7/1: The Frog

I finally got the 4'x8' soybean bed planted - soybeans in east and west sides, and in the middle those seed tapes I made - onions (red and yellow big, plus red and white bunching/scallions), beets, parsley, lettuce and carrots (purple, creme and orange) and chives. Weslee was watering and just as I was finishing the planting, he screamed, startled. He had nearly stepped on the little guy above - was exactly the same shade as the weeds he was hiding in. I ran to get my camera while he carefully watched it. Wonder what kind of frog he is?

Then Doug came home, it rained, we ate, then while Weslee started his shower, Doug and I went out to the front and planted my flower seed tapes, transplanted some wonderberries into a pot, and laid down some newspaper to mulch the strawberry beds.

A month ago I had started some passionfruit seeds and they are doing quite well. Just discovered they are a vine - and may or may not be a variety that can tolerate frost/cold. Will transplant from indoors to front near the rose trellis - I have a rose that died this summer so it can take it's place. Maybe I'll do two since I actually had 2 roses die! Anyway, from what I understand, if we get a decently strong vine (could be 15 foot long this year) and if we get good pollination on the flowers, we'll get a nice little fruit, which will turn from green to a color when ripe, and slightly shriveled. From then it is very little time before it falls off and is ready to eat. Will wash carefully and place in fridge for up to 2-3 weeks. Can't wait! Probably should have started earlier in the season tho.

Wonderberries. They are also called garden huckleberries & sunberries. They are a small shrub and not as picky as tomatoes. Gotta remember to NOT eat the green berries (possibly poisonous!). Eat when blue - cook with sugar like in a pie. Here's a good reference: http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/wonderberry.htm.

Very hot today - about 94 but the rain cooled things off. Weslee and I got household things done today - inside! Oil is up to $148 a barrel. Colorado is under an extreme fire hazard - very dry. Starbucks is planning to close 600 stores - no skin off my nose but hope there will still be one nearby so we can get their free used coffee grounds for our compost pile. The cheapest gas nearby is $3.82 but averages are $3.99 to $4.01 (check out this website: http://www.denvergasprices.com/Thornton/index.aspx). And Weslee got his latest Lego catalog - yes, he's a fanatic! Happy day, people! V.