Peach Picking and More

I recently shared some photo's with you from a raspberry picking excursion and here I am again except this time it's peaches.

The two wee ones spotted this ladder and headed straight for it. Never mind the fact that there were no peaches in these trees. They had been picked clean. But so glad the kids did because it was a perfect picture taking opportunity. My little "Bussy" looks like she's on the lookout for others that might want to get in on the ladder fun.

My orchard hands are to stinkin' cute!!! That's all I'm saying.

I usually try to keep the bright colors in all of my photo's but in the peach orchard shots I used the Pioneer Woman's, Soft and Faded Action. It was a warm sunny day and the I think this applied action gives all the images that lazy, hazy day appearance.

Jupiter peaches otherwise known as Donut peaches. They taste less acidic to me and have a really mild, sweet flavor. These trees were loaded down with beautiful, ripe, peachy goodness.

My oldest beauty, posing for a picture just as I asked, with our little Wini and my son in the background. They were getting hot at this point.

Wini's first time in a peach orchard. She tried to eat all the rotting peaches on the ground. Luckily my oldest was mindful and didn't let her.

One more ladder shot. I love these memory saving opportunities.

So I haven't been posting much this summer. I've honestly been overwhelmed with all of the kids being at home, a garden that has needed a lot of attention, flowers that need watering, family vacations and trying to fit in as much activity and fun as possible.

For instance this is just a small portion of our summer harvest...

and I've had to figure out what to do with all of them. So I made a wonderful tomato soup x6 batches and froze it. I used a recipe a friend of mine created and it is divine! She creates and makes her own spice blends, vegan chili, natural lollipops and lots more. The recipe calls for her Bangarang spice and it's the perfect addition. Get some of your very own and she just might share the recipe with you too. In addition to the soup—I've made homemade salsa, I've frozen several tomatoes to use through the year in crockpot dishes and I've still got more.

Add to all of this my oldest daughters riding lessons and a handful of horse shows and I've been in overdrive all summer.

She took home a second place ribbon in the pairs class this past Tuesday. She's so new to showing and most of the girls in the ring have been riding and competing since they were toddlers so for her to take home a second in any class is really nice.

Here's a pic of my daughter and the other girl that participated in the pairs class with her. Her friend rode a horse named Skye who is also a paint. It's uncanny how much these two horses resemble each other.

The object of pairs is to do everything the judge requests riding side by side. Which translates to...trot at the exact same time, canter at the exact same time, reverse at the exact same time while staying knee to knee etc... There were two other pairs in the ring at the same time. This is the closest thing to teamwork in the show ring that she's done and Liv really had a grand time. Everything is more fun when you have someone to laugh with while doing it.

This fall the farm she rides at is putting together an interschool riding team. I'm not really familiar with all it entails or the expense that comes along with it but I believe I'm going to let her join.

p.s. I've had several inquiries about my bike basket liners. I'm still making them but I've been so busy that my time at the sewing machine has been limited. I really have to figure out how to manage it all, what to let go of, what to move ahead with. No one can do it all but I still wish I could.

Thanks for visiting!