So what are you going to do when you retire? If you've got a few minutes let me show you.
Having a passion for living usually requires having a passion for an array of things you enjoy doing.
After eating up a good part of your adult life working, upon retirement, the number of hours you now have to do whatever you want becomes a 24/7 gig.
Going into retirement, passions for this or that, hopefully, have already been kindled.
When I retired, I took with me several hobbies that I knew I would be able to expand on and gardening was one of them.
@farm-mom and I have had a backyard veggie garden for many years, but never one to the extent we do now. Our goal for the past three years has been to grow and store enough produce to get us from one year to the next.
We still need to purchase certain veggies throughout the year, but for the most part, we have realized our goal.
My affection for growing STUFF has now become a hobby only rivaled by my love for woodworking,
It has taken hundreds of hours of hobbitizing in the garden to get to this point and all along the way it has been an experience that continues to ground me.
They're very few things in my life that I do that makes me feel so connected to a power that is hard to explain.
As corny as this may sound, in the early morning hours while tending to what needs a little TLC, a sense of peace washes over my entire being.
Growing our own food is very satisfying, but the chords that are struck while doing so are beyond description.
This time of year here in Upstate NY, the robust greenery envelopes you with its allure, as it quiets your mind.
It's a short growing season in this region, and I think the plants know that, as they waste no time doubling and tripling in stature in a matter of weeks.
It's no wonder that bees fly headfirst into the voluptuousness of the bloom with edible gifts to follow.
I'm not the only life basking in the garden's treasures. This guy can be found in the same spot every day, no longer slithering away when I approach. #Mother #Nature has its own scheme for ridding the pests from the garden, it's called the Web of Life.
Plants climb support structures as others sprawl over the sides of their boundaries. The vines adorned with little yellow flowers later morph into cucumbers.
As the growing season swings into full throttle, tomatoes make their presence known. Different sizes, shapes, and shades of red goodness will serve many purposes.
The surrounding woods that encircle this tranquil environment helps to support its viability.
Sweet Potatoe vines vigorously extend their reach as the sunlight triggers them from their dormancy.
Harvesting veggies from the garden this early in the season is uncommon, and gladly welcomed!
We wanted more pickling cucumbers and with two-quart mason jars already filled with this crunchy sandwich side, our wishes may come true.
The potato flowers bring in the pollinators as the hop vines have reached the peak of their supporting structure.
The cabbage continuously folds one leaf over the next in an effort to become the HEAD of its class..
Kohlrabi slaw with grated carrots mixed throughout is in the making.
The Detroit Dark Red Beets, lush with leaves perfect for juicing, are already calling.
Plantlife explodes, showing its appreciation for the care they have been given. Little do they know that it is I who appreciate the nurturing they have bestowed on me.
My passion for gardening and enjoying the entirety of it all, has not just benefited my stomach, but my physical and mental health as well.
Counter to Dan the man @dandays,that snake is non-venomous and it's a great help with the pests in the garden.
@thebigsweed kudos to you and @farm-mom for growing your own healthy food and nothing tastes better that fresh fruit and vegetables. I suppose it gets too cold there for a few Avocado trees, as I have six growing here that the squirrels planted.
I will have to only keep one, as our small cottage garden can only handle one.
Great rewards there for your loving and tender care.
Blessings to you guys.
!BEER
!PIZZA
!LUV
Another snake lover, at least the ones in my garden are not killers like the two you mentioned. If I found them in the garden, the garden would be all theirs.
No Avacado trees here as it's way too cold. If we were able to grow them in the warmer months, I'd have to pack them up and bring them on vacation with us when we head south in the cold winter months. 😁
Blessings to you and thanks for your continued generosity my friend, always greatly appreciated.
I hope that things in your neck of the woods are somewhat doable, as there seems to be violence exploding all over your nation.
Stay safe!
Hahaha, I only mentioned the snakes to see if @dandays knew them my friend and yes, it's best never to corner those two beauties.
