Rainy days and Mondays

A quarter of an inch of rain fell yesterday, and it sprinkled or showered off and on nearly all day. Is that two Mondays in a row we've had precipitation? I believe it is. Gardens need rain, and my thirsty pumpkin plants have perked right up. The second carrot crop hasn't germinated and one entire row of walking onions haven't done a thing, rain or no rain, but crop failures of some kind are to be expected.

I'm astonished the deer haven't had their way with all that produce, as I have yet to electrify the fence. And I use the word 'fence' loosely, as it's merely plastic-coated wire strung on flimsy plastic poles. So attractive, I know, but apparently effective even without the battery-powered fence charger.

We see deer in the field beyond our yard every morning and every evening and sometimes even in the middle of the day now. There's plenty of vegetation for them to eat, we're not in a drought, so all I can figure is they've gotten all they can from the woods and need to venture further out for food. I hope I get all my corn in the freezer before they find it.

Each season I tell myself I'm going to plant a fall crop of greens or beets or radishes or something that will go from seed to produce in a short period of time. But I don't (well, except for a short row of yellow onions). I'm a little tired of the garden at this point, and ready to move on to knitting again. I've not tired of picking dinner from the back yard, however. Tonight will be green beans, corn and cole slaw.

I picked about 12 pounds of tomatoes yesterday, so will have to wait a day or two for more of those. There are six more pints of seasoned tomato sauce in the freezer, ready for spaghetti dinners this fall and winter.

I should have planted more okra, I'm not sure there will be enough for even one jar of it pickled. I love okra. I know some people are turned off by the gelatinous slimy quality of it, but it doesn't bother me. I never ate it growing up. The cook (my mother) must not have cared for it. That's one advantage of being able to navigate the kitchen on my own! Another is I never have to eat liver again. Ever!


I have some graphic designing work to do today, and a slightly muddy floor to clean, and my volunteer gig at the prison tonight, and maybe putting some of that corn in the freezer. Pretty typical day around here lately.

Pretty nice.