Sun-Shiny Sunday

Good morning and Sunday salutations to all of you!

A very bright sunrise here this morning.  Looks to be a nice day again.  Yesterday I think our high was around 75 degrees.  A little cool for summer but I'll take it.  Way better than the 90's.

We didn't do much yesterday.  Momma took one of the UK coaches to the mall and to tour the campus of Michigan State University while the other one stayed home with me.  He is more my style.  Ritz is his name.  Well it's a nickname.  He sat on the back deck under the umbrella all day catching up on episodes of Breaking Bad on his lap top.  I think he enjoyed the solitude and the rest so I let him be.

I was going to prepare them a classic American dinner of BBQ chicken, macaroni salad, sweet corn and fresh sliced tomatoes from the garden but they decided they were headed back to Chicago that evening and as soon as Momma returned from the mall they packed up and left.  Kaitlin peeled out of here shortly after that to go see her boyfriend, "Jake" (from State Farm).

So it was just Momma and I and any attempts I made at "advanced bio chemistry" were met with disdain as someone had a hangover from going out with the Brit and the Brazilian the night before. So needless to say it was a very quiet night.  I finished the huge dinner only because it was already prepped.

I had a big package of chicken thighs that I skinned and de-boned and had in a mojito lime marinade.
It is way cheaper to buy them with the skin and bone in them and just skin and bone them yourself.  Of course your left with the extra skin and bones and I put them all in a pot with some veggies and made a nice stock that I will freeze for use at a later date.  It's a good way to use up the extra stuff in your fridge.  I had some carrots that needed to go and also some celery that I used for the macaroni salad.  You always have leftover celery!  Tossed in an onion that was beginning to sprout.  The house smelled like chicken soup all day!

I went out and got some pics of the new north planting bed as promised.
This is a shot coming down my back deck steps.  The new bed begins just around the corner.

Here is the before.  I really trimmed up the rhododendron as well.  It needed to breathe!

The garden is really coming on strong.  I have had some issues this year and with a little research and changing a few things for next year hopefully I will overcome!

Tomatoes are beginning to ripen.  I ate my first one last night.  The sweet corn is really good and some of the pepper plants are kicking it into high gear.  

These are the Zinnia flowers I grew from seed this spring.  They turned out pretty good.

Last but not least on my busy little acre are my little fowl friends!

Louie the duck and Hubba and Bubba the chickens.

Louie is a Swedish Black Duck and Hubba and Bubba are Plymouth Barred Rocks.

Oh and I also washed and waxed my truck yesterday.  

My step brother Jason will be in town this week on business.  He works for Fed Ex up north and is doing some training down here in Lansing.  He will be popping in from time to time this week for a good meal and a cold beer.  Thursday night he will be staying here and I think we will do some more wings by the campfire and then Friday morning I am taking him to work to tour a few of the plants.  We are currently building a fleet of 1900 Fed Ex trucks and I think he'll like that along with a tour of the firetruck cab and chassis line.  Should be pretty fun for him.

OK I'm off and running.  It's way too nice to just sit around.  There is probably something that needs fixing, cooking, planting, building, canning or tinkered with!

Have a great week!

-Bushman