You are right as avo trees don't like cold conditions or frost. They are more of a tropical kind, but luckily we are semi-tropical here.
I think that we have all become immune to the violence and we only deal with the results here. Yes, violence is a constant unfortunately and I cannot see it ending in the near future. We partner with the police, crime victim support unit and some of the stories will make your hair stand up. Sorry not you hair as you are like me, so it will make the hair of your missus stand up 🤣
It is always a pleasure to give, just as it is with you guys and we also thank you guys with your generous hearts.
!BEER with !PIZZA and !LUV for the missus.
@thebigsweed, you've been given LUV from @papilloncharity.
Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. Daily limits change soon, check @LUVshares for info. (2/5)
@thebigsweed! I sent you a slice of $PIZZA on behalf of @papilloncharity.
Learn more about $PIZZA Token at hive.pizza (4/10)
View or trade
BEER.Hey @thebigsweed, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @papilloncharity for you. Enjoy it!Did you know that you can use BEER at dCity game to **buy dCity NFT cards** to rule the world.
@thebigsweed, you've been given LUV from @papilloncharity.
Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. Daily limits change soon, check @LUVshares (1/5)
Smooch snake, friendliest snake in the world snake, cute snake, huggable snake, lovey dovey kissy face snake, insert your favorite snake here: __________________.
They're all deadly to me.
Hahaha, my favorite snake is the Green Mamba my friend and second favorite is a Black Mamba.
They are unfortunately not snakes to play with.
Have a !BEER
View or trade
BEER.Hey @dandays, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @papilloncharity for you. Enjoy it!Do you want to win SOME BEER together with your friends and draw the
BEERKING.@thebigsweed! I sent you a slice of $PIZZA on behalf of @papilloncharity.
Learn more about $PIZZA Token at hive.pizza (1/10)
A great looking garden. There’s nothing better than fresh veggies from your own garden.
Now that snake may be non-venomous and eats a lot of pests in the garden but I would be running from it like a crazy person if I saw one.
Have I told you lately how much it must suck for those kids to have Sweed for a grandpa?
Coulda done without the sssssssnake!
I included the snake just for you. With your recent purchase, you may be seeing a lot more of them.
That's what they keep saying. Ssssssnakes out here swim too! 🥶
Only water snakes swim, the big ones are great swimmers, and once they catch their prey they pull them under the water, never to be seen again.
Just wonderful my friend. I feel the same peace when I am in the gardens also. Now let's talk about how I feel when I'm in the rose garden. Heavenly!!!!
Plantlife is certainly exploding in your garden, so lush green and promising.
Exploding they are, but with all of the rain we have been getting we sure could use a couple of sunny days.
I feel the same way its been raining non stop for three days and by the bucket fulls. I see a lot of caterpillars on my cabbages and can't do much until the rain stops.
Those little buggers are hard to find. When I see any trail of them, poop, I know they are in there somewhere, hiding in the folded leaves. It doesn't take too long for them to destroy the entire head of cabbage. 😥
I'm getting ready to build an ark.
You are lucky to have a plot of land to grow your veggies.
I'm the luckiest guy I know, and I appreciate every moment as you never know when things will change.
View or trade
BEER.Hey @thebigsweed, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @papilloncharity for you. Enjoy it!Do you want to win SOME BEER together with your friends and draw the
BEERKING.I admire your garden!
This is organic farming!
And harmony in everything!
Bravo!
Thanks, @bartolomee, gardening has provided us with so much in the way of food and peaceful moments.
You are living in my dream. I started the post feeling a little envious but ended up with full blown jealousy haha. I love the broccumbers!
The broccumbers, I wasn't sure what to call them, but I do now.
You're a funny gal, thanks for the reply!
Well... Well.. I tell you what my previous hard contender on foodfightfriday!!
If your garden is around my neighborhood, you'll get famous and need to charge me some fee.. because I'm going to explore your garden for wednesdaywalk, treetuesday and sundaywalk too, LOL
But No Snake, Please!
