Chicken run, Milkweed and guacamole

Steve finished our chicken run! It is wonderful. We put them all out in it the other day and kept them up long enough for them to get settled. I have also been putting Sparrow in there with them for a few hours at a time. Phoebe, our beautiful, little, bunny-tailed cat struts around on the beams supporting the wire on the roof thinkin' she is 'all that'! I felt they had been cooped up long enough, so I carried them out one-by-one to let them run in our yard for the day despite the rain, so once again, I have chickie-poo on my front porch!

I think I need to get some climbing roses, scarlet runner beans, and clematis to plant all around the coop to climb up the wire. How lovely would that be?

My veggie garden is growing nicely. We have a new squash and several tomatoes we have never grown before from Tasteful Garden, an internet garden shop. We got peppers, watermelon, strawberries, carrots, and cucumbers from the local co-op. I have flowers in my favorite colors growing all around it. I have lots of geraniums on my porch this year. And in the blueberry garden I have coreopsis, catnip and liatris. I have been trying to move the established peonies out from under the pecan trees, it has gotten way too shady for them over the years.

I puppy-sat Milkweed, a tiny Chihuahua, for a week while his folks travelled to Colorado and back. He is so dear. Although I am a big dog person by nature, I can see how people get hooked on the tiny ones. I was practically in tears when Miguel came over to take him home.

Miguel stayed to have dinner with us. We had Burritos. Steve fixed a steak and onion filling. Steve and Miguel made a very delicious (but very hot) salsa verde. We chopped tomatoes, lettuce and jalapeño peppers to put on them and set out sour cream to add to them. I made guacamole. It was quite the complement when Miguel loved my guacamole because he is an excellent cook and is from Mexico!

Here is my guacamole recipe:

3 ripe avocados (black skin, firm texture)
1/2 lemon (squeeze for juice)
1/2 lime (squeeze for juice)
1/2 cup of your favorite chunky salsa (my favorite is Pace, mild)
1/2 a tomatilla (chopped)
Miguel says that if you put an avocado seed into the guacamole once it is make it will keep it from discoloring. I have never done this, but I am anxious to try it next time. I am also going to scrape the inside of the lemon and the lime next time for little bits of tart 'bite' - I love tart.
Mix it all together, chill.
Enjoy!