Things Are Better With A Hug!

   Back last month, I seriously thought my garden had met its demise.  A foot of snow covered everything...cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots.  It saddened me to think that all of the hard work put into getting a winter garden in would be killed by...what else...winter.  Snow and 14 degree temperatures are not a normal occurrence down this far south. Personally, I am glad it is not.  After the snow melted, I was surprised to see that most (not all but most) of the plants had survived.  Especially healthy looking were the carrots!  That blanket of snow did not seem to damper their ability to flourish.  What a difference in just barely a month!

  Today, being chilly, was a good day for a pot of soup.  I had made cheese bread yesterday so that just begged for a big pot of potato/broccoli/carrot soup only there were no carrots on hand and I sure was not making the trip to the store for one item.  So...potato/broccoli soup was started.  It still sounded wonderfully warming and delicious!  Midway into soup-making, I thought of my carrots in the garden!  On a whim, I dashed out the door and, sure enough, found carrots large enough to harvest.  I grabbed about a dozen and hurried back to add them to my pot of soup.

  While I was washing the carrots, I noticed that two of the carrots had literally "hugged" each other while growing.  They had twisted around on another in a tight spiral.  Sweet!  A thought occurred to me as I stirred the huge pot of soup.  Perhaps those two carrots were befuddled by the drastic temperature change last month and held onto each other for support!  Probably not except in my imagination.  I have a tendency to look for niceties whenever possible.  After all, all things are better with a hug!

  

And the Snow Came....

  Foul weather was predicted to swing all the way down to the Coast and it came with a vengeance.  The brutal cold brought snow which is something we rarely ever see this far south.  Sure, we may have experienced a few flurries now and again but a full-blown "blizzard" is unheard of around here.  (And I am using the term blizzard very loosely here.)  Snow!  We got snow!  Not just flurries or a few flakes...not just sleet...SNOW!  In fact, Mark measured several places in the yard and the ruler measured between 6 and 7 inches and this was before the stuff stopped falling from the sky.

  While this is surely a momentous event for South Mississippi and most folks are elated, I am not feeling the pure bliss.  Yes, it is beautiful to see the snow-covered yard, the flake-decorated trees and the poofy white stuff drifting gently from the sky, I am more practical.  I see my garden covered to the tips of the plants.  Cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots are completely doused in an icy blanket.  I hope they make it.  Most planters say these are cold-hardy down to 18 degrees.  Currently, we are sitting at 12 degrees.  Hopefully, the plants will not realize this difference in temperature...hopefully. 

  Also, being bit more pragmatic than I should be, I went around hanging double curtains on windows and doorways and placing "draft-dodgers" at the door treads.  Days before the cold arrived, Mark cut, Son split and I stacked more firewood than we usually use all winter.  I am still cold.  My northern friends would be laughing at my efforts but, as I said, this an "exception to the rule" of "We do not get winter here."  We got winter....and the snow came.  So...northern friends....please take back your weather.  It is uncomfortable!

Watching the Gardener

   As I was on my hands and knees transplanting cauliflower into the garden rows, a sudden feeling overcame me.  Eerily it felt as if someone (or something) was watching me.  Hmmm?  Where is that goofy cat?  Bat, the Bayou Prince Cat, has a sneaky way of creeping up on you and silently watching your every move.  He just sits and stares, then, suddenly darts out of his hiding spot to nearly knock you off your feet.  I am sure he is just being playful but, I have to admit, he has caught me off guard on several occasions.  A 16lb cat can really pack a wallop when it wants.  Anyway, no cat could be seen lurking nearby nor was any snoopy person in the area so I went back to my planting.

  Then...the feeling returned.  Something had to be watching me!  I usually get gut-feelings and tend to follow them.  This gut-feeling was not leaving so I needed to find the "watcher".  My search took me outside the garden gate and down the hill where I could get a better view of the garden perimeter.  Still...nothing.  I was just about to shrug off the feeling as a fluke when a loud "Kee-aah" followed by four more of the same came from the top of the dead oak tree.  Ahh, there is my watcher!  A beautiful, red shouldered hawk was perched on the tiptop of the tree and had the perfect view of this old lady in her garden.

  The sighting of the hawk pleased me as I know that my plants will be protected from varmints.  These hawks are agile hunters that can drop silently from a treetop to the garden without a rodent ever being aware of their presence.  Red shouldered hawks will eat most any small mammal, bird or reptile that they can catch but I am in hopes that this one will merely catch whatever munches my cauliflower plants!  I welcomed the hawk to the garden and I went back to work with my transplanting.  My garden is late as I was sidelined by a brief bout of sickness.  It is past time to get those plants to growing!

