Kim McMahill

The garden is all but done for the season. Only a few hardy plants remain. I had decent production despite an odd summer. I had to plant a couple weeks later than usual due to cold overnight temperatures. It stayed cool and rained pretty much the entire month of June. July and August turned hot, some days reaching over 100 degrees. I had a good harvest of beans, bell peppers, lettuce, cabbage, and chilis/peppers (Anaheim, Serrano, Jalapeno). I got enough corn, tomatoes, zucchini, peas, and cucumbers to enjoy, but not enough to brag about. And, the brussel sprouts never matured. The one big surprise was our grape vines. It’s our vines fourth year and we finally got enough wine grapes to attempt a few bottles of wine. Overall, I’m satisfied, but I’m already looking forward to gardening season 2024.

Despite being a poor swimmer and having a healthy respect for water, I'm fascinated by it. I also understand its vital role in the survival of humanity and our planet. Access to clean water is essential for the health of people around the world, and is necessary for growing food and maintaining a healthy and function ecosystem. But on a less serious side, water has a calming influence on the soul. Nothing is more relaxing than sitting on a beach or lakeshore watching the water or floating down a lazy river. And often, I just enjoy its beauty and am mesmerized by its power.   

I may have posted about this hidden gem before, but it is so interesting, that I wanted to share some more photos. Legend’s Rock Archeological State Park in Wyoming has some amazingly well-preserved petroglyphs. The site is located far from anything and not well advertised, but worth the effort of going a little out of the way.            

As summer winds down and we begin to feel the subtle shift of the seasons, I look back with a little disappointment. Summer is usually my favorite season, but it didn’t start out well and ended even worse. Last summer was consumed with sadness and emotional upheaval. I didn’t think it could get worse, but it did. I won’t go into details since everyone has their own issues to deal with. Instead, I’ll share a few highlights. I’ve always loved to garden, and I think this year’s garden is one of my best ever. I also got to spend a lot of time with my sister this summer, but unfortunately, not under the best of circumstances.  Based on temperature, I always think of summer in Wyoming as running from June through August. Technically, the first day of fall this year is September 23, so I guess the summer isn’t over yet, and I’m still hopeful that things will pick up. WRITING NOTES AND NEWS Editing on the first of four novels in the Beartooth Chronicles, my new young-adult/new-adult acti