Summer Cuts and Swimming Pools

It's starting to feel like summer! We've been in the 80's more often than not, the garden is all planted and growing, the pool is put together and filling, and yesterday us boys all gut buzzes.  Here are a few "pre-summer" pics. 

 Last weekend we did a backyard campsite preparation and test run.  We re-cleared our fire pit area and campsite, Cooked silver turtles in the campfire (Foil Dinners- no we did not roast the turtle in the picture below)  Set up the tent, tried popping some popcorn in the fire, told campfire stores, then broke down camp and went inside for bed.  It was fun.  Soon we will do the real deal

 Turtle season is in full swing.  Our dog Sammy brings us turtles almost daily, or we pick them up on the road and bring them in to our turtle "sanctuary" The boys get to play with them for a while and they are safe from Sammy and then we take them to a stream or let them go somewhere when Sammy is not around. 

Here are a couple garden pics.  This year we planted 2 plants each of  30 varieties of heirloom tomatoes.  We will have yellow, orange, purple, black, green, striped, white, multicolored etc..,  and various shapes, and sizes of tomatoes.  The peppers will be almost as assorted as the tomatoes.  It will make for some interesting Tomato Sauces and Salsas.  The Green Beans, Peas, Potatoes, Sweet potatoes, Broccoli, Cabbage, and Cauliflower are growing great, and the Melons, Squashes, and Gourds are just coming up. We also just started eating strawberries and mullberries.  The Boys ask to go check/try the mullberry tree and strawberries multiple times a day.  This year we also planted more raspberries, blueberries, and elderberries. This is a fun time of the year.