Time is Flying

Special Olympics Bowling yesterday was great fun.  We met a new boy who wants to join our group.  He uses the bowling ramp like Lara though he is not in a wheelchair because he is very slight in build and walking is difficult for him.  The bowling ramp is very suitable for him.  It was his first time bowling and I think he enjoyed himself.  Like our Ed, he does not talk.  I gave his grandmother the necessary forms to fill out and send to the Madison office of Special Olympics.  There were seven of the young people bowling and I admit I was a bit overwhelmed with all the noise.  Everyone wanted to talk to me and I was trying to keep an eye on the young people at the same time. 

This morning I finished freezing the carrots, and then I canned the Haralson apples for pies.  I put 24 of them in the refrigerator for fresh eating -- I really like this variety.  Yesterday I canned the bushel of McIntosh as applesauce.  The apple slices I put in the dehydrator are just about dry.  I slipped a few that were done to Lara without her knowing it.  She calls them "Elf Apples" and thinks the fairies leave them for her.  It makes her very happy knowing that fairies come and leave her little presents.  I told her the apples are more likely from the gnome that lives in the chicken coop and she agreed.  That gnome must have sneaked inside the house when I went to gather eggs this afternoon. . . .

I took a stroll after supper out into the front yard and imagined how to landscape it now that the loggers are finished.  I think I could easily put a two-tiered ring of about 10 fruit trees out there and interplant them with flowers and herbs.  It's kind of hard to describe the lay of the land there now because the knoll where my forest garden was is completely different from what it was.  Instead of a rounded knoll, there is more of an incline that slants toward the house, crests, then slopes down somewhat sharply as it faces the house.  I think that slope would be perfect for herbs and flowers while the top rim and south facing back side of the slope could hold the trees.  There would be much work to do to prepare the soil.  Just some more to think about.

The "check engine" light is back on in the van again so tomorrow Tom is taking it back in to the auto shop.  I still think we should just trade it in for a smaller, more energy efficient car that we can use for grocery shopping and doctor visits.  Oh, well.  I don't think anyone will be doing much driving pretty soon anyway so I suppose it doesn't matter whether or not we get rid of "Big Green". 

Gotta go.  Say, did you remember to make your monthly wish list?