Garden Explosion = Travel Implosion

Our Friday morning started with me telling my ever-patient husband “I know that you’re going to work today, we still have to pack, drive 2.5 hours and set up our tent tonight, but I have a lot of canning to do…”

[PLEASE tell me I’m not the only one!]

Really, though, what can be done? When the garden bursteth forth, the garden truly bursteth forth!

I did have a helper for a bit of that time. I have be honest, though, even if I were given an army of helpers, it would be hard to pull me away from the goings on at our little homestead, especially in a time like August! Ahh, August…

If you don’t put your beans up, you might come home to wrinkly beans, or pale fridge beans. Such a waste. It is not unusual for us to “just have to” pick that berry hedge before a trip or we’ll lose them all, grab those tomatoes before the squirrels do, or go rumbling through the squash bed so we don’t come home to a bloated mess. All before climbing in the car to get to that other place – usually with a bowl full of something from the garden for snacking. The garden has a vigor of its own, and we don’t get to pick the timing of its celebratory summer hurrahs. There is usually at least one or two trays of tomatoes that get tossed in the freezer each summer because I just can’t get to them right that moment.

I do love me some beautiful travels, though, cozying up in our tent (even if it is midnight before we can get there), busting out some amazing hikes, and time together.

Anyone recognize those rocks? That shore screams Duluth! And Tall Ships it was, folks.

The weather was of fall, the skies were dramatic – quite a suiting backdrop for the sails that graced the waters, and, um, that rubber duck, too.

Yes, Tall Ships + the world’s largest rubber duck, the latter was viewable for miles. You just might be able to guess which was more exciting for at least half of our party.

What last-minute garden items get tossed on your clock when you’re trying to step away for a few days?