They keep growing, and growing, and growing...

The raised bed garden is still in full swing, although I can tell the end of the season is very near.  The sunflowers finally decided to show their beautiful colors.  I tried growing a giant variety and they seriously are huge!  I'm talking 12 feet tall!  I've also got broom corn that towers 9 feet tall as well.  The green beans have grown up an 8 foot teepee and are finally producing a large quantity of beans.

This was the first time I've ever tried growing okra before and I will continue to grow it in the future.  It is a unique and decorative plant that is absolutely carefree.  I planted the seeds and then next thing I knew I was frying up okra.  They show no signs of disease, mildew, pests, etc.  The unique foliage helped choke out weeds too.  If you've never tried growing them before - I would highly recommend it.

This is also my first time growing sweet potatoes in my garden.  I want to dig them up to see how big they are, but it isn't time yet.  Both the okra and the sweet potato would make an excellent addition to any edible landscaping project.  They are pretty and carefree.

The stray kitty keeps growing too.  He is a very handsome cat and he has a lot of energy!  He is always running around the yard, climbing up trees, jumping on top of the chicken coop, or attacking my leg.  Yes, he likes to play - but sometimes he gets carried away and starts getting too aggressive with me.  I'm hoping he calms down with age.

And finally, here is a photo of the chickens in their chicken tractor.  I think they are just about done growing and they are bound to start laying eggs soon.  They are turning into gorgeous birds, don't you think?

Ripe

Here is a look at what I have been pulling out of my garden lately and a bit of good news I'd like to share.  Things are finally starting to ripen.

I have a plethora of tomato varieties this year with different colors and flavors.  Green zebra, pink brandywine, white currant, etc.  They are like the jewels of the garden.
This year I haven't had success with my zucchini at all but the yellow summer squash and patty pan squash are doing great!  I've also had a few "volunteer" squash plants growing out of the compost pile.  The plants on the compost pile are going insane!  Leaves that are bigger than dinner plates on waist high stems!

This year I tried a few items I've never grown before.  Sweet corn is one of them.  I need to get the corn in the ground earlier next year, but I've been able to pick a couple of ears so far.  I also tried planting broom corn and have had incredible luck with that.  My intentions are to use it for fall decorations then feed it to the chickens (they already got one stalk that broke in a rainstorm.  They loved it!).
I had some amazing results with the okra I planted and Charlie and I ate fried okra this week.  Yum!  Soon I will post some photos of the unusual plants I grew this year and discuss some of the failures I've had as well.

I know I have been neglecting this blog lately and I apologize for the lack of updates.  I have had something else the has had my attention this month that is very exciting to me -- another thing coming to ripeness...
If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you have probably noticed that I don't talk about my job very much.  I really believe that talking about work in a public manor is not usually very beneficial.  On this occasion, I am going to break my own policy because I am very excited and want to share my joy with you.

For those that didn't know, I have worked in the Customer Service Department for a large utility provider in Michigan for the last 6 years.  I am very blessed to have had steady employment during this time since Michigan is really having a rough time with it's economy right now.  In fact, we have had a lot of overtime for the last 3+ years and the paychecks have been really nice.  The job I have can be very stressful though and I was really starting to feel discontented in that position -- I needed more of a challenge.
So, for the past few years I have been waiting for the right position to open up elsewhere in the company so I could apply for it.  Finally, the department that I wanted to get into had an opening and I applied for it.  I managed to get an interview that was scheduled last Monday.  That is why I only have one blog post in August before this one -- I've been prepping for the interview in my spare time and brushing up on some of the computer programs they use in that department.  The interview was intense!  Five people sat in on the interview - which lasted an hour and 20 minutes.
Anyway, to make a long story short, on Thursday I was notified that I got the position!!!  I will be in a scheduling department which will involve a lot of technical skills (like reading prints) mixed with customer service skills (interacting with a variety of departments).  I'm sure there will still be overtime involved in this position, however the shift is earlier than the one I have now so I will be getting out of work earlier.  I will be working in the same building as before so I will still have contact with all of my dear friends I have made over the years.  Oh, and the people in the scheduling department are nice as can be and I already love my new boss.  I really am lucky and I'm happy that all of the hard work I have put into this company has finally ripened into something I could call a career!
So, I have a couple more weeks before I make the transition.  Then Charlie and I are going on vacation at the end of September (I hated even bringing up the vacation we had scheduled when I was hired - but it didn't end up being a problem at all).  Charlie and I are going to go on a road trip but we are still determining which way we want to go.  We were thinking of heading westward to see what we could see -- toward the Badlands or the wild west.  I'd be happy heading east though too -- to Vermont and Maine and to see the ocean again.  Does anyone have any suggestions for a good road trip starting in Michigan and lasting about a week?

Garden Update Through Photos

Chard

Okra

Jalepeno

Cucumber

Pole Beans

Wild Black Raspberry (just harvested a bunch - I'm thinking raspberry wine...)

Yellow Pear Tomato

Summer Squash

And I had to throw in one photo of the chickens in their mobile coop.  They are getting big, aren't they?

Olivia, Prudence, Egglentine, Gertrude, Mabel, Ruby and Myrtle.

More Progress

I have been busy today!  I got up relatively early today and got right to work.  Here is what I've done:

1.  Washed the dishes

2.  Assembled my new raised bed garden - decided to stack two on top of each other instead of having two shallow ones. 

3.  Cut cardboard to fit the bottom of the raised bed then put newspaper around the edges.  

4.  After replacing a worn out garden hose and digging through the pole barn for my spray nozzle, I was able to water down the sheet mulch and get ready to build the soil.

5.  I decimated one of my compost piles.  I hauled several large loads of composted material to go into my raised beds.  I put a thick layer down on the bottom of my new one then worked some into the soil I have in my large beds.  

6.  I added 150 LBS. topsoil and a couple bags of composted manure.  I knew I would need more before I even started, but at least I got this far before noon.

7.  I went to Meijer (a Michigan based store that sells just about everything) and picked up 200 LBS. of soil and a few bags of garden hummus.  I also asked the manager of the garden center if they were throwing out some 1"X1"X6' pieces of wood that were in a bin.  He said they were and that I could have them if I wanted.  I told him I would be back later with a vehicle to pick them up.  Thank you Meijer!  You rock!
8.  I went to Tractor Supply and bought a chicken feeder, a galvanized bucket and a small cold frame.
9.  Unloaded my plunder and finished filling the new raised bed with the dirt and hummus.
10.  Assembled some shelving we bought a couple weeks ago and organized the garage.
11.  Took my 2nd shower of the day and am getting ready to go out with Charlie now that he is home from work.  Gotta pick up those wooden stakes and then going to Sears to look at an electric range.

I'm feeling accomplished!  Gotta run!