SUMMER GARDENS, A SMALL VINEYARD

Dear Family,

Mom came rushing in with the news, "You have two bunches of grapes on the grapevines!" This was news indeed, not quite as startling as a new grandchild but close.

I was a bit jealous of all our kids grape vines, Cathy has established vines in their Bountiful house. When Al and Paul and family recently bought a little farm in Munis, MI they had an established vineyard. The previous owner was from California and brought in some California wine grapes and they have the best little vineyard. Those grapes also make great grape juice.

So this spring, we went to a nursery and bought three starts, two Concord grapes vines and an eating grapes vine. We dug out an old hedge, worked the soil and got someone to build a very stout support (with visions of hundreds of pounds of grapes growing).

I would check the progress almost daily and it was slow. I gave up on grapes this year as it takes a while to establish the vines. A friend who has a vineyard said to pluck any grapes off this year but it was so great to see some production, I can't bring myself to do it until ripe.

Everyone talks about a "farm gene" in our family. I must say, I did not particularly like the little farm my Dad bought when we moved to Utah because the chores interfered with my studies but it must have had a deep impression because we bought a little farm in Michigan and we had horses, sheep, pigs, a little steer, ducks and chickens until the foxes got them and a huge garden. We never got to the canning phase of things back then but we ate awfully good food in August and September.

The kids all disliked the garden work but now almost each has their own garden, even Cheryl who has these gourmet raised boxes with automatic sprinklers and has a lush garden. Rick bought a little tree farm in the Sierras, Bry bought the farm in Michigan and Al has on her own little farm

Our space in Salt Lake is limited but Mom gets in a garden anyway. The bushes in the front lawn hide squash and eggplants and she has this little 4' x 4' box loaded with tomatoes. Here is a shot of Mom's petite garden. There is a great joy in turning soil, planting seeds or starts and watching things grow. We are following Church counsel as well when we have our gardens.

There has been all sorts of summer fun in the family. I got this picture off Al's blog. Rob and Eva and Jeff and Tammy were back in Michigan to celebrate school reunions and visit family there. There was a summer 'Sound of Music Festival' .

Here is a picture of Eva wearing her mother's Dirndle ( she is from the Voralberg region of Austria) and with the dis in their outifts. There is Peter in his Lederhose and the girls in their Dirndles. They went onstage and she looked like Maria with all the kids. So fun!

We have been busy in our church assignments. Went to a YSA ward conference yesterday and managed to slip up to hear Doug's High Council talk and it was very good. There have been blessing appointments as well so we keep busy.

Bear Lake next week with Mike and his family for the Labor Day Holiday.

Love, Dad