"They looked other-worldly, almost prehistoric. First one enormous ghostly white shape alighted on the pond, followed shortly thereafter by four more. As they moved closer to the house and were no longer blocked from view by the island, their silhouettes became clear - pelicans! Our main pond is not that large, only about 1.3 acres, so we were surprised to see these large water birds stop in. They stayed for less than an hour, but it was a memorable visit."

I also found out that pelicans can eat adult ducks if they can fit them in their oversized bill pouches, so I didn't mind it when they moved along. I don't think our flock was in danger because they are all fairly sturdy, but it's best that the pelicans moved on to somewhere more well-stocked will pelican chow, just in case. (This was our original duck flock, though it has grown since I wrote this article.)

We have egrets and herons that stop in regularly to hunt frogs and fish in the shallows, but the recent pelican visit was a first. It never ceases to amaze me how wildlife finds this place. There were no ponds when we moved here (we dug both of them), yet now the ponds have at least five different types of frogs. How do they know to come?

It's Father's Day today, but our primary plan for the day is making more progress in the garden. I never really cared for Father's Day growing up, as either my dad nor my stepdad were very good fathers. Thankfully, I have been blessed with a good husband who is also a good father - but he's not much for ostentatious celebrations. A good meal in good company is enough.

Though we are at mid-June, there's still time in many areas to tuck in some heat loving crops, or plan ahead for fall crops. You can use these seed starting - planting charts to help you plan.

I know in our area, we've been seeing colder springs and warmer falls, so my growing season has shifted a bit in recent years from what's typical for the area. (Have you noticed any differences in your location?) I was talking to a neighbor this week, and he said their melons couldn't tolerate our most recent cold snap and died. This past week was quite cool, but now the coming week is predicted to be hot. It's one extreme to the next.

Well, that challenging garden is calling, so I'm going to wrap up for now.

All our best to you and yours,

Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)

This week's featured articles...

I got into research mode and did some digging and updating. If you've been a subscriber for a bit, you may remember a recent newsletter discussion about plastic fabrics (and plastic everything) and microplastic pollution. That got me thinking about plastic cutting boards (which I personally don't use, as I explained in this article).

Just how much plastic do cutting boards shed? The answer may surprise you. I share results from recent studies in "Are plastic cutting boards safe?"

We also cover tips for cleaning your cutting boards and general cutting board care.

Our bushes and vines are just blooming, but for those of you blessed with berries already, this blueberry blackberry jam is a keeper. I brought up a jar this week to have with homemade waffles, and it is so good!

This honey sweetened lemonade recipe is also great for summer gatherings - or just to enjoy yourself! I've included tips for using lemon-scented herbs, like lemon balm or lemon verbena.

Speaking of herbs, I'm joining a group of homestead bloggers to over a special Herbal Home & Apothecary Bundle this week. It's going to be available for free from June 17th to 19th. You can get on the waitlist here to make sure you don't miss it.

I'll also be sending out reminder emails this week with more information. I have some new products included that I think you'll enjoy.