So much life in our lives...

In the past I have had a sweet little vegetable garden. Last year I couldn't because my arm was injured. This year I had the best of intentions, but was a little later getting started than I should have been, and lacked energy and focus.  Then I had an excellent idea.  I planted the whole thing in pumpkins.  Field pumpkins, pie pumpkins and pretty white pumpkins. They are blossoming and growing nicely.  We will have lots of pumpkins to decorate during our upcoming fall wedding.

The broiler chickens are enormous.  I made a mistake when I scheduled their butcher date, and they are nearly the size of turkeys.  I have worried and fretted about them the last few weeks, concerned that they would die on hot days, that their legs would give out under their weight, that they would keel over from heart attacks.  So far they are all doing ok, but I've gained a few gray hairs over the whole thing.  Hopefully they will be so delicious I will forget the worrisome weeks. Just four more days to agonize over them. 

Yesterday I saw a large bird land on our dead tree, and did a double take.

A Turkey Vulture, perched just over where the broilers are living, no doubt setting goals. I was fascinated to watch it, up close and personal. It lifted off after a while and sailed away. While they are rather un-lovely up close, they are incredible to watch when they soar.

This time of year there is so much life in our life.  Before kissing me goodbye to go to work, Chris leaned in and looked at me with what I thought was love in his eyes.  Turns out it was curiosity.  He leaned closer, and stared at my cheek. Then he reached tenderly towards my face and... plucked something.  I froze. He pulled his hand away. Dangling from his fingertips was a strand of spider silk and from that hung a wee, tiny spider, which had been resting on my cheek.  Sometimes there is a little too much life around here!