circumstantial evidence

I don't know how this happened

Not for sure.

But I have my suspicions, Betula.

~~~~~

wordless wednesday

~~~~~

pattypanapalooza!

We had a couple of very soggy days and nights this week, but yesterday was lovely. A perfect day to poke around in the garden and discover what's been going on out there.

Unfortunately, I was held captive all day by a rogue migraine, and spent most of the day indoors.

But today! Today I spent hours in the garden!

Some of the goats kept me company, on the other side of the garden fence. This is Tsuga, nibbling mullein leaves and pretending she is not waiting for a chance to sneak into the garden and chow down.

"I am not trying to sneak into the garden! I am just minding my own business and eating mullein! Why are you always so suspicious? Sheesh!"

Five seconds after this picture was taken, Tsuga squeezed her pudgy little body through a four-inch gap in the gate. I grabbed her as she was reaching for a cauliflower, and bundled her right back out to browse with her mama.

Sheesh.

Okay, now here's a little update.

 The lemon cucumbers planted on the last day of June have been growing and reaching and grabbing on to the fence.

At least a few of the onion sets planted on 10 June survived the Massachusetts Monsoons of 2013 and are still holding their own:

This is one of only two potato plants from sets that went in with the onions. Both are an experiment; clearance-priced at the feed store, and already looking a bit sad when I brought them home. Not sure I'll see any actual potatoes, but you never know:

The first tomatoes! This may be one of the Cherokee plants. I've added so much goat poop and "used" hay around all the plants, it will now require some cautious excavating to locate the labels. The labels I carefully stuck in the ground by each tomato plant because I knew I would forget which is which.

 

Oh, and here is the first little zuke:

Isn't it adorable? It's a type that grows little round green globes instead of the traditional baseball-bat zucchini.

So, lots of activity in the world of plants, but the big story in the garden today is the pattypan squash!

Look here:

And here!

Ooh, and here!

 The patterns and markings are different on each one.

There seems to be an infinite variety.

 

Was Shakespeare writing about pattypan squash?

  I think maybe he was.

~~~~~

wordless wednesday

~~~~~

welcome August

A couple of hours ago there was a sudden torrential downpour, right in the middle of a sunny afternoon.

An hour later, the sun was shining again, and the air was cool and sweet with the smell of flowers.

Lately, people here talk about the weather with such heartfelt relief in their voices, after the long wearisome rains, heat, and high humidity of early summer.

Seems like we had the Dog Days of August in May and June, this year. There was only one way to deal with it, and it only worked for some of us.

But recently we've been enjoying delightful glimpses of May.

In July and August.

Unexpected.

Refreshing.

Miraculous.

Blue skies.

Cool mornings, with clear air.

It may not last.

Heck, it will not last.

But these are moments and hours and days to savor.

And you never know...

there may be more miracles waiting in the wings.

~~~

I hope you are enjoying the beginning of August, whether you are in the middle of summer or the middle of winter, or somewhere in between.

~~~~~