It seems like it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to post, it’s almost hard to remember everything that’s happened since then. And I know, two weeks really isn’t long at all, but it seems that they’ve been filled with enough happening to fill up a month. So I feel like there’s at least a little bit of catching up to be done, and if you’ll forgive me for straying into my personal life for a minute, the first thing I want to do is reintroduce myself. I’m still working out the paperwork side of things, but my name is now Emmily Hines! I was so fortunate this past weekend to have the opportunity to marry the kindest man I have ever known. So, while I had a bit of an easy work week last week, the last minute wedding preparations definitely kept me busy.

Like I said, I hope you’ll forgive me for the tangent, but I felt that it was news big enough to warrant sharing. In the official side of catching up, we’ve been able to get out to several more GrowWise participants and visit their gardens, even though one day it meant standing under the trees during a bit of a rain shower. I’ve even managed a few visits by myself, which has been a combination of exciting and a little intimidating. I think I’ve managed ok, though, and so far today marks the only time that I’ve gotten lost. I was able to see my first backyard greenhouses in the past couple of days, and I have to admit that I was a little jealous when I saw how well some of the plants that had been started in them were doing. I’ve seen some truly lovely gardens this week with a large variety of vegetables, fruits, and even some flowers. Some will begin harvesting very soon, and some have already started. It’s an exciting time.

I do have to say it’s a little sad though to hear so many people say how the late freeze affected them, especially their fruit trees. I saw two commercial orchards with large losses, and several of the gardeners I’ve met have mentioned having fruit trees that aren’t going to produce much this year. I’m also a little sad that this fifth week marks the halfway point of my time here. I feel like I have had so many great opportunities, but it is certainly flying by. I’m definitely going to be more intentional in this second half to enjoy everything and learn as much as I can. Hopefully, that means that I’ll have a lot to report! Until then, I’ve added a couple pictures from some of my site visits, as well as my continued use of the drill. I think I’m finally getting the hang of it…