July 14th 2013

Hi folks, well here is the July update

The front entrance is getting overgrown with Honeysuckle

Moving counter clockwise around the house we see the two long raised beds with the coming potatoes (sometime late Sept early Oct)

Over in the greenhouse Ane shows her morning harvest of cherry tomatoes.

On the other side of the house the Orchard grass continues to fill in and fruits are setting on the trees.

Here we see the figs sizing up. (have to keep the dogs away from this one as they think green figs make great toys.)

A naranja (like a tangerine) is ready to pick.

The peaches are setting on. I  may need to thin them a little to get some bigger fruit.

The apples are in full bloom.

Here we see the black cistern in its new location. It used to sit to left of the underground cistern.

The boys relax with their leather chews

The boys also think that the new tiles make for another area to lounge around 

Will try to get updates up again in first of August, 

June 16th 2013 short update

Well several things are happening here, we start with the good stuff.

In the orchard garden we have new veggies coming on strong.

In the fourth box above the onions and carrots are really happy and we have already gotten many tender carrots already.  In the farthest box we have broccoli heading up which is much better than our last attempt.

And to the left of the top photo on the ground we have Zucchini and Yellow crook neck squash coming in. 

Around to the back yard we see the new metal fence bordering our patio flowers and the work in progress of putting ceramic tiles on the patio.

and we can't go out into the back yard without Tor checking up on us.

But Odin is a little more laid back. Here he worries over a bone out by the dog pen.

And now to the bad news, last night someone broke a hole in the wall and then broke into Paul and Angelea's house and stole their two water heaters and two gas tanks. 

Here is a shot of the wall.

So it seems that the wall is not that secure. More to come.

April 7, 2013 the flowers are blooming

First we have our first explorer-our long tailed friend who is now one of four different hummingbirds (more photos as we can catch them.)

Here is what he is feeding on the Honeysuckle on the front porch.

The gardener has finally gotten most of the wires up on the house walls and the fence walls for the bougainvilleas to climb on as you can see outside the guest bedroom.

The white fence walls are lined with alternating Hibiscus and Bougainvillea. Here is one of the beautiful yellow blooms that is growing in the orchard.

If you turn around and look along the wall outside the master bathroom you find these purple flowered shrubs that are really starting to get healthy.

And their blooms are quite vibrant.

The orchard garden has been fully harvested and we have cleared out most of the first plantings and replanted the peas, beans, carrots and onions. The remaining spinach, chard and onions continue to yield for the kitchen.

As mentioned earlier we have the perimeter wall planted with alternating Honey suckle and  Bougainvillea. Here we have a vision of things to come.

Looking along  one of the back walls we can see the wires and their effects. Some of these Honeysuckles are blooming enough to attract the Hummers too.

 The blooms on the young bottle brush trees are a great hummer magnet.

We have three of these trees in the back corner of the lot.

Outside the dining room window the kitchen herb garden is taking off with Basil, Sage, Parsley and a towering plant of Cilantro

We dug the rest of the potato bed on Saturday and it now rests waiting for ferterlizer and more potatos.The bed on the right still has one little Zuccini plant and our struggling cauliflowers.

Here you can see the cauliflowers trying to create a couple of heads.

Moving over to the greenhouse we have two huge cherry tomato plants dominating the right rear bed. With some new young tomato plants and Basil in the foreground.

The lettuce on the left side has been producing for over a month now and is about ready to go to seed but it still is delicious and tender.

In the left rear we have more tomatoes about ready to bear fruit and a few young ones just starting out.

Out front the yard and grass outside the garage is thriving and looking good.

As are the flowers in the front circle - note the large bougainvillea climbing the wall behind the front of the car.

The grass in the left front yard is struggling but the flowers and trees are happy.

Up on the game room chimney we have our second Internet antennae as we continue or search for a reliable source of high speed internet service. This big white one is getting signal from a mountain on the other side of Ibarra.

And finally the boys play in front of their new kennel that surrounds their house.

till next time.

Today we start with the entrance to Santa Anita which has been skim coated with cement and painted white.

Inside the gate looking south west down the street we see the two finished houses and on (the closest ) under construction for our newest additions Paul and Angela Javora who will be emigrating from Houston TX. with our house on the left in back. and Julio and Paula Gonzalez's in back on the right.

Approaching our house we see a small section of unfinished garden taken this morning which is to the left of our driveway entrance.

And the planted garden taken after lunch today.

Also the area at the far side of the circular drive before planting with the new plants in the foreground waiting to be planted.

And again the after photo taken after lunch today.

Just to the left of the area above, behind the wall, are two raised beds with crops about a month away. In the forground we will have cabbage, squash (3 kinds) broccoli and cauliflower. and the bed behind is full of potatoes.

Across the house in the opposite corner of the lot we have our abundantly producing raised beds with string beans, pea pods, carrots, onions, spinach, beets, turnips, swiss chard and kale. 

And if your turn around you will see the results of the gardeners good work around the orchard and yard.

Till next time.

First post of 2013 Feb 3, 2013

Wow this year is speeding by no posts for January. So we have slowed down a little as the outside is now almost done. We are concentrating on the grass and the vegetable gardens now that the greenhouse is finished with its new walkway.

These beds are flourishing with Potatoes nearest the greenhouse and in front of it from left to right we have cabbage then three kinds of squash continuing with broccoli, and cauliflower all up and getting stronger every day.

We have new bamboo plants in front yard that will go in as a privacy screen along the wall above next to the turnaround.

The wall behind where the bamboo is being stored now has three new variegated leaf shrubs that match the color scheme of the plantings around the drive and are also planted along the outside of the orchard wall.

The orchard grass is getting fuller all the time now that we are getting a little rain.

In the month since our last posting the orchard garden beds have exploded. we now are harvesting Kale, Turnips, Spinach, Carrots and  Sweet Pea pods for our dinner table.

As you can see the turnips are literally bursting out of the soil.

In the back yard we have had to put up a fence to keep the boys out so the grass can get started. After two weeks it already looks a lot better.

Speaking of the boys here they are at 9 1/2 months weighing in at over 100 lbs each.

You can see the difference from when they were three months and about 25 lbs each below.

Now we just have to teach them some manners so they don't knock our visitors over.

Later,