What's up?

It's fair time here in Monroe, and we're all getting ready for the Evergreen State Fair the weekend before Labor Day, and then Puyallup Fair the weekend after Labor Day. It's been a wild month of cage decorating, cooking, and planning.

We're keeping ahead of nature this year (for the most part). There's a riot of sweet peas still blooming next to the patio, and Dana's pumpkins and sunflowers are going gangbusters. The vegetable gardens just got weeded after a month of neglect, and we made cleaning up the front flower garden a family affair. There are a few places that are out of control, but not as many as usual.

The person we gave our mobile home to finally came and hauled it away. The front of the place looks empty now, but I'm sure we'll come up with a use for the space.

Brambly Hill?

It's what we call our little 5-acre farm. Looking out our back window we can see a hill covered with blackberry brambles -- our brambly hill, if you will. The blackberries are setting fruit this month; in a week or so we'll send the kids out to pick several gallons for freezing.