The end of something beautiful...

So today was my last day at Elk Creek Garden.  It's finally sinking in that I won't be waking up and gardening tomorrow.  Phill and Kevin helped us at the garden harvesting some food for deliveries.  Then we made some zucchini bread to take on the road.  Sara has been amazing and is sending us off with lots of vegetables.  I am going to miss her delicious food.  We spent the day at Crater Lake, then came home for my last dinner with Sara and Sherm.  It's all happening too fast.  I wish I could slow it down, because I feel rushed, even though I've had all summer.

I honestly can say that it has been one of the best, more amazing summers of my life.  The people I've met are some of the most beautiful people, in every way.  I've gotten to not only garden in a beautiful place, but I got to do it with one of the most interesting and inspiring people.  I came into this summer, with an idea of what I wanted to do with my life, but I'm now open to a lot more after my experiences here. I'm even at a loss of words now to fully describe my love and appreciation for this place.  It will always have a special place in my heart, and I will never forget Sara.  It was always a great time working with her and she has taught me so much.  We've had lots of laughs and good talks, and even some good silence when we were just working around the garden.  

No words or pictures could convey the experience I've had this summer.  I feel more connected to this world, and to people that I thought possible.  Here's to an unforgettable summer...

: ) Love

September?!

September is here already...what happened to summer?  I feel as if I blinked and it was over.  My experience at Elk Creek Gardens is coming to end...but to my next blog post will I get to that...it's not yet time to be sad.

Things have been fairly mellow here so far.  It hasn't rained in a long time, so long I can't even remember when.  So it's been dry and hot; a little cooler lately though with mornings around 45 degrees. Brrrr.  We've been doing a lot of harvesting, putting bags together, and preserving!  I have been lacking on pictures lately (where is Lisa when you need her!) but we've pickled cucumbers, canned tomato sauce, canned beets, and more cucumbers.  

I also made applesauce the other day with one of these apples...

We have also planted some more for the fall.  It's slowing down, but there is still a lot of other action going on.  The gophers are still munching on plants as I turned over a melon today and it was hallowed out.  The deer made their way into the greenhouse and nibbled on the Napa cabbage...not all the extra ones, but the ones I transplanted, and not the small ones, but the bigger ones.  It's tough.  It's tough because all our hard work is constantly challenged by the animals and the bugs, that seem to never quite give up.  But on the other hand, can you blame them?  Here is a beautiful, luscious garden bursting with a bounty of options for them to choose from.  They're not targeting us, but only trying to survive.  But man, it's so frustrating trying to grow this food to feed yourself and others, and then find your lettuce nibbled down to the ground.  Thankfully there aren't eating it all, and we can get enough food...for now.

Today was a really relaxing day.  Sara and I had coffee and breakfast and talked for a bit waiting for the weather to wake up.  We made it out to the garden and got lots done on the list.  More cucumbers to be picked for pickling, melons to be turned and checked on, facets to be fixed, tomatoes to be picked, and have the ladybugs escape inside : )  So we did some preserving and watched a western movie about Captain Jack.  It was quite interesting...although we were missing Sherm who could have told us how in line the story was with the truth.  

For now, the garden seems to be giving us a break on the weeds, but the tomatoes and cucumbers are keeping us out there all the time.  I swear the cucumbers grow the second you leave.  They're small by morning, and overgrown by night.  Fast growers; and even though you can eat them when they're bigger they have developed their seeds and that is why you may get gas from digesting them.  But those big guys are great for chickens for love to peck at them.

One more week in Oregon, and at this beautiful paradise, then off to new adventures in California.  I'll be visiting a farm in Pescadero that will hopefully hire me for a year apprenticeship.  I'm crossing my fingers!