Early mornings are nice, sometimes the only quiet concentration where I can just think my own thoughts!  Grin.  You know...not thinking through who needs what done when.  Not thinking over the errands to do and the errands forgotten yesterday and so forth.  So, this morning was nice...watched a John Denver concert after hubby went to work, which, of course, inspired my poetic senses to complete some stuff in my files.  Don't know how well it turned out, but the file of partially completed ideas had grown, so I did a little work with it.  Still have a lot of incomplete work.  But it was fun. 

Sports are the activity of the week.  We met one of three soccer coaches this weekend.  DD is on a team which includes two sets of siblings composing 5 of the 9 team members.  Along with two other teammates and DD, we have a pretty good looking team, skillwise.  14 yo is getting in shape, and 13 yo ds got some extra batting instruction yesterday, and was hitting really well.  He has games this weekend.  14 yo has a carwash.  Mom and Dad have shuttle service.  Double grin!

The tomatoes are kicking into gear in the garden!  You know it's getting there when you can serve tacos for four days in a row, and not have to purchase tomatoes to supplement.  The cucumbers are slowly getting there...I picked 3 last night.  They're looking good...just wish more had taken.  My pole beans are climbing, and I got 3 beans off the bush bean plants...ummm....I think I still have a couple of gallon ziplocs in the freezer from last year...gotta get busy.  DS spotted 3 watermelons in the back corner.  I really hope they get as big as the seed company's info indicated.  Lots of stuff going to seed...radishes, lettuce, spinach...need to check on seed saving info! 

The turkeys are getting quite big...of the 8, I think at least 2 are Toms.  Might have to separate at least one of them out so we don't end up with fighting Toms.   I'll probably switch to the finisher feed for at least one, so that I don't end up slaughtering a bird that has no fat.  Last year we had 3 Toms, one died due to fighting, we thought.  We slaughtered another so there wouldn't be any further senseless loss.  That bird was pretty dry when it was all said and done, not much fat.  The feeds are altered the last several weeks to fatten them up a bit.  I'd like to actually have one, come Thanksgiving, that weighs in as nicely as the one we had two years ago. 

I picked up a pair of Belgian Quail at the feed store last week.  I've thought it might be nice to try raising them as a small meat bird.  Hubby teased me last night, said I got taken.  They look more like chickens than like the desert quail we're used to seeing.  Nevertheless, I'm gonna see how it all turns out.  We lost a pheasant yesterday.  One of the families on the soccer team was our source for the pheasants and pheasant eggs.  Relieved to know that their hatch rate wasn't super spectacular either.  The male pheasant has pretty feathers coming in. 

Well, enough rambling for the morning.  Little ones are stirring, and I have a few things to do before the day is full force.  Busy garden morning, busy sports afternoon.  Abundant life!

Blessings from the ranch!