Shieldbacked Pine Seed Bug?

   I am definitely not an entomologist as I have to seek the identities of just about every critter I find in the garden and around the Bayou.  I do, however, have an interest in insects merely because I want to know which are pests and which are helpers.  Those deemed as garden pests are not high on the list of favorites.  So, if I find an insect that is new to the gardens, I pull out the camera, photograph the critter then try to catch it.  Catching it gives me the option of disposing of it or releasing it depending on which side of the good/bad list it falls.  While I hate killing anything, some infestations must be eradicated quickly.

  It was while I was hanging clothes to dry that I spied an unusual (to me) bug near the garden fence.  First came the pictures then came the capturing.  It turned out to be a rather simple catch.  The critter sort of fell into my jar then laid on its back with its little legs flailing wildly in the air.  The search for information began.

  As near as I can tell, my critter is a Shieldbacked Pine Seed Bug.  To be honest, I did not know these even existed.  Once I identified it, the bug was taken down to the water's edge and released into the palmettoes.  I was confident that a bug that eats pine seeds would not hurt my tomatoes!  Then I read more.  It seems that the bug can be quite destructive in pine forests as it renders the seeds useless.  Well, now.  I started having second thoughts about my release of the critter.  Perhaps I should not have been so hasty.  Ponder...ponder.

  That slight regret soon was replaced with a new thought.  I am not overly fond of pine trees around the house.  Those things have a tendency to break during hurricanes and have been known to put huge holes in the roof of the Little Bayou House.  Maybe...just maybe...that bug was doing me a favor by not allowing more pine trees to grow.  As long as it does not start eating all of the acorns from the oak trees, I think it is safe to say I will not have problems.  The pine trees can go. Leave my oaks.  Little buggy can go on his way.

Snow White...Pear Blossoms!

   For the past month, we have had just about every "false" spring that could be dumped on a place.  We have even had a few "false" summer days added for good measure.  Now, however, Mother Nature has said "Enough of that!" and plans for us to have a winter weekend.  This is not good!  All of the citrus trees already have tiny fruits set and the pear and plum trees are in full bloom!  What are you thinking, Mother Nature??  I guess tomorrow will find me lugging those potted house plants back into the greenhouse and finding enough things to make temporary covers for the tomato, squash and pepper plants in the garden.  Yep, I did do that.  I planted far too early but the temperatures being in the 80s convinced me that our cold times were over.  Not so.

  So...winter is not over until Mother Nature makes up her mind and there is not a thing we can do about it other than accept it.  Mom always warned Pop about planting too early..."You know we are going to get that Easter freeze..." I can hear her now reprimanding me for the same thing.  I am far too like Pop and the older I get, the more that is evident.   Easter freeze???  Does that mean that this is not our last cold spell for the season?  Easter is still weeks away!

Tabascos Are For The Birds!

   The growing of any kind of hot peppers is something of a novelty for me.  I dehydrate them and use them occasionally...mainly in my herbal cure-all better known as the Bayou Fire.  Yep, the name says it all.  Still, I have no need for buckets of the things.  Obviously, the plants deemed it necessary to provide me with buckets full, regardless of the lack of a need.  A few weeks ago, the scotch bonnets were in full swing and I had to pick hundreds of those plump rascals.  Now, I have jars and jars of dehydrated peppers lining the shelves.  If I have get a hankering for some really hot dish, I have the means to spice it up a bit.

  That was all fine and dandy but now the tabasco pepper (yes, pepper as in single plant) has decided not to be outdone in the production of tiny peppers.  That single plant has over 500 peppers on it!  The only problem is that the sun has not shone for the past ten days so the peppers are not ripening. They are staying pale yellow instead of the fiery red that is desired.  The few that do ripen are snatched up by the birds!  It seems that the mockingbirds love hot peppers!  We had this same problem about 10 years ago.  Mockingbirds started visiting the gardens and picked every pepper that ripened.  At that time, I found it amusing.  I still do.  How in the world can those birds eat hot peppers one after another without setting their mouths on fire??  Tough birds!

