Dear Robin,
Welcome back! I love that you are blogging again on your Bumblebee blog. The new design is quite nice, too. Well done, but not over done, which is how I imagine most of your projects turn out. You are to be admired for that!
How are the little dogs, Sarah & Sophie? I noticed from your recent post that one of them, not sure which one, was sick through the night and kept you up or rather woke you up several times through the night. You do know both of your little dogs are spoiled, don’t you? Sure you do.
And your chickens. I know you had chickens long before it became fashionable to have them. Good for you, leading the way, not following!
Speaking of leading the way, I want to follow your lead on preserving food. I have had so many green beans in my garden that I ended up blanching and freezing many bags of them for winter eating. I thought of you when I did so, because I know you do a fair amount of preserving of food. I really do need to get your book, Wisdom for Home Preservers: 500 Tips for Pickling, Canning, Curing, Smoking & More.
I don’t know if I’ll do much pickling, canning, curing or smoking to preserve my food but I’m pretty good with freezing. Your book would surely inspire me to maybe try some other methods of preserving food, especially cucumbers. It’s on my Amazon wish list and would make a great gift for Christmas. (That’s a hint to my family, though I’m not sure any of them read my blog much these days.)
Though, this season my cucumber plants were downright awful. I picked maybe six cucumbers before the vines succumbed to the very wet weather we had in July (record breaking amount, actually, the old record was set in 1875).
Do you know how else you inspire me? You wrote your book while also working full-time. I admire you for that and daily try to figure out if I have enough time, or could clear out a few hours a day or a week, to do likewise. Someday, maybe.
In the meantime, back to the start of my letter. I’m so happy you have started to post on your newly designed blog and look forward to reading more about your gardens, doggies, and chickens.
With a shared love of gardening,
Carol
P.S. I thought it appropriate to enclose a picture of a bee on my Joe-Pye weed. I was going to pick some to bring inside to enjoy but I kid-you-not, every flower had a bee on it, so I decided not to disturb them.
Robin gets more things done than anyone else I know. Don't know how she does it!
The bees are loving the Joe Pye Weed in my garden too. And the hummingbirds are busy in the physostegia.
I so agree with what Kathy said about Robin (and went looking for the like button) I love these letters. gail
Robin inspires all who know her. What a lovely letter.
Every kind of bumblebee. I get it. ~~Dee
Oh, what a nice surprise to see this post, Carol! This is exactly one of the things that I missed when I took my sabbatical from blogging–the exchange of comments and posts that felt like talking over the garden fence.
Thank you for asking about my little girls. The little dogs are getting old. They are on special diets and have a slew of special needs. Some of those needs involved four (FOUR) trips outside during the middle of the night last night. We must look on the bright side though. I was able to sit on the front porch and look to the sky for the meteor shower. Four times. Did I mention I went outside in the middle of the night four times?
Thank you for the encouragement as I ease back into blogging. I admire your fortitude over the years!
~ Your gardening friend,
Robin Ripley
The bees love my Russian sage, as well as, the Joe Pye Weed.
It is nice to know that Robin is blogging again.