The 4th Storey Farm: the holiday edition: new recruits, beans blowin' up, baiting, killing, and laying down flowers

The title of this post got a little war-like... that's kind of weird... maybe it's because we celebrated the monarchy this long weekend?

* * * * *

We took off to visit family for the weekend but before we left we managed to plant some of the new recruits. Here are the freshly enlisted tomatoes and peppers mingling with their compatriots:

I always love a good name. The tomato variety below is called "Ultra-Girl" so I pretty much had to have it. It's also supposed to be a bit smaller in stature and suited for containers - seemed like a good fit.

Also got some cherry tomatoes and a "yellow plum" variety. We're probably going to be drowning in tomatoes around here!

Upon arriving home, after only one day away, we walked onto the balcony and discovered that the beans LOVE US. They showed their love by growing a lot while we were gone!

We ate some of the lettuce and Arugula for the first time! That was a pretty exciting 10 seconds! (We also ate some green onions... but we've been eating those for ages already because they are rowdy ol' growing machines!!)

It was a little strange cutting the lettuce down after spending so much time trying to get it to come up. I'm not sure I'd be able to kill an animal for food although we've talked about having chickens and rabbits someday (not at the apartment!! if we ever have land!!) and I initially had all this swagger like, "Yeah I'm the grand-daughter of a butcher, slaughtering animals is in my blood man!!" Now I have a hard time cutting lettuce? WTF?

Today, Monday, is another warm and lovely day... so lovely that the sweet potato decided to send out some tiny leaves to survey the situation! I am VERY pleased. I like to take credit for all these signs of life even though it's just nature doing her thing.

While away we went shopping in the husband's parent's basement and throw-away pile. We scored a hummingbird feeder which I've hung beside the strawberry thing. I'm hoping to bait those cute little freaks-of-nature up to the 4th floor with sugar for our viewing enjoyment... "hey little birdie, want some candy?".... yep, that's me, the creepy nature-baiter. (The picture below will be a lot more interesting when/if I ever get a shot with a hummingbird in it someday!)

Scavengers that we are, we also liberated a small microwave and an air-conditioner from the pile. What is Ontario doing to us? We have gone through 7 years of married life without either of these items!! But they are so handy and they were so free... and Ontario is SOOO hot in the summer and you can cook potatoes so FAST in a microwave... clearly I had to give into the temptation. First cell-phones and now this! Oh Ontario...