Another Friday

Time for Skywatch Friday and Friday Foto Friends as well as a brief update on a few things.

We've had a bit of rain this week.

I did not mind as it came after a week and some days of rather warmish weather. 

In addition, I just like when the rain falls so the garden can get a good soaking.

You can see in the distance that there are now two cranes at the site of the high rise that will be built on the horizon.

The crane in the foreground has been there for a long time but things don't seem to be happening that quickly.

It suits me fine because the slower the building goes up, the longer I have a view of the mountains.

In related news, I found out that the new grocer in a small mall near by has signed a 20 year lease with the owner rather than a 10 year lease. That means that there is much less likelihood of the mall being torn down and condominiums going up in its place. I've heard the rumour for years that the new development was around the corner. Now at least there is a reprieve.

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In garden news, my vegetable garden hasn't done very well except for snap peas. I didn't even pick them except one to taste and some bird or animal ate the rest There wasn't a bountiful harvest as I only grew a small amount to try them out. Maybe I will plant more next year.

All the kale I planted was also eaten as were the cherry tomatoes.

The kale grew twice and some rodent or other, ate them twice.  The kale seems to be growing again but this time much more slowly.

The cherry tomatoes have grown once and been eaten before I could pick them. They are now regrowing but still at the green stage.

I'm waiting to see if they will have a chance to ripen before they are eaten by the birds.

My cucumbers did not grow at all.  It is my fault as I waited until the plant was too dry and root bound before I translated it. I tried to revive it but it didn't work.  It's too bad as I seldom see cucumber plants in the stores around town during the Spring season and I wanted to see how long it took to grow. A lot of things do grow in my garden but they grow slowly due to less sunshine and poor soil conditions.  Every year I am improving the soil bit by bit. It is challenging to get new soil and enough good compost into the garden given I am above ground and there is no way to access the garden from the outside.

The peppers have been extremely slow in growing. I don't know if they will ever come out but there is another month or so left in our summer so we will see. Perhaps they need much warmer weather than we've been having this summer.

My flowers seemed to do better.

First time for me to grow Black Eyed Susan

I forget the name of this plant but it attracts the hummingbirds.

I love to capture raindrops on the flowers.

The geranium leaves above have captured a pool of water.

The salmon coloured geranium below looks pretty with spots of water all over the petals.

The hostas did not do well in the main garden
(I did not take a photo of the remaining hosta in the main garden). 

For some reason it seems to do much better in a container. 

The soil in the main garden is probably still lacking nutrients despite my efforts to boost it every year.

I find it easy to grow plants in containers.

But if ones waits too long to water the container plants they can die so quickly.

That happened with my pansies but I managed to resuscitate them.

If I'm lucky they will survive the rest of the summer but they have thinned out a lot since the start of the season.

Petunias always seem to do well.

I think I over watered the Solomon's Seal this year because the leaves are turning yellow unlike other years.

But I still love how the raindrops look against the beautiful leaves.

The plant below is a  called Rhoeo. It doesn't like much rain and is prone to root rot. 

I've planted it under a tree so hopefully it will grow bigger. It's growth has been slow but suddenly it is starting to grow.  I love the colourful leaves.

In book reading this week I  read a wonderful book about early English colonial life in Kenya.  Circling the Sun is actually about the life of Beryl Markham (born Beryl Clutterbuck) and her life of adventure.  Beryl not only became the first licensed female horse trainer in Kenya, but the first female pilot too.

During the early days of aviation, Beryl was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west. She lived in Kenya during the time of Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) and Denys Finch Hatton as well as Lord and Lady Delamere.

When I am travel to Kenya I often hear others mention Karen Blixen (who lived near Nairobi) and Lord Delamere (who lived near Naivasha).  So I find it both interesting and useful to read more about their lives and the lives of others who lived during Kenya's early colonial times.

I am now reading 

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News in Kenya

Some of you will remember the young girl who ran away from arranged marriage and is now going to school far from her home. She was recently in hospital fighting for her life but is now back to her adopted home and recovering well. She is expected to be fine after having surgery to removed fluids from the lungs.

After release from hospital and further rest she is now back in school.

Please pray she will do well in school and be able to continue her studies.

There is also the young man who had the horrible tumour on his lower face and neck. 

He had the tumour removed in Nairobi and went home to undergo chemotherapy.
Due to multiple factors he didn't complete his chemotherapy.

He is not doing well and is very weak in ICU.

My friend has travelled to see the boy and be with him during this trying time.

Please pray for this orphan boy.

James 5:15
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

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