Horsethiving Women Run Ruby

Last weekend was finally spent on the river, with a group of awesome ladies from all over who came together to be in the flow. Victoria FittsMilgrim asked me to help guide this group for her True Life Coaching and Retreats.

Ruby and Horsethief Canyons were just the thing for my grant burn-out; a nice mellow run with occasional riffles, good conversation with amazing people, and the weather was perfect.

Even the bad weather was good. Wind took us by surprise the second day, but the river's high flows kept us moving down to Blackrocks.

Thunderstorms grumbled and lightening gave us a show as we watched a storm roll in at night. All at once a wall of rain, wind, and sand hit, and we all ran for cover.

The next day I hiked upstream and a lizard and I had a meaningful stare down. He won.

Waiting in the Weeds

Now is the time of summer when everything is planted and the only work that needs to be done is weeding. Sure, there is the fertilizing, or adding iron for plants looking yellow, but mostly it is wait n' weed.

While I wait, I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

Big mistake.

I don't think I've ever been this impatient to produce 10 tons of zucchini before. It is just that Kingsolver makes everything sound so GOOD. The recipes are killing me. I know that I'll be knee deep in beans and tomatoes in the very near future, but I can't wait to try her peach chutney and sweet and sour sauce recipes.

Rather on focusing on what is not yet there, here is a report on Scott's corn experiment:

It isn't there yet. Unlike the peas at left, which are producing like crazy.

Out of 50 corn seeds planted, only about 4 have come up- one from the 18" deep planting, and the rest from the 6" planting. I'm still holding out for more to pop up, but they certainly will not be knee high by the 4th of July.

The rest of the garden, save the peppers, are thriving. I think it is too rainy and not hot enough for them. They do show signs of a little bit of new green growth, but no flowers.

Bike Wheels for Garden Deals

Just another product of the love affair between a green thumb and bike wrench...

Scott has lots of extra ruined bike wheels at work and it turns out they are fairly useful as garden "frames".

Behold the newly designed bean tent frame! I ran big wood screw through the axle hole in this wheel and drilled it into the top of a closet rod. Beans are just about to grab on to the twine that is strung through the spokes now.


Also, dig on the tomato cages a la cycle parts. These lovelies are now fully supported and ready to climb.

These wheels were landfill-bound, but we sprayed the black ones green (so they wouldn't absorb too much heat and burn the plants), and with some inexpensive wood and leftover chicken wire, we put them back to work.


And we can't forget the bike wheel turned Frank Lloyd Wright-style plant hanger that Scott came up with for our front porch. These are drilled into a vertical beam (on the left) through the spoke holes.



More junk turned funk in the garden!