Things at our home on the range continue moving along. At times, life is a blur. The kids ended their home schooling on May 15th. They were pretty thrilled about that. Honestly, I was too. Our routine just got more relaxed!
Willow is missing her social life as much as she is missing her teeth.
Mother's Day came along. Normally I would have treated myself to a cool hike or something outdoors. But, the family came out of their homes to visit and get some fresh Snake Valley air.
I had the kids update the "then and now" picture I took years ago. Pretty funny.
The state of Nevada was shaken up at 4:00 in the morning by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake. I slept through it, but half the town shared their experiences on social media. That was pretty crazy.
Much of my energy has been spent in the garden. The poor plants got whipped around by awful wind for 3 days straight. Two tomato plants stems broke. Luckily I had volunteer tomatoes come up in the compost to replace them. The plants took a beating by the elements, but now they are growing quite fast as temperatures climb.
Isaac wanted to use tiles to make paths through the garden bed. It'll look really neat in July....
This next photo ~ is not just a plant. It has sentimental value. This is an heirloom cantaloupe variety that my grandpa Hanks has been growing for decades. A kind that you won't find in the store. He acquired the seeds from his dad. I can't tell you how old but I know it's OLD. Long ago, I got the juiciest cantaloupe grown by my grandpa's green thumb. So delicious that I scooped out the seeds and put them away. More years have passed. Grandpa can no longer work in his garden. He is 91 years of age. It brings me sorrow to think about it because it was truly a lifestyle for him. I remembered those seeds that I had stashed away. I placed 7 of them in a pot of soil. It took a LONG time and I wasn't sure it they were any good. I almost gave up because it took SO long. Never underestimate the power of heirloom seeds. Three out of the seven came up. I hope I can keep the plants happy and alive. So much pressure. Haha. This is a tribute to my grandpa and all the gardeners in the family. They are nurturers. Growing food with love. The gift that keeps on giving. Like the energy of these seeds.
In the days of Covid, I find more time to work in the yard. It'll be nice when the plants aren't so high maintenance and their roots are stronger. With the kids out of school, you never know how the days are going to be. Maybe we better grow more grapes to make wine! hahahaha :D
Still enjoying what's blooming in the yard. Most recently my amazing yellow roses! Various species of birds are making their nests. I've made friends with a few lizards that reside We have an understanding that I'll provide them with water, if they eat the bugs. Same goes with the gopher snakes, one in particular I've ran into several times. I think it's helping with the rodent population around our house. I run the tap on the house and it comes in for a drink. The desert is dry. Every thing wants some water. I still don't like the "element" of surprise of running into a snake. The ones in our yard have been chill and I imagine, happy :)
Our social life this summer will mostly consists of low risk activities, like camping! We will have many
staycations. Luckily we know places to go that the public doesn't know about. We hang out with the same groups of friends who enjoy getting out and doing outdoor activities like we do. I'm grateful for these adventure seekers!
So, our first camping trip would be returning to a beautiful area called Blue Mass. I did a post on it 10 years ago (
Here)! It was Isaac's first camping trip! I can't believe it's been that long. We took the scenic drive on the way there. Passed by an old mine and stood up on a gorgeous pass. So green and full of wildflowers.
I was thinking
"Why did it take us SO long to come back?" The area is ridiculously beautiful and the rock formations are so neat looking and fun to scramble upon.
The pack :)
I tried to get a picture of the Milky Way for the first time this year on this camping trip. It was an epic fail. Too much light pollution; which surprised me! But, we were further North. One of the things we are gifted with in our valley is the ability to really experience the darkest skies and the brightest stars. I'm grateful. Better luck with capturing the Milky Way next time!
June is going to jump in fiercely.
Phase One of Covid is wrapping up. Businesses are opening up. I can start work doing massages sometime in Phase Two when governor makes announcement. We will brace ourselves through these phases and hopefully people remain safe as they get back into the work force and mingle more. As people rush into their new normal, we will hope there won't be increases in cases. It's like a bad movie still. A big social experiment ~ what's going to happen? Feelings of uncertainty continues to be in the forefront of our minds. People have expressed various opinions, of course, over social media. Some want to swing the doors right open and jump into activities with both feet. Some want to put their toes through first and ease into it. I see people arguing about whether or not to wear a mask. I also see people trying to convince others it's all a big conspiracy. UGH!!!
Who doesn't feel at risk when the Covid -19 deaths are now 100,000 in the US.
My gut feeling says "Be mindful. Don't be reckless."
Be safe out there.
Meanwhile, we we will continue to pause in our day to breathe, watch the sunsets and the stars.
Focus on the simplicity and joys in life and being thankful.
Seems like blogging is getting less frequent. But, I figured you wouldn't want to read about how many loads of dishes and laundry we do. Or how often the kids will fight now they are out of school Haha. I'll try to continue to keep you posted on the Hami home front. Documenting life in this Covid nightmare, while trying to live the dream. Which means staying healthy!
