If only it were the lazy days of summer...

Wow!  Time has certainly flown this year.  So much has occurred since my last post THREE months ago!!!  Culinary classes have been such fun.  I've taken seafood, cooking science, entree salad and summer soup classes already with meat, Moroccan, puff pastry and sugar art classes already registered.   Can't wait!   Tonight we are making fresh tuna steaks with a basil-lemon-olive oil marinade.   The basil was fresh from the garden of course :)   Yummmmmm...

The bees are doing well but we won't have any honey this year.   They have almost finished filling the foundation in the second hive body.  With all the hot, dry weather we've had in July, we've had to feed them pollen patties.    Luckily the past few days have blessed us with rain.  At least they have plenty of water.

Many of the fruits and veggies didn't survive the late June, July droughts.  We are planning to re-organize our water supply system.   Rain barrels will be supplemented by a new cistern.    Flowers did well as you can see.

The figs too are doing well.   Tomorrow I will be making fig preserves.

The chickens are growing well.   This is El Cid, our egg flock rooster, a Euskal Oilak (Basque Chicken.)   Love this breed, they are so friendly and docile.