We had a very eventful and busy weekend! The most exciting news, at least for the children, was the official paperwork to secure our new puppies. Anton and Isabella had been very understanding with us not getting another dog until after we moved to the farm. Every month or so, I would be reminded of how they missed their beloved Kela who passed in May 2007. So, while Karl was away in San Diego, I was able to secure a Golden Retriever puppy from a litter. After much discussion and deal making, we actually secured two! Blossom and Katie will have to remain with their momma for another 2 weeks, but it is now official! The breeder even put a flowered collar on Blossom and a red one on Katie to signal they were no longer available. Anton just came to life, laughing and giggling while the puppies chased him around the yard. It was very difficult to pick the puppies out from the litter, but when one let Isabella carry her around like a baby, we knew she would be one of our picks.
After about an hour, Karl and I managed to drag the children away from the puppies because we had other things to do on our "relaxing Sunday". We then proceeded to a berry farm near us. It was a long drive, about an hour. See small town life is really settling into our souls. And we picked about 12 pounds of beautiful blackberries. Anton and Isabella discovered they really like blackberries. It was fun searching for the large ones, about an inch to an inch and a half in length found inside the the branches behind leaves. Since these were the thorn-less type, it was not too difficult to dig into the brambles. It was exhilarating and hot! Karl and I knew why they also sell ice cream at the check out stand. We promised the children ice cream at home and off we went.
Now, I failed to mention what happened on Saturday, mostly because of the huge excitement of the twins. On Saturday, Karl reminded me why I love him so! When we moved into the house, I was upset to find the simple wire shelving installed in the pantry was not able to support the weight of my canning jars, or cans of soup for that matter. While most men would have said to make do, Karl did not. He spent all Saturday constructing wooden shelves inside my 5 1/2 foot wide pantry. He did not complain about the cost or time involved, he just did it. Now Karl loves the smell of fresh cut wood and playing with his power tools, so it was not a total waste of the day for him. The finished product is beautiful! He even put wooden plugs on the front to cover the screw holes making it look so professional. Then to prove how strong the shelves were, he did a few pull-ups for good measure. Now I just need to put everything back into the pantry.
While Karl was being the wood worker, I finished the front beds, and claimed more of the over growth outside. It does not sound as exciting as the pantry project, but it helps us to move closer to the end goal.
Our other excitement on Saturday was out first tick incident. Isabella was the unwitting recipient of the parasite. He was locked in good in her scalp. Karl did the pulling while I held Isabella still and kept the hair pulled away. I just checked the bite, and the redness is going down. I do not see a target right now, but it could appear anytime in the next three weeks. So, I guess this is as good a time as any to contact her new doctor for a quick visit. She needs a refill on her allergy meds anyway.
From ticks to puppies to blackberries, we had a fulfilling weekend. I have a couple of gallon sized bags of frozen blackberries in the freezer, a huge bucket for fresh eating and a cobbler left over from Sunday dinner. Yes, life is good!
