The time has gone too fast...

I'm just doing a short post tonight, with some of my favorite photos. I hope it's better than nothing. Summer has passed us by so quickly, it seems it goes faster every year. It seems that when we are planning in March, by the time we reach May and June, we are so far behind. That's the way I feel, always way behind. A symptom of trying to do too much, and maybe not enjoying the little accomplishments? How does one cure this problem of over-planning and under-appreciating? Can anyone shed some light on how they handle it? I sure would appreciate any input.

One of the things I DID appreciate this summer was enjoying some of my flowers and the garden. This very old unnamed day lily has been in my family for years and it never disappoints me. Such a delicious color combination; it reminds me of a nectarine.

Another favorite is the "Northfield" day lily that I found a couple years ago. It resembles a lot of yellow ones I have from my parents and grandparents but blooms much more abundantly Here is "Northfield":

My folks brought a lot of all kinds of flowers to this farm where I live. This one is also unnamed. They weren't concerned with names. They were happy to have whatever they could. When my grandmother died and my parents bought this place, it was pretty desolate. My mom brought flowers from our old house near Brainerd, MN and planted them here west of Eagle Bend, MN. 

While my dad was remodeling the old farmhouse, she kept working, and on her days off would bring a carload of flowers and trees, would plant them and then return to Brainerd to work. This place was transformed from a dry, windy, desolate dirt-farm to a beautiful, shady paradise. They planted hundreds of spruce and pine seedlings, anything they could get their hands on, even including lowly boxelders and green ash and it all paid off in my mind at least. It became a welcoming place and they made it a home. After them, I've done the same. I bought the place from my parents, and I now know after having lived in Florida for 17 years, until 1998, that this place is home, good and bad. 

I have some good places to sit and rest and think here on the farm. I like this place under a locust tree. The two buildings in the background are the old dairy barn built in 1958 and the little barn that was the backbone of  my grandparents farm until the bigger barn was built. It is from the 1930's.

The planters on each side of the bench are old tanks from hand-cranked cream separators. I remember, as a kid, I would spend summers up here with gram and gramp, and was so proud when I overheard gramp say, "that Philip, he sure can work, he separated all the cream himself, and he keeps going." For a really shy, book-wormish kind of kid, it is one of those things I remember and treasure as more important than just about anything. I hope all of you have a similar memory, and if you have grandchildren, you will think of what you say about them.

Here is another place to sit, especially in the morning with a cuppa. I finally have made progress painting the deck. I would have a few choice words for the guy who invented wooden decks in Minnesota. They are nothing but endless maintenance, and I'm looking forward to just having a concrete patio someday, but that will have to wait.

Here is a quiet place for a cup of coffee by the cedars.

I've had a "pretty good" garden this year, but the cool weather has not made for a super abundant harvest. I'm not going to even try to dig up the Yukon Gold potatoes until next week. Normally, since they are an early variety, I would have had them all dug up on Aug 24th, my birthday. That was always the milestone, but not this year, as it has been all cool days and even cooler nights. Well, no use complaining, right? Here is Byron looking over some peppers and zucchini brought in a few days ago. He only thinks of the happy side of the haul, not the work, and we should be more like him.

I've had a lot of tomatoes, but have been picking them green, because the deer have taken an interest in them.

I can't even feel angry at the deer, because I know how much fun they were having stopping by to nibble on their treats. Anyway, I have enough for myself and for what I'm going to preserve for the winter. A few tomatoes go a long way.

These photos remind me of the painting by English artist Sir Edwin Landseer, "The Monarch of the Glen."

It is soon time for coffee. I hope if you are ever in Eagle Bend you will call me. I'm in the book. I did have time to make a good apricot cheesecake recently, but i'm still trying to improve baking skills. 

I hope you have a good night. I'll leave it especially to Josey this time to wish you a happy transition from Summer to Fall.  Annie and Byron were sleeping, so they will appear in later posts.

Peace be with you all. Phil