This weekend has been the perfect storm of excellent mild weather and time for both relaxing and productivity.

The temperatures have made being outside during the day an absolute joy.

The garden is starting to finally show some signs of the bounty to come.  The bees are all over it lately, and I am so excited to see the results!

I brought home a fig tree from Whole Foods yesterday and planted it today.  There’s already little figs growing on it.  I hope in a few years it produces enough to make fig jam!

We’ve also been seeing more of our neighbors lately.  The little boy across the street loves to visit the flock, and we always love to show them off!  It’s also super important to us that the people living around us are happy with our little homestead. The hollow that our property sits in protects most of the neighbors from animal sounds, but you never know.

Another turtle found wandering around down by the stream!  Lucy was taking an interest in this little guy so Neve relocated him to the garden.

Friendly little Thomas.

I love it when the kids spend full days out of the house; it’s not often that it happens in the summer (unless they are in the pool, but that doesn’t really count as being outside and exploring!).  I’ve spent more time outside exploring as well, and I’ve found countless wild blackberry bushes, wild rosebushes, and even wild blueberry bushes.  It’s important to me that we start trying to make a deeper connection to this land that we own. We will be here for awhile, and taking care of what is here in addition to putting in a mini orchard and improving the soil will be worth it for years and years to come.  Hopefully this will help my kids to grow up with an appreciation for the earth that sustains us and a mindfulness towards its care.

In the meantime, slow down summer.  These beautiful moments are far too fleeting.