  Both types of peppers are growing on plants that were in last year's garden. Last October, I dug the plants and stuck them in the greenhouse where they stayed for the entire winter.  They were plopped back into the ground in the spring and have grown with a fury.  The tabasco pepper is nigh on 4ft tall and is intertwined with the four-o'clock plants.  (Neither of these were supposed to get this big but something happened!)  I am tempted to pick about 100 of the tabasco peppers to see if they will ripen indoors.  If they do, they, along with more scotch bonnets, will be dried.  I sure hope somebody comes along and wants some of these things.  Otherwise, I may just have to start canning hot sauce!  Hmm, now there is an idea!

Tomato Sauce? Pizza Sauce?

   I am one of those types of cooks who will just throw stuff in the pot and hope for the best.  Rarely is a recipe used and, if it is, most of the time, it will be altered to fit the ingredients that I have on hand.  A smidge of this and a tad of that is how I measure things.  Thankfully, the food is somewhat edible.

  This is also how the home canning is done.  The procedure is followed to a T but the ingredients are whatever lands in the pot.  With the tomato season upon us, it was necessary to start making sauce and canning it for future meals.  That precise measuring came into play!  (Yeah, right!)  Of course, you usually cannot go wrong with tomato sauce, although, Son tells me sometimes I create pasta sauce or something else.  This time, he claimed my tomato sauce tasted exactly like pizza sauce.  Well, pizza is good, right?  I am just happy to be getting tomatoes!

Scapes? Snakes? Culinary Delight?

   I figure you are never too old to learn something new.  In fact, two of my adult kids are constantly after me to do just that.  "Learn something new every day, Mom.  That way, your brain remains healthy."  One can only hope, anyway.  Today's learning came about by Son mentioning that the garlic buds looked a lot like snakes.  Well, yep, they do.  That could possibly be why the garlic has garnered the common name of snake head garlic or serpent garlic.  The tall stem that shoots up from the center of the garlic and then produces a knob full of buds twists and turns like the shape of a snake.  To be honest, I would be hard pressed to spot a rough greensnake among these stems!  Same size...same shape...same kinks.

  As much as I like the garlic blooms, it is obvious that if you want large bulbs, you have to cut the stalks.  So, I cut the stalks.  I was amazed at how tender these 2ft long twisty, twirly things were!  As I cut, I gathered.  I had no idea why but it felt right to bring that odd bouquet into the kitchen and stick them in the old coffee pot as a centerpiece.  Then I headed in to research about "snake head" garlic. 

 

  Alrighty then!  My new culinary experiment comes from the learning experience!  I shall be dining upon "scapes" tomorrow!  Yep, scapes!  That is the name of those long stalks and it seems they are entirely edible and are making their way into all the finest restaurants.  Well, fancy folks have nothing on Bayou folks, now do they?   Tomorrow, I shall prepare my scapes in several different ways as a taste-testing.  We shall see if these snaky things are worth the fuss!  If they are, then more garlic will be planted just for the odd things.  If not, then I say fancy restaurants are overcharging for something that should have gone into the compost pile!  Scapes...snake head garlic...who knew?

Smelly Helper!

   While it still seems early for insects to be devouring the garden, they are.  You would think that not many could stand the chilly weather but my cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower will beg to differ with that idea.  I can handle the caterpillars or cabbage worms as they are easy to spot and, also, the wrens love them.  They are not the problem.  The worst is the cabbage aphids (often called plant lice).  Those little critters can suck the life out of a broccoli plant in a few days.  Plus, they just keep on multiplying.  It is an endless task trying to beat those little suckers.

  Then...today, a helper came to lend a hand and I am in hopes that many more will find their way to the garden.  I was sitting on the front steps as I sipped a glass of water.  I had been planting blueberry bushes and, well, digging that many holes is a tad difficult.  As I was resting, I noticed a slight movement to my left.  There, a pretty little green bug was trying to dry its wings.  Oh, my goodness!  The warmth of the bright sunshine had brought out a lovely Stink Lacewing.  (A not so lovely name for the pretty little thing but they do smell bad if you poke at them.)  The Lacewings are garden helpers in the best way!  They eat a ton of pests.

  I watched as the little thing sunned and tested the area with its cute antennae!  Once its wings were stable, the lacewing took flight over the garden fence and to the broccoli!  I can only hope it has a ton of siblings as there are enough aphids to feed an entire army of them!  Carry on, Stink Lacewing!  Carry on.

