Holly, thanks for the horse poop tip. I was just saying to Cait that I’m going to ask the farmer down the road for some. I’m familiar with the benefits of cow and chicken manure but not so much with horse, so — good to know.

No, peacocks are not native to these parts. This fellow was just a random visitor in our town. He made regular appearances at the local post office, stood at the entrance to the grocery store and really liked waking people up at 5am shrieking something wicked only other peacocks would understand. How he found his way to OUR yard was an amusing mystery. Seems though, most living beings find their way to my door, be it dogs, cats, injured birds or….teenagers! They know they’ll all be fed and looked after. What’s an earth mother to do?

A wayward peacock? Do they run free where you live? Cool! I’m actually thinking of getting a couple of chickens for their eggs and poop for fertilizer, and not necessarily in that order. ;)

Nothing better than cherished memories of our children learning to love what grows in the garden. With Cait, it was snap peas.

1) The wayward peacock that inhabited our backyard thought my garden was his personal food bank, yet his poop did a wonderful job in growing the best tomatoes we’ve ever had!
2) Bending and hoeing did a better job in getting my hips, quads and hamstrings in shape then the evil elliptical did at the gym.
3) My spearmint, despite all my attempts to contain it, still exploded in my garden and refuses to go away as I write. Tea anyone?
4) Sunflowers are my most beloved flower of all. You can’t help but smile when you see them….and I smiled a lot.
5) And lastly, I have the vivid and now cherished picture, of my five year-old with her little apron full of cherry tomatoes coming through the back door smiling ear-to-ear! I’ll never forget it. Not ever…..

So, while not big discoveries in and of themselves, these are the simple things my garden brought me this summer….seems my bounty was joy and contentment…..I think I’ll be planting those seeds again and again!