August Sun & Heat &Cucumber, Mint Water

My newest favorite thing to drink this summer is cucumber water with mint leaves.  Isn't it pretty?  Makes you feel 10 degrees cooler just looking at it.  And, now, the cucumbers for the water are coming out of my own garden--all warm from the sunshine.  And I have tons of spearmint in the herb bed.

Well, the zucchini is producing again. (and I am wishing I could be making fritters)  And the tomatoes are getting bigger (but still green) and the carrots and beets are bulking up.  I picked blueberries again but they are coming to an end.  The blackberries are just starting.  I've picked and eaten about a full pint so far.

I am so happy I chose to plant blueberry bushes when the garden was created.  And the blackberries. They went in over time but this is the first year they have actually made blackberries.  I cut the raspberry canes down to the ground in the Spring.  The variety I have is Heritage and it makes a small crop in July (if not cut back hard) and a larger crop in late September.  I'm going for the September crop. Fewer Japanese beetles. The prune plum didn't make any plums this year.  I am thinking I might want to buy an apple tree for the yard.  I'll place it near one of the crab apple trees for pollination. I think having fruit in the garden is almost better than having vegetables.

I went to a lecture on "Diet & Dementia" yesterday.  The room was packed.  The speaker is a local Adventist doctor and he is a very good speaker and just a real nice guy (and an avid gardener).  Turns out eating fruit and leafy greens (and green vegetables) is good for your brain. One half to a full cup of berries each day and leafy greens like kale or collards along with broccoli, zucchini etc..  I love kale cooked down with onions.  I used to love it in a frittata but I haven't re-tested eggs yet.  ( I had some granola yesterday and got acid reflux--a reaction--so no more oats--I'll have to find a new home for the new package of Bob's-- so many of my typical daily foods are turning out to be re-active- like the soy milk, cheese, yogurt and now the oats.)

My garlic and onions have been pulled and they are drying in the garage.  More than usual on the garlic and less than I wanted on the onions.  I planted green bean seeds.

I am going to pull the amaryllis bulbs out of the garden bed and let the leaves dry and die ( I wrote a reminder to myself on my calendar).  Then repot them in late October for Christmas flowers.  All of the bulbs were happy in the garden and got nice and fat.  Several that hadn't bloomed in the winter, bloomed in the garden.  One red and two whites.

Well, time to get ready to go to the movies.  We're seeing the new Bourne movie.