Four months in, still mostly at home.

Given all that is going on in the world, a post about our mostly-idyllic mountain life has seemed wholly trivial.

It’s hard to believe we’re four months into the dreadful COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to feel infinitely lucky to be in this space at this time.

The seasons spin on. Mid-summer is here, and the garden has come alive.

For the first time in a handful of years, we had a good crop of apricots. Apricots are tricky here. They flower in February, when it is usually very, very wet. This year, we had an optimally dry February that allowed for good apricot pollination. To me, apricots taste like summer. They are such a delicious treat, made even more special by the relative rarity of having a successful crop here.

We got a big piece of Monterey Bay king salmon from H&H Fish Market in Santa Cruz, and used our smoker for the first time. It was delicious!

We’re growing Zeolights calendula for the first time, and it is so beautiful. Almost glowing.

We have been eagerly watching our artichoke in anticipation of its bloom. I started it from seed about a year ago, never really having an intention of eating it. I’m much more interested in the spectacular florescent purple flowers.

We’re experimenting with growing honey nut squash (small butternuts) and cucumbers on trellises. The plants are happy, and they take up less room this way.

We’re also growing a Tokyo Blue Squash plant, which is a Japanese pumpkin. ONE PLANT. It has wrapped its way all the way around this 4’x’4′ bed, has an arm growing up the reed fence in front, and one growing along the back fence, almost halfway down the fence line. Every day, it puts on more growth. I wonder how big it will get by the time everything is all said and done. It’s amazing to think about this having grown from one small seed.

We’re growing potatoes for the first time. It’s interesting to see how their flowers are similar to tomato flowers – they’re both in the nightshade family.