Most of them are actually harmless for you.
Well hello, there @cicisaja. It has been a while since those good old #fff competitions.
It's good to hear from you again.
Thanks for such a nice reply, and if you were in the neighborhood, you would be leaving with a bag full of goodies.
I would just check out the bag real carefully as it may include a snake or two, non-venomous of course.
A few snakes in a bag along with some veggies, that may provide you with some blog material, but I have a funny feeling that that post may have to be muted due to some inappropriate language. 😁
You really do have a fine garden!
I like those raised planting boxes, way easier on the back...
Way easier on the back for sure!
Thanks for stopping in my friend!
Love the shots from overhead. I've often wished I could do that with the veg gardens. But alas, the New Herb is the only one I can see from the second floor.
Gardens are doing well!
The overhead pictures I took from a tree that I put a ladder next to and then climbed up several branches to get the first few pics. As a kid, I was constantly climbing trees, this is the first one I have climbed in a while and it may be the last.
I used to climb a huge maple when I was a kid. I could watch what was going on around me and when it was leafed out, no one could see me. It's been decades since I climbed a tree.... I let my intern do it:
That's what I'm talking about. I think it's a good idea to leave the climbing up to the youngsters.
Luv the pic.
I enjoyed your post. Beautiful hobby you chose. I love fruits from your own gardening, they are healthier.
Thanks for stopping in @ladyfont. Gardening has become a wonderful hobby, one that gives us much pleasure, especially during the cold winter months as we pull produce from the fridge from a garden now covered in snow.
I am so envious of your beautiful veggie garden, all that TLC certainly shows as everything looks so healthy! We have a monkey problem and they eat everything even before it's reached maturity, but they are hungry as more and more of their natural habitat is being used for building homes!
What kind of snake is that? I'm terrified of snakes even though they're in abundance here in KZN!
Enjoy your fresh produce.
Some people hold them on their necks and on their arms.
They are not so bad.
We don,t have any problems with monkeys, thank goodness as I'm not sure how you would keep those guys out of any garden. We do have a problem with the deer, but a little egg and milk mixture sprayed around the garden works great.
I'm not a big fan of snakes either. I do believe the one you see in this post is a garter snake and it's a non-venomous snake, I hope.
You mean God? You can feel that when you are in the nature. At least it is a very peaceful, calming and relaxing experience.
Not necessarily in a garden, but in the nature in general. For example on a field, in a forest, on a mountain, in a park. Anywhere in the nature.
Thanks for the reply @xplosive. That feeling of peacefulness does occur when one is out and about in Mother Nature's garden, whether it be our garden or any place nature has displayed her beauty.
I'm not sure why your comment was muted, but I do appreciate it.
Have a blessed day.
My comment was muted? Which one? The above? I did not even know it. This is something new. Maybe this is the reason behind the lack of interaction under my posts. Because some of my comments are muted, so people do not even see them.
Thank you for the good wish. I also wish you a blessed day.
This reply was muted as well, Do you have any idea what is going on?
No, I currently do not know anything about this.
I made a question in a post, maybe I will get an answer from someone:
Why my comments are muted in the Silver Bloggers community?.
By the way, the post is also muted.
This is either a misunderstanding, or censorship.
I believe it has been a mistake, please keep me informed if you happen to find out what is going on!
Yay! 🤗
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Thanks kid!
You have a garden snake! I used to have one in my garden that we named Louise after the telepathic snake in the Wrinkle in Time books. She occasionally startled me when I reached to pull a weed without knowing she was there, but usually we got on just fine.
Your garden is so lush and beautiful this year! You are either getting more rain than we are, or else you are doing a lot of irrigating!
Lots of rain and then sunshine, a perfect mix.
The first time I noticed the snake I was also pulling weeds.
I must admit, I was a little more than startled.
Knowing that the snake is there every morning, we've become pretty good friends.
The section of the garden that he likes to hang out in, is totally void of slugs. 😁