Here it is another day and I have yet to get around to updating the blog.  I found that Blogger now has a different layout and view and have found that there is a little bit of learning curve, but this is much improved over the way I used to have to update the Blog and maybe, just maybe, I will post a bit more with the new format in place.

Now...lets see, where did I last update... well no matter, I will start with our trip we took to visit my parents on the wetside.  Labor day had us traveling to Mt. Vernon for a nice weekend.  it had been such a long time since we had been to downtown Seattle that we thought we would stop by on the way.

The weather was perfect and we had a great time seeing all the people, and we got the best parking spot ever.  I mean this thing was epic.  30' from the market, and only 2 bucks for 2 hours....really nice.

 Here is James and I at the market.  I think I saw the biggest lobster tails I had ever seen, and for $35/lb...they must have been about 3lbs each...who can even afford that I have no idea.

 The wife and I thought we could get some flowers for my parents and for $5, why not splurge.

 Then it was time to see my parents.  James is a lot bigger than the last time they saw him.

 He likes to watch TV....is this something I should be concerned about....well I'm not.

The next day we went blackberry picking down the block from my parents.  There were so many blackberries that we got about 5 gallons in 30 minutes or so.  They were so good I ate about 1 quart while picking them.

 Here is the haul

 Even though James and mom did not participate in the picking they were significantly tired.

 

The next day we went out to the sound for a walk.  I have never seen such great weather before over in Mt. Vernon.  Perfectly sunny ever day we were out there and really made me want to get out on the water.

Then it was back home.  We had not been around a lot lately and the garden was really growing quite a bit.  The corn did not grow very well this year and I think we got some bad seeds.  Most of them did not germinate, and then, some of the ones that did looked a bit off.

Would you eat this.  Grey corn...that just about made me hurl looking at it.  I think it got elephantitus, but was assured that this fungus is called Smut.  My father-in-law also told me it is edible, but I will have to take his word for it because I think I would have to be pretty desparate to eat this.

When the cob was split it looked like this...kind of looked like corn there, but not something I want to see again

 The peppers were a bit slow in maturing, but now we got more than we need.

 Tomatos are also coming along nicely.

Onions are also getting bigger

Then we have a few of the final products

Cabbage

Pole beans on the right and carrots on the bottom

Here is a mix of the potatoes we have had this year.  We have a lot to eat in the not so distant future, but they were simple as pie to grow and the plant is very nice looking.

On the way back from my parents we stopped and picked up 2 20lb boxes of peaches and nectarines.  I have been living off of these for about the past two weeks and love them.  You cannot buy these in the store no matter how much you pay.  We also got them for 50 cents a pound which is less than half of what you pay in the store...just the "man" trying to rip off honest americans.

Here is James in a shirt Jackie sewed for him with a heart over Spokane.  He even drolled on the west side of WA to show a real world depiction of the different climates.

The weekend of the 11th we went on a church campout on  the Pend O'rielle

James liked it in the tent.

I tried to get this ridculous hat off him, but his mother would have none of it...I mean seriously

Back at camp I took on my role as cook...which is what Brenda likes to see me do

James had a  great time and slept pretty good in the cramped tent.

We finally got a chance to get the Jonny Jumper out as well.

Camo clothes are what he loves.

Oh, and I guess he likes his hot mama too.

James in his jumper

Brenda rocking out...sort of.