Already Thinking Ahead

With the violent storms of last night came a pleasant change in the weather -- highs today projected to only reach 80 instead of the mid-90's, with nighttime temperatures down to the 60's.  After a few weeks of sweating through all my clothing by 9 a.m. each morning, it is a welcome shift.  We had the presence of mind, last night, to fill up empty gallon jugs from the rain barrels while the lightning was still flashing in the distance.  This morning we rose to barrels once again refilled.  Grace, indeed.

In the coolness of the early morning, then, the dogs and I headed out to the garden.  I began with a closer inspection of the burgeoning rows.  Yesterday I discovered two okra spears almost 8-inches long.  I had seen the tiny nubs last week, but foolishly I hadn't thought much about them in the ensuing days.  I should know better.  As with squash, you'd best not turn your back on okra.  Blink your eye and it has morphed beyond usefulness.  I had a similar experience with a cucumber today, although it was one I hadn't even noticed before.  Discovering it just today it was already the size of a salami.  It will join the okras in the museum of missed opportunities.

The harvest continued with another handful of cherry tomatoes, a couple of useful cucumbers, a pepper or two, and the first full-sized tomatoes of the season -- one "4th of July", a golden, and several "Cherokee Purple".  Life just keeps getting better.

With the garlic harvested, seven rows have become available for a fall crop -- these, added to the couple of rows planted in the spring that never delivered.  That "availability", of course, means hoeing, fertilizing, tilling and broad forking.  And then actually planting, lest I forget.  Today I finished the bulk of those preparations -- with a brief surprise.

A couple of weeks ago I purchased plastic tubs in which to store the various ingredients of the "Complete Organic Fertilizer" that I loaded home this spring in 50 lb sacks.  A bag of linseed meal.  A bag of soybean meal.  A bag of kelp meal.  A bag of agricultural lime.  A bag of gypsum.   A bag of bone meal.  A bag of bone and meat meal.  A 50 lb sack of each.  Of course I was working from memory when I bought the tubs, which naturally means I brought home one too few.  For the past few weeks, then, the bag of kelp meal sat homeless atop the other tubs until this morning when I wagged the requisite tub out to the shed.  Preparing to dump the meal into the tub I opened the sack and discovered a thin layer of shredded sack, and two dead mice who had apparently and quite literally eaten themselves to death.  Choosing to label the carcasses "organic matter" I ignored them and poured away.

I am still expecting a few more packets of the fall seeds that I ordered, but the rest are already in hand -- along with concomitant visions of their anticipated harvest.  And the rows are officially ready to receive their new residents.  Perhaps tomorrow, after a good night's sleep, the resting of some sore muscles, and the invitation of another cool morning.