Don't Be Afraid of the Dork: Saturday in the Garden | Headstrong Fancy Ladies that Head West

OUTSIDE

Last Saturday's post was titled that moment before it all goes to hell which was referring to that perfect moment in gardening when everything is flourishing and nothing's gone wrong yet. Well. The moments over. I have a ton of insect damage on my radishes, beans and especially my carrots. My carrots have pretty much been eaten down to the stalks. Every single one. Well, that's just the way it goes but it's a bummer.

Leafless carrots :(.

I was worried that my garlic wasn't going to produce any scapes this year - they were so huge and some of the bottom leaves are starting to brown which is the sign that it's almost time to harvest - but scapes appeared almost out of nowhere this week. I'll be cutting those and making some garlic pesto for the freezer.

The week started with a couple of violent storms, including quite a bit of hail but the rest of the week was mostly gorgeous and I got to spend two and a half of the days (and one of the nights) working outside. Besides a case of sunburn and quite a few ticks, it was lovely.

Hail!

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching
Hell on Wheels - I rewatched the first two seasons in preparation for catching up with seasons 3-5. It's a great show in the general vein of Deadwood - American frontier in all its brutality. However there is a thing that happens at the end of season two which worried and depressed me the first time around and this time it also really pissed me off. So I'm unsure if I want to continue into season 3. If I can gather my thoughts together coherently, I will probably publish a post on it this week.
Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman - Despite the fact that I'm a sucker for westerns and am a particular fan of the civilized-but-headstrong-fancy-lady-who-heads-west trope, I've never watched this show. It is quite ridiculous, the acting is questionable and there is something about Jane Seymour that rubs me the wrong way but I'm still plugging away casually while I work out my Hell on Wheels issues.

Reading

FAVORITE BOOK IN MAY? I read thirteen books in May and five of them were 4 out of 5 star reads! That makes this a tough decision but there was also a 5 star book this month: The Round House by Louise Erdrich (my review).

I swung by the library this morning and lo and behold they were having a fiction sale. How am I supposed to resist that, I ask you?? I picked up few books at a dollar apiece.

Finished Last Week:

The Aeronaut's Windlass (The Cinder Spires #1) by Jim Butcher: The first in a new series by Jim Butcher. There are sailing-type ships that fly. 'Nuf said. I'm not sure this is Hugo-nomination material but it was an enormous amount of fun!
Lord Peter Views the Body (Peter Wimsey #4) by Dorothy L. Sayers: A collection of short stories in the Lord Peter Wimsey series.

Currently Reading:

One Magic Square by Lolo Houbein: A gardening book about maximizing food production in a small space. An ARC from Netgalley (though I think it's an older title).
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood: I'm surprised I had not read it before. This audio version is read by Claire Danes who has a really pleasing voice. Is the cover above badass or what!?
A Quiet Life in the Country (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries #1) by T.E. Kinsey: Set in the early 1900s in rural England - mysteries investigated by a Lady and her maid.
Murder on Bank Street (Gaslight Mysteries #10) by Victoria Thompson: Historical mystery series set in New York at the turn of the 20th century.

Added to the TBR:

This is a list of books that I have added to my Goodreads TBR list this week. It helps to burn the books I want to read a little more firmly into my mind, maybe get them on some other folks TBRs and gives me a chance to recognize a lot of the awesome bloggers that add stuff to my TBR!

Look at Baby Helena and Cary! And jeez, can Helena turn on the bitch face or what:)!

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows: "The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey." I've been a fan of Jane Grey since the fabulous....and perhaps a tad overwrought ...1980s movie featuring Helen Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes. Her story isn't exactly a barrel of laughs so this book intrigues me. It may be awful but willing to check it out. I found it on The Broke and the Bookish blog!
Quiet Neighbors by Catriona McPherson: This one was listed on the Book Riot contributors favorite reads list for May. It's a cozy mystery set in a bookstore and library.

Blogging