So what are you going to do when you retire? If you've got a few minutes let me show you.
Having a passion for living usually requires having a passion for an array of things you enjoy doing.
After eating up a good part of your adult life working, upon retirement, the number of hours you now have to do whatever you want becomes a 24/7 gig.
Going into retirement, passions for this or that, hopefully, have already been kindled.
When I retired, I took with me several hobbies that I knew I would be able to expand on and gardening was one of them.
@farm-mom and I have had a backyard veggie garden for many years, but never one to the extent we do now. Our goal for the past three years has been to grow and store enough produce to get us from one year to the next.
We still need to purchase certain veggies throughout the year, but for the most part, we have realized our goal.
My affection for growing STUFF has now become a hobby only rivaled by my love for woodworking,
It has taken hundreds of hours of hobbitizing in the garden to get to this point and all along the way it has been an experience that continues to ground me.
They're very few things in my life that I do that makes me feel so connected to a power that is hard to explain.
As corny as this may sound, in the early morning hours while tending to what needs a little TLC, a sense of peace washes over my entire being.
Growing our own food is very satisfying, but the chords that are struck while doing so are beyond description.
This time of year here in Upstate NY, the robust greenery envelopes you with its allure, as it quiets your mind.
It's a short growing season in this region, and I think the plants know that, as they waste no time doubling and tripling in stature in a matter of weeks.
It's no wonder that bees fly headfirst into the voluptuousness of the bloom with edible gifts to follow.
I'm not the only life basking in the garden's treasures. This guy can be found in the same spot every day, no longer slithering away when I approach. #Mother #Nature has its own scheme for ridding the pests from the garden, it's called the Web of Life.
Plants climb support structures as others sprawl over the sides of their boundaries. The vines adorned with little yellow flowers later morph into cucumbers.
As the growing season swings into full throttle, tomatoes make their presence known. Different sizes, shapes, and shades of red goodness will serve many purposes.
The surrounding woods that encircle this tranquil environment helps to support its viability.
Sweet Potatoe vines vigorously extend their reach as the sunlight triggers them from their dormancy.
Harvesting veggies from the garden this early in the season is uncommon, and gladly welcomed!
We wanted more pickling cucumbers and with two-quart mason jars already filled with this crunchy sandwich side, our wishes may come true.
The potato flowers bring in the pollinators as the hop vines have reached the peak of their supporting structure.
The cabbage continuously folds one leaf over the next in an effort to become the HEAD of its class..
Kohlrabi slaw with grated carrots mixed throughout is in the making.
The Detroit Dark Red Beets, lush with leaves perfect for juicing, are already calling.
Plantlife explodes, showing its appreciation for the care they have been given. Little do they know that it is I who appreciate the nurturing they have bestowed on me.
My passion for gardening and enjoying the entirety of it all, has not just benefited my stomach, but my physical and mental health as well.