Summer Ends; School Begins

As we come to the end of August we reflect on a very busy summer -- trips, visitors, saying goodbye to Moritz & his sisters who came to visit, service for our ward goal of 1,000 hours of service this summer, BYU Education Week classes, and harvesting a garden. Mom has been very pleased with her flowers and gardens -- as always she gives a little tender loving care to these plants almost every morning, and it shows!

Our garden has grown well -- in most areas -- and the result has been some delicious corn on the cob - but only in limited quantities. It seems we have learned a lesson: you can't plant corn too close together or the corn will only grow on one side, and not on the inside (only puny little ones on the inside). The only thing we really have to show on the other side of the corn patch is a pumpkin, which has crept in from that side to avoid being eaten by the birds. Pumpkins are another item we are in short supply of -- only two, it appears after last years gigantic pumpkins. What did we do wrong?

We have done very well with tomatoes, peppers, and onions, which have been combined together for several great batches of salsa for another year. It has been one party after another as neighbors and family members have taken their turn cutting, dicing, crying, cooking, and canning salsa for the coming year. Some of our onions are nothing short of huge. Later we will see if the carrots, and potatoes do as well, but we have high hopes. More to be said about the zuchinni below. Here's pictures of the garden:

The Great Zuchinni Race

On Saturday we realized that our out-of-control zuchinni plants had gotten out of hand, and the result was 5 very large, long, un-eatable zuchinni that just cried out to us that they needed some attention. So with Tyson leading the charge, first he and then later Shawn, David, Mckenna, Josh, and even Dad started slicing and creating the family zuchinni boats for a race in the canal later that day. Mom and Sally were busy with salsa, but the creative juices were flowing out in the garage (and even some scientific testing took place in the bathtub).

After the "water craft" were ready, complete with flags, decorations, and names (dad's was called the "albatross" and Shawn's was the "Flying Dutchman") it was time for racers to take your marks!

And then, on the Murdock Canal in Pleasant Grove, it was ready, set, go!!

Alissa assisted in the launching, and the rapidly moving water soon had the fleet on its way. Shawn's boat led at first, but then David's and Dad's slowly overtook it. Tyson's didn't fully get off as it should, but continued the race as well. Unfortunately we don't know whose boat actually won, since we only watched them float down around the first 2 bends and then let them go on without us. David would say his was ahead....Shawn's and Dad's were perhaps closing in, and Tyson's was further behind since it was removed from the water, re-fitted, and then placed in again. But in our book, everyone was a winner!

Thanks to Sally as photographer, mom for all the encouragement, Alissa for the launch, and YOU for reading this blog!!