mysterious program.  i looked and looked for the newest pictures but they were nowhere to be found.  i gave up and closed everything and there they were behind all the other windows.  so now i can start blogging.
     our spring was very cold and miserable.  people were planting their gardens and getting them frozen.  i couldn't face going out in such unpleasant weather so i put off planting until almost memorial day.  dennis had tilled for me, but still i had not put any seeds in the ground.  then whitney, maren, brooks and miranda came to visit.  dennis and brooks tilled again.  here are pictures of the rhubarb harvest and some little party moments from that visit:

maren loved rolling down the hill... over and over and over.

dennis came face to face with his own age and infirmity.  he said he jumped and when he landed he knew for sure his feet and legs were fifty four years old.

and then, for our added enjoyment, some man next door came out to do his sun salutes.  tennyson noticed immediately and went for the camera.  by then he was not standing anymore so she didn't get the full effect of troy herring making a spectacle of himself.

     and still my garden wasn't planted so the next weekend dennis went out with me and tilled one more time while i tried to move some peat moss to spread on the garden.  i did something horrible to my back and couldn't move so tennyson came down and planted all my garden for me.  thanks so much.  because we planted to late and had immediate nice weather, everything took off and grew rapidly.  i was amazed.

now comes the fourth of july.  we made ice cream with the huckleberries leslie and i picked last year with shelley, morgan and little girls.  everyone agreed it was wonderful.

josh whipped up shortbread to go with it which was perfect.

here is a picture of the shortbread, fresh from the oven.  and see the bowl in the corner with vestiges of watermelon?  stacy cut up a large watermelon and maren and essie sat there and ate their combined weight in fruit.  i don't know where they put it.  again, i was amazed.

for the family reunion i made the, now, ceremonial flag cake.  unlike last year there was no fire alarm during the placing of the berries.  but, on the other hand, i think the frosting was better this year.  i am perfecting my recipe.  essie lent a hand in the decorating, but alas, my hands were full and i didn't get a picture.