Rainy days

What a delightful day this has been. Joe has been feeling a bit under the weather; it has been rainy and cloudy; and I didn't have to work - the perfect formula for a stay-in-bed movie day! Our original plans were to spend the whole day working on the Isuzu P'up and have the thing painted by the end of the day, but the weather eliminated that option. We will hopefully reschedule that work day soon, though, as I am quite excited to think of reaching the painting stage after three years of drawn out truck rebuilding. Until then, though, there are cinnamon buns and fresh bread coming out of the oven, and we've got plenty more movies to watch.

I haven't been completely unproductive today. I have spent the movie time shelling beans. Here is the first of our "yin-yang" bean harvest. I think these are some of the prettiest beans I've ever seen, almost too pretty to eat. It looks like we may end up with enough for one or two soups, not exactly a bumper crop, but they were super low maintenance.

I think I've finally realized why old tires "planted" with fake flowers are a fairly common motif in rural landscaping. While at first appearing to indicate a complete lack of aesthetic prowess, it may in fact be a result of practicality and creativity due to another common country resident - the chicken. This new appreciation came to me after my own flock of lawless free range chickens obliterated what was to be my display of gorgeous fall mums within a week of my planting them. I think fake flowers and old tires may be the only chicken proof form of gardening I can think of. If you see me resorting to this tactic in the near future, please don't think less of me.