JULY 2022

JULY should start off with a BANG, and it did. We took a fun trip to Smith Mtn Lake to do some exploring of our new home state and to enjoy an afternoon and evening celebrating the 4th of July: food, entertainment, and fireworks. The whole lake was aglow with explosions and fun.

July 11-15th was Tim's last trip to St. Louis and when his truck pulled into the driveway with that final load, it was a welcome relief that we were finally here with ALL our stuff.

The garden, grapes, blueberries and apples were doing well. It was thrilling to see our largest mackintosh apple tree continue to support apples. It was now time to add strawberries to the garden. I built a raised bed using logs from trees that had been cut down and started my first plants. Unfortunately, the nurseries were having problem with stock and sent mostly dead plants. One survived and I got a refund on the order. That one went crazy and completely filled the bed – such a deal.

We had moved the chickens now to the new coop and added electric fence to keep out predators. Periodically, Tim would let them out to free-range. However, when they heard the sound of grain in a bucket, they all came a runnin'. They seemed quite happy for the enlarged space. And still, Tim started having new ideas on how to manage them.

Tim also took time time to discover the woods (we have about 12 wooded acres) He began planning the space for the goats (next on his list of animals). You could hear him in the woods, clearing trees with the tractor and chainsaw and creating the fence-line spaces.

Sadly, on July 23, I got the call, Mom had passed away. She was 96. I drove back to St. Louis to bid her farewell for the last time. Tim, Nat, and Mallory flew in, and Billy was a great comfort, helping with visitation preparations. Nat, Billy and our two nephews, Mike and John, were pallbearers We were all present to send her off to her new heavenly home, placing her memorial in the family cemetery in Olney MO, alongside Dad and near the rest of the Edwards clan.