Oscar Stew

This was the last weekend of summer. It’s a bummer, but summer has been good to us this year. We’ve enjoyed watching our garden grow from tiny seeds, to vegetable laden plants.

There isn’t anything tastier than a home-grown tomato. Yum!

Brinley isn’t a huge fan. That’s okay, these tastes have to be acquired. And that means there is more for me!

Drew pulls yet another delicasy for the privileged pig. After that one it’s back to store-bought carrots for Oscar. Sorry dude.

Here are our cute little sunflowers in their infancy. I’d show you what they look like fully matured, but they have been mangled by a squirrel we used to lovingly refer to as “Hammy.”

Drew and Brinley were pretty angry the morning we woke up and found some of our precious sunflowers laying half eaten on the ground. We were hoping to harvest the seeds, but it seems we are at odds with nature.

Death to Hammy and all his furry little friends.

One of my favorite things about living in Colorado is The Berry Patch, it’s almost enough to make the long winters worth living here. We try to go a few times each summer to collect enough berries to make a year’s worth of jam.  I don’t think we will ever be able to go back to store-bought jam. Ever.

Drew and Brinley are veteran berry pickers, and are extremely meticulous in their selection. mmhmmm.

The experience just wouldn’t be the same without a healthy dose of Binnie Crack. She always ends up being the butt of the joke…

Her majesty got to observe from her throne on high. This is also physical proof that I exist, and that Ryan actually knows how to operate a camera. Go Ryan!

The Berry Patch is an organic farm, so one must exercise caution and avoid the prickly weeds.

Good ones Drew!

The fruits of our labors! Rowan might have some of her own jam in her pants. Any takers?

After some back-breaking manual labor nothing feels better than being blasted by an ice cold swamp cooler while chewing on a cookie.

The sphere of all things cold and delectable. The orb of creamy happiness. The globe of glucose. I’m talking about the ice-cream ball. This is multi-tasking’s finest fifteen minutes. They’re playing outside, they’re burning calories, and they’re making ice-cream. Is this a good activity? Ohhhhh yeaaaahhh. 

Here the kids are heavily engaged in a battle of ice-cream soccer.

Check out this intense game of ice-cream pushball. The big kid has to sit downhill and concentrate, while the little kid leisurely horks down her sandwich.

Goal! Basket! Point! Touchdown! Home run! I could keep going, as I’m unsure of what game they are playing at this point…

Ah the sweet reward. Mix in some mini Reese’s, and it’s a masterpiece for the mouth.

Just so there’s no confusion or trickery, the borders are clearly identified. No trespassing.