WHERE DID THE LAST MONTH GO? I can hardly believe it has been that long since the last post!

THE PEAS ARE IRRESISTIBLE, PLENTIFUL AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF PICKING AND EATING straight away–no cooking needed! The peas that I have growing are snow peas and snap peas. I have not cooked a single one yet as we have eaten them in the raw state in green salads and as a salad, in a slight variation of the pea and bacon salad found at deli counters over the last fifteen years. On Friday I picked nearly four pounds of peas and over nine pounds of fava beans! Bountiful!

Once the fava beans are shelled, the weight drops considerably. At this stage they are ready for blanching and then slipping off the bitter outer skins to reveal the sweet, tender, green bean inside.

The blanched and shelled beans make a tasty spread for bread when puréed with a touch of garlic, lemon and olive oil. Today I will finish picking the peas and favas so I can finally plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and squash plants. The weather has been so rainy and below normal temperatures for June. But, wishful thinking, summer is just a couple of days away! This might be the latest I’ve gotten the tomatoes into the ground.

Time for a little catch up on what has bloomed over the last few weeks!

Astrancia ‘Ruby Wedding’

Papaver somniferum in lavender

and a frilly red one.

An unknown mushroom that popped up last week after rain. It is eight inches across!

And speaking of rain, it beads up perfectly on the leaves of this hosta ‘Abiqua Gourd’.

LAST SATURDAY we took a trip north to Port Townsend to meet Erynn and a friend and walk to Glass Beach at the foot of McCurdy Point on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It is a three mile walk each way and with a minus tide there is plenty of time to search for glass treasures and check out sea life that is hidden half of the day.

Beach glass, pottery shards and assorted treasures!

There were thousands of these little sand spirals and piles. Worms?

After walking the beach we checked in at Fort Worden State Park a late 19th and early 2oth century coastal artillery fort on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It is one of three forts that guarded the entrance to Puget Sound. It is an interesting place to explore and has great views north to the San Juan Islands and Whidbey Island to the east. The old concrete batteries for gun emplacements make for great exploring and photographing,

Lots of dark places down stairs and behind big metal doors.

The lighthouse at Pt. Wilson, just a short walk from the campground.

The lovely, dainty Nootka rose.

Time now for gardening, the weather today is fair and looking good for at least acouple more. We may even have temperatures in the normal range of 70°! Some of the first lilies are in bloom and a pale blue delphinium too. So much to do!