Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Finally!

The Asparagus beans have been in since March/April and whereas it took them months to vine, they've grown and grown and grown to the point where they've gone over the side of the trellis you see here and have made a jumble of a mess on the other side that's acting like a canopy! However, they have never yet flowered.
Until today! Look what I FINALLY found.
I can't wait to have these things grow to size. What should I do with them when I do get them? How will I know when they're fully ready to pick? I'm so excited.

I'm also excited to say the pool is open and functional and the kids are having a blast with it. Our neighbor came over the other day with her kids and brought her under water camera. I can't believe the incredible shots this thing took. Here's the girl. She can swim like a fish, but she can't touch the bottom, so we make her wear the life vest.

The boy is also great in the water. He's just realized he can dive down to get sunken toys and is working on his handstand.
What I find so interesting is that neither kid can swim above water. They both can, however, swim the breast stroke under the water. It makes me wonder how the swimming instructors around here make them learn to do the freestyle first and foremost when it's so much more difficult to windmill your arms rather than do the breast stroke. They're so concerned about style that the kids are constantly still afraid of the water and aren't learning simply how to swim. Neither kid had any success with the freestyle taught in swim lessons, but they picked up on the breast stroke within 30-45 minutes and were swimming back and forth. I'm grateful they can do it. I'll work on style later.

It just makes me wonder why swimming is taught the way it is sometimes.

Tomorrow? Salsa canning! I was supposed to do it tonight, but I forgot to buy the onions.

The morning comes early. Sweet gardening dreams.

10 comments:

  1. Nice underwater shots, looks like the kids are having a blast.

    Let me know how the salsa canning goes, I may need some recipe ideas if my tomatoes develop.

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  2. I've got the onions, you've got the tomatoes and peppers....let's do the salsa!

    Love the underwater photos. My youngest (Amy) was self taught before she took lessons, and was quite the swimmer. Then she got interested in diving, and spent most of her summers in competition. Fun times.

    I can float on my back :-D

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  3. Interesting. The youngest one has been refusing swim lessons, but I've been worried about her. Yesterday, she said, "If I learn to swim, will I have to take lessons?" "Well, no." So she, the little minx, put her head down and swam. All on her own, after watching her cousin take a lesson she refused.

    I guess we'll keep observing lessons.

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  4. You (um, I mean--the KIDS!) are going to have SUCH FUN with that pool. They're going to swim like otters in no time at all.

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  5. Kris, they did have a blast. I've got the best recipe for you when you're ready!

    Granny, I'm there! I'm not a water fan really, but I can get from place to place. I just don't see why they don't let the kids learn easily instead of all the manic kicking and splashing.

    Stefaneener, isn't that awesome! Proves my point that it doesn't matter how you learn, you just need to learn.

    Sue, that's what I'm hoping for. I'm just sad that the girl won't be able to touch the bottom for 3-4 years if not more. I'm half thinking about sinking a platform along the side for her.....hmm.....

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  6. Nice photos! Glad you beans are starting to flower, mine have just now decided to climb, I guess they were waiting for consistent temps about 100 LOL. The long beans are really well suited for stir fry, and not a whole lot else - they are actually fantastic is stir fry! You will get way more than you need, I think I was bringing in a half pound a day haha - don't let them get too big or they won't be good, you want them long-ish but still slim. For my "Yard Long Beans" they weren't really a yard long LOL but I would pick them anywhere from 9-15 inches as long as they were still slim and tender and bright in color.

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  7. I guess we might just as well close our pool. Sniff, sniff.

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  8. Ma, you're being over dramatic. Snicker-snort.

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  9. Those kids must have had a good swim teacher!

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  10. Those underwater shots are wonderful. I had the hardest time in swim class when I was young. I was around rivers all the time so my mom made me get past some level, but I forget what now. My problem wasn't swimming. I fell into the pool when I was a toddler and since have always been afraid to jump in the water. They wouldn't let me pass beginners until I'd jumped into the pool. And advanced beginners made me jump from the high dive and dive off the diving board. Oh that was so hard to do.

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