August days and nights

Our little guy turned SEVEN! this month and he celebrated with five good friends and a campout sleepover in the backyard--a first sleepover for everyone. Luckily, it was a smashing success and fun was had by all!

We played and ate and watched an outdoor movie (Transformers--ugh, that beast of a movie is 2 1/2 hours long!). The kids slept in the cool trampoline tent while adults camped out on the ground. 

Dads provide a wind block to light that candle.

Asleep by midnight

Morning smiles

Back in the garden, it's growing! It has been such a hot, dry summer that it has been a struggle to keep everything watered, but we try. I'm pinning all my hopes on a huge tomato harvest this year.

By far the tallest tomato plants I've grown!

It's going to be a great year for plums!

A peak inside the summer greenhouse

I love the tenacity of this akebia vine, always overreaching.

It's hard to make out what's going on here, but there are at least ten ripening cantaloupe hidden beneath these leaves.

Quick pre-breakfast harvest

And then there are the blackberries, so sweet and plentiful this summer. We found a primo picking spot and picked these seven pints in about ten minutes. One batch of jam canned so far.

Baaaa!