P is for Perfect

It was a perfect first Monday of vacation.

I spent the first six hours working in my vegetable garden, ignoring the occasional drizzle and overcast clouds. I didn't get too hot, nor did I get sunburned. The bugs left me alone, too.

We're down to the last four kohlrabi plants; sure is tasty this year. I pulled the bolted spinach and lettuce rows and fed some to the goat and composted the rest. I tilled and weeded and raked and weeded some more. I thinned out the sweet corn and pruned the tomato vines.

Joren, the Dill Pickle Maniac, planted cucumbers next to the dill. We're hopeful that the growing season will be good and long like it was last summer. We lost the first cukes to an early May freeze and failed to get them reseeded in a timely fashion. We planted with a prayer. I threw in another row of carrots and some scallions. I think we'll try some fall spinach, lettuce, and peas this year. We'll get one really nice crop of peas tonight. Yum.

The best news of the garden is that there is ZERO evidence of any rabbit penetration of the new fence. So I was quite cheerful getting grubby in the garden. Oh, and the Zucchini thing has begun :) Local friends, consider yourself warned!

The finish to the perfect day was a cruise on the Mighty Mississippi with Tom and Beth in their new boat, the Regal Eagle. After putting in with no problems at the public landing in Red Wing, Tom docked the boat at the Harbor Bar like he'd been docking boats all his life. We picked up Capt. Steve-the-Lumberjack and Princess Kathy and off we went to look at Lake Pepin.

It was a peaceful night on the river; lousy with Bald Eagles perched here, there, and everywhere. The river is flowing high and fast and was quite warm. I couldn't resist taking a dip in Lake Pepin. Sunset was captivating and after dropping Steve and Kathy back at the Harbor Bar, Beth backed in the trailer and Tom got the boat on the trailer on his first attempt. No marital screaming, no arguments. Dale and I were quite impressed. These proud new boat owners have the makings of River Rat written all over their behavior.

Welcome to the Mighty Mississipp'!

(And THANK YOU, Tom and Beth, for the delightful ride and an excellent kick-off to our vacation.)