RhinebeckFarm.com

On a rainy, slow-moving Sunday, Jen, Sarah and Grandpa toured the garden.

Here is the largest of our six cantaloupes.

This poblano is about the size of a matchbox.

We have lots of tomatoes this year, but the Brandywines — my favorite — have not fared well.  This is a Jet Set.

The tomatoes are threatened by the diabolically camouflaged Tomato Hornworm, which is as large a caterpillar as you would ever want to meet.

The Rose of Sharon was in full bloom as we began our summer vacation at the end of July.  We had a wonderful time with wonderful people and wonderful food.

Sarah was thrilled to have a visit from her Grandpa, who taught her how to play golf.

We were all delighted to have a visit from Aunt Roxy.

And we had a great time with John Harris and his sons, here pictured enjoying supper with Sarah in their Kids’ Clubhouse.

The Harrises also joined us for a trip on the water taxi which runs across the Hudson River between Rhinecliff and Kingston, providing great views of the Rondout Lighthouse.

We also had an uninvited visitor: this woodchuck, who had conducted a massive excavation under the diesel tank next the barn.  We took him out to the countryside, for reeducation.

We ate like kings.  These peaches saw lots of action.

Jen served her peach pie with my blackberry ice cream.

And, with some blueberries added …

… she made a delicious peach/blueberry buckle.

We also had homemade gravlax, a treat for daredevils.

Sarah enjoyed Art Camp in Red Hook, as well as Secret Agent Camp and Crazy ChemWorks Camp in Rhinebeck (don’t ask).

And, finally, here are some of the last of our roses.

We arrived this weekend to find a full moon, the Rose of Sharon in bloom (and also some lilies, far right), and the fence nearly completed.

Early Saturday morning the fence was occupied by these turkeys, who seemed to approve of the construction.

I think if you played the first four turkeys it would sound like a cavalry charge.

The new fence is going in nicely, bringing order where there was chaos.

In the same vein, the mower was repaired this week, and it got a real workout.  I mowed everything.

And I mean everything!

We had a very pleasant, if occasionally rainy, Fourth of July weekend.

Everyone waited patiently for the rain to stop.

Our front-yard bunny found a nice dry spot.

But it’s black raspberry season, so we could not stay inside forever.

Jen and Sarah made a dozen or so jars of jam.

Sarah made sure everything was up to snuff.

While we were stuck indoors, we cooked more than just black raspberry jam.  We made challah …

… and lemonade, made pink with the foam from the jam.

Once the rain cleared, Sarah took out her bicycle.  Somehow, over the winter, she has learned to ride.

Work continues apace at the farm, as we (or, more specifically, Chuck Kelsoe and his nephew) dismantled the fence, which we are replacing.  Del Wolcott told me he that built this fence from locust trees that he cleared to build the house on the hill on the other side of what is now Wolcott drive, where the Hohners live.

Wildlife abounds these days, including this fawn, eating mulberries fallen from the tree at the end of the driveway …

… these turkeys, pictured without their large brood …

… this miffed-looking woodchuck, possibly tired of the endless questions about his abilities …

… and this little bunny, who has taken up residence on the front lawn and is too young to be afraid of us.

Let us not neglect the invertebrates: here, a spicebush swallowtail snacks on some milkweed, and here I am flying a kite.

The lilies that Jen and Sarah planted this spring are blooming.

And here Sarah poses with a still life of daisies, which she is thinking of entering in the Dutchess County Fair.  In the background, her mother potters in the garden.

Sarah had her last softball game of the season on Saturday, although a scrimmage is planned for next Saturday to make up for what her coach describes as the between one and 800 rainouts this year.

Sarah got a hit in her first at-bat, and ran hard to first.  She later would score.

After the game, the girls and their parents were treated to watermelon, pizza and salad, and Coach Dave gave an inspirational speech.

We were at the farm this past weekend only long enough to do some packing and break the rotary mower.  On Saturday morning we decamped to Highland Lake, in Winsted, Connecticut, to celebrate Rinda Burleigh’s 70th birthday.  Here, Sarah gambols with Aunt Erica.

I was not a friend to the deer this weekend, having spent hours and hours mowing acres and acres of the high grass in which they like to make their beds.  I was, however, a Hero of the Barn Swallows: they love it when someone mows because it turns into a feast.  They swoop around the tractor like miniature blue
F-16s, picking off startled insects.

On Saturday during dinner, we watched from the window as two fawns raced around the newly mown field.  They themselves seemed astonished by their speed.  We certainly were, but the doe with them was probably wondering where she could put them to bed.

Earlier on Saturday, Jen gathered peonies to bring to a neighbor’s anniversary party.

Meanwhile, Sarah channeled her inner woodland nymph.

On Sunday, we were treated to the rare sight of a turkey more than three feet off the ground.

And, though they said it could not be done (and by “they” I mean my father), we set up the pencil-post bed we got at the George Cole auction last weekend.  Elmer LeSeur, the assistant auctioneer, delivered today.

The grass is rising high and the fences are sinking low at the farm these days.

This weekend, we celebrated Memorial Day.  Rhinebeck has a real small-town parade, which Sarah was eligible to march in by virtue of her membership on the softball team.

All people in uniform are welcome.

Sarah was thrilled to have visits from her grandfather …

… and from Aunts Stacey and Julie.

We had lots of peonies in bloom, in red, pink and white.