A Gardener's Ecstasy

It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. ~Lewis Grizzard

Yesterday's heat and humidity failed to exist while I consumed my lunch.  It was nirvana, toast, mayo, a little s&p and a sun kissed globe of decadence.  Juice ran down my arms, mayo collected at the corners of my mouth and I was totally oblivious.  But like all good things it came to an end.  I tried to make it last a little longer by licking every drip of goodness from my fingers but then I was right back in the oppressive mugginess. 

In the last 30 days we have had 21 days above average temperatures...14 of them were 85+.  Sixty two percent of the state is abnormally dry.  For our area they say we are almost 6 inches below our normal rainfall.  Work in the garden is done in the early morning before the sun hits it or in the evening when the sun has gone behind the mountains.  Sometimes there is a lot to be said about living in the valley. 

This morning it is starting out at 70 but with 97% humidity.  Another muggy day in the making.  We had Floridian company who thought our weather was wonderful.  I could not live with this all the time.

I have pulled out the thin kohlrabi and planted fall broccoli.  I pulled out a row of pea's and today I will plant some beets, turnips and parsnips.

The zucchini is starting to get obnoxious and soon I will pull that to allow the other squash some growing room.  I have frozen it, fried it, grilled it, made relish and given it away so that's enough.  The cucumbers so far have just been immediately eaten or turned into a gallon jug of refrigerator dill pickles.  My dill heads are about the size of large dinner plates so I have to get moving on the dill pickles in the crock.

So far I am very pleased with the garden.  The fruit is another matter.  As Cyndi expected the birds got my cherries and they are working their way through my blackberries.  The elderberries are green but are disappearing at an alarming rate.  It does not help that I have a 12 hole bird condominium right on the corner of the garden.  It was put there for bug patrol not fruit demolition.  Next year everything will have to be netted.

Today #2 son starts weight lifting twice a week until August 2nd and then football practice is nightly.  Starting the 14th he will be at the field from 7 AM until 6 at night.  It is 56 miles added to my car each day but it keeps his grades up so I am okay with that since he tends to think homework is a waste of time.

In fiber, I finished a third Bella hat, made two pair of fingerless mitts with my multi-color dyed yarn and I am about to finish a textured stocking.  I know this will get put in the back ground because canning season is now beginning in earnest.