First Fruits

Our garden has had a rocky year so far, we got a late start and have been fighting various challenges ever since. We lost our first crop of radishes, carrots, and green onions to agressive weeds, our beans were lost to cutworms, and we lost 6/8 squash plants to a squash bug invasion (we have since replanted.

Therefore it is with GREAT satisfaction that we begin to enjoy our first fruits of the harvest season. Kieran is a proficient and expert picker (especially when it involves picking blueberries for his mouth!). Our tomatoes are loaded with fruit, and our peppers are also going gang busters, so we should have a productive August!

Here are a couple pics of Kieran and I planting some more rows of radishes, green onions, and beans.

It's a Boy!!

Here are some shots of Kieran's brother at -5 months. Doctor and ultrasound tech said he looks perfectly healthy!! Due date is on Maranda's birthday, 12/10.

Hi Mom, Dad, and big Brother!

He has Maranda's refined ears and nose, just like Kieran!

Dancing in the Rain!

Kieran and Maranda having some fun during a passing thunder storm! Note Maranda is encouraging the boy to splash in puddles, way cool mom!

Awesome Shot of Kieran Holding a Toad

Babies Heartbeat

Our unborn babies heartbeat at 4 months as recorded by Maranda.

Kieran Kung Fu Dancing

Kieran practicing his Kung Fu flips.

Goat Visitor

So our neighbor down the street had a goat wander into their garage this afternoon. A short while latter they stopped by to see if by chance, it was OUR goat. Apparently we have a bit of a reputation on the street... After informing them that we were not the owners, Maranda volunteered to house the goat overnight if they could not find the owners.

Well, they couldn't. So now a goat is visiting the Tennysonian Ranch. She was pretty sweet, but while I was carrying her in my arms down the street (I suddenly felt transported back to my ancestral sheperding days), she did try and give me a couple nips to let me know she wasn't thrilled with an overweight man squeezing her in his arms while stumbling down a perfectly black street! We put her in one of our dog kennels and brought the dogs in for the night. She is quite friendly and Kieran is really excited to spend some more time with our NEW GOAT tomorrow!

July 4th Celebration in D.C.

This fourth of July we braved the crowds and rain and descended upon D.C. for the 4th of July celebrations. Standing on the memorial bridge behind the Lincoln memorial, we had a great view of the show. Kieran had a blast and gets very animated when reminded of the event. His favorite new word is "exploding."

Here is a short clip of the celebration, you can see the back of the Lincoln memorial to the left, and the Washington monument in the distance at the center.

Rainy Days per Year

So you often hear folks talk of the average rainfall for a given area as an indicator of the how wet the climate is, but a more important metric (in my opinion), is how many rainy days you experience a year. For example, Mobile Alabama has the distinction as being the wettest place in the lower 48 states, with over five feet of rain a year, yet they only have 122 rain days a year, far less then many other "dryer" areas. Indeed, drizzle is far more depressing than a sudden downpour.

So if you are interested in how your current city fares, take a look at some charts that I created based on 30-50 years of rain data for each city.

To see a chart that is sorted by the cities with the MOST rainy days at the top, click HERE. If you would like to see a chart with states in ALPHABETIC order, click HERE.