Garden Update

My garden is growing fabulously. I would just like to thank my compost and my organic fertilizer!

Before...

After...

Abby's flowers...

My basil...

More of Abby's flowers...

"Hitchhiker" cantalopes. I didn't plant them, the seeds came in with the compost...

Abby with the jalepenos...

Baby jalepeno...

My cilantro has flowered out but still growing and spreading...

Mint is speaing also...

My tomatoes are my pride and joy. They are HUGE and full of blooms!

Baby heirlooms...

Baby plum tomatoes...

Fish Bustin' Rodeo

We entered Abby in the Fish Bustin' Rodeo this weekend at Cheatham Dam. It is basically a fish tournament for kids. Parents are allowed to help, but the kids are expected to do the fishing. It is organized by TN Corp of Engineers. They stock the pond with 1500 lbs of catfish prior to the event. The kids are allowed to keep all the fish they catch but can only weigh in their biggest five. There is also a prize for the smallest fish.

Abby caught a catfish.

Daddy put the worm on her hook and helped her cast her line.

Jacob pretty much played with fishing equipment the whole time. Note his wet shirt. Josh left his Red Bull unattended and Jacob tried to drink it. Oh my!

There was quite a crowd there. Everyone lines kept getting tangled!

Jacob playing peek-a-boo.

Lunch was provided - hot dogs, chips, lemonade or fruit punch. Perfect for the kids...

I couldn't resist taking a picture of Josh in the little chair. hahaha!

Bicentennial Trail

We rode bikes on the Bicentennial Trail in Ashland City yesterday. It is a great place to ride or walk. It is mostly shaded and cool thanks to its proximity to the Cumberland River.

It is part of the "Rails to Trails" program where old railroad tracks are being converted to walking trails for public use.

Abby rode her bike for 4+ miles! The more she rides, the stronger and faster she is getting. Also, she had no crashes! Yay!

Jacob rode in the bike trailer. I pulled him with my bike. He did pretty well but did not like it when I stopped or stood up on the bike.

We had a great time, but man my butt is sore! I forgot how painful bike riding can be! hahaha!

Composting 101

Composting at home is an easy way to make organic fertilizer for your plants and garden. It is also another great way to recycle and it easier than you might think.


Things that you can compost are:

• fruit and vegetable scraps


• leaves and grass cuttings


• shredded newspaper/cardboard


• plant material


• coffee grounds
  
• egg shells

Things you do not want to compost:

• any kind of fats or animal product


• animal feces


• whole eggs
  
• "table scraps"
  

I use a coffee can in the house to store all my scraps until I am ready to take them out to the composter. Something with a lid is definitely preferable or you might get fruit flies.

One of the common myths is that composting will smell bad or stink. This is not true. If you do not put animals products, fat, oils, etc. in your compost it will not stink. At the worst, it will have a slightly sour smell but it is not bad.

So the next step is adding your scraps to the outdoor composter. There are several options for this. Probably the best is a barrel or rotisserie composter. I am lucky enough to have one of these. They are great because they are easy to "turn". Turning the compost makes it break down more quickly.

Other options are a compost pile in which the material is turned with a rake or hoe. My first composter was homemade from a plastic trashcan. Here is how to make one:

http://www.ehow.com/how_16876_make-compost-bin.html

It is important to always start a composter with a couple of shovels of soil. The soil contains all the microbes that are going to break down your materials and create the compost. Also, it is important to keep your compost warm and moist. This is the environment in which the microbes thrive and are most active. It will need to be watered as it dries out.

It is also important to note that many times your composter will be occupied by "critters". Usually some sort of larvae will be munching on your scraps. Some people might be grossed out by this but it helps me to look at them as just one stage is a life cycle. Also, they actually speed up the composting process so they can be somewhat beneficial.

Once your compost is done "cooking", scoop it out and enjoy the happiest plants ever!

Happy Composting! :)

Dean and Sarah's Wedding Video

Here is my bro's wedding video. You can skip forward to 5:36 to see Abby's appearance but I would watch the whole thing :) It was the best wedding and I am not a fan of weddings. That is probably why Josh and I eloped - hahaha! The music was great - all were friends and family of the bride and groom. My brother is a musician and has some very talented friends. Also, the officiant was wonderful. It was his first wedding and he told everyone "if anyone sees a reason why these two should not be married, just keep it to yourself because I don't how to deal with that." hahaha. He was really funny and helped everyone relax. It was a great day. I am glad we got to be part of it.

Sarah and Dean's Wedding from Sarah Bratcher on Vimeo.

Fall Creek Falls

We got back last night from a great camping weekend at Fall Creek Falls. We went with some friends that have kids the same age as ours. The weather was WONDERFUL and the kids did really great.

If you have never been to FCF it is a great family destination with tons of stuff to do for all ages.
The girls rode their bikes on the paved bike path around the lake. We went to the nature center and saw taxidermied wildlife. There are several waterfalls to check out. The most impressive, of course, is Fall Creek Falls. At 256 ft. it is the tallest waterfall in the eastern U.S. The kids also liked the suspension bridges (although they made me a bit nervous).

There are playgrounds, a recreational center and olympic (and kiddie) pool. The water was cold but the girls loved it. Abby even wanted to try the diving board. Considering she doesn't know how to swim I figured we better wait.

They have organized activities all summer. The weekend we were there they had a bluegrass band play Sat. night. They had scheduled kickball games, guided pontoon boat tours, guided hiking tours and more.

Abby went fishing and caught her first fish - a little bluegill, I believe. The lake is great. It is very clean and they don't allow power boats. It actually holds the state record for Channel Catfish and Bream.

We had a great time and can't wait to go back. Next trip we plan to rent a boat, go horseback riding, play pool at the rec. hall, hike to the base of the falls and make some crafts at the craft center. I would like to check out the park restaurant, too!

We did learn a few things that need fixing before our next trip. Namely we need a bigger tent. Our old tent was great for all the couple's camping Josh and I used to do, but it is not so great for 4 people. Josh slept most nights with Abby's feet in his face. hahaha! We also need sleeping bags. I just took a wool quilt and blankets and we froze out butts off at night (low was about 50 degrees). We have a few other tweaks but we can't wait fo the next trip!

Check out out pics below.