Seeking the Baby Otters

   Today warmed enough for me to work the gardens a bit.  This was a long time coming since the combination of rain and cold is not exactly to my liking when it comes to being outside.  I have a tendency to hole up inside the Little Bayou House and hover around the old cast-iron stove or head to the kitchen to bake.  Son is the recipient of all of those baked goods so he, too, was happy for me to be outside.  After everything in the greenhouse received a nice dousing of water from the rain barrel and the cabbages, spinach and broccoli were weeded, my thoughts turned to the pier...as usual.  

  Earlier, I had noticed some baby otters playing near the boat cut and a few hooded mergansers out by the end of the pier.  I would try to find the otters and, then, I would try to get a few photographs of the hoodies.  Perhaps SOMETHING of interest could be found.  Slipping silently down the pier planks, I could hear the tiny squeaks of baby otters but never got to see them.  Mama Otter had them well hidden under the marsh mats.  Their playtime in the cold water was over and it was time for them to snuggle down in the den again.  Neither did I find the mergansers.  They had skittered across to the other side of the Bayou far out of reach of the camera lens.  Well, now!  That was boring!

  I did find the remnants of the otters' meal.  Several mollusk shells were on the mudflats.  These had been pried loose from the clusters at the base of the marsh clumps and opened with the skillful "hands" of Mama Otter.  She had demonstrated the method to her little ones and let them have their first taste of the delightful shellfish.  This was a life lesson that would help the little otters survive.  

  As I was about to leave the pier, the winds shifted from the southeast.  My warm day had ended as the winds picked up the chill from the water and made it highly uncomfortable to be outside.  I am getting old.  This never used to bother me.  Now it does.  Time to head back and stoke the fires for the evening.  Brrr!

Several Hundred Spiderlings!

   While out in the garden this morning, a blotch on the back wall of the laundry room caught my eye.  Hmmm?  Why in the world was there a brown spot on my nicely painted house?  Grrr!  After all my hard work getting the painting complete, now something has to put a blemish on it!  Time to investigate.

  My blemish turned out to not be something terrible but something good, at least in my view.  An orb spider had chosen the corner of the back wall to be the spot for her egg sacs.  The golden orb had now come full term and a hundred or so baby spiders were huddled close to their previous home.  The spiderlings were waiting to get strong enough to disperse and find their own niche in this world. 

  The tiny spiders were not bigger than a pin head and were perfect replicas of their mother.  She was still nearby trying to guard her precious egg sacs but was weak and weary.  It was time for her to rest in peace knowing her little ones were out and about.  She will never see them reach maturity.

  While some folks would fret over the hundreds of baby spiders, it does not bother me.  In fact, I am happy to have them in the garden. They are free pest control and will bring me no harm as long as I give them space.  Too many people have a pointless fear of spiders and this comes from someone who has been bitten numerous times (even by highly venomous spiders).  If you respect them, they will be happy campers and leave you be. 

There Is A Reason

   There is a reason that I do not use harmful chemicals in the garden.  I will go so far as to handpick caterpillars from the tomatoes or broccoli if it means I can do without killing the "good" insects.  Dousing everything with pesticides is foolishness and anyone who does is just asking for trouble.  Personally, chemical laden fruit and vegetables are not something I care to eat either.  If you are ok with that, so be it but you won't find anything that is not natural in my garden.  Just my preference...not something I push on others.

  This morning as I was picking yet another bucket of squash from the dozen plants, I received a reminder of just why I am so adamant about the "no-spray" deal.  A bumblebee was almost completely covered with pollen as it went from blossom to blossom.  That bee was pollinating the squash!  This, my friends, is how squash are formed.  Had I put poison on the plants, the bee would have died along with those pesky, plant-munching caterpillars.  Nope.  It is not happening here.  I prefer to have my bees alive and well and busy as...well, bees!  

Trying their best

  Things have been busy, that is for sure.  So busy, in fact, that I have neglected several things that needed attention.  One of those things has decided to take matters in its own hands or stalks or roots or whatever.  Back when we were clearing hurricane debris, the fallen trees were cut for firewood.  Thinking that we may have a winter this past year, I carefully stacked the wood on the log rack.  Since there was no other place to set up the rack, I opted for the garden along the fence.  The idea was to use up the firewood so the four-o'clock tubers beneath it would be cleared in time for their appearance come spring.  No winter = no fires.  The wood sat and, being old, I forgot about the plants snoozing underground.  

  Spring came and I became busy with gardens, clearing and grinding more debris mulch and home-canning.  By the time I realized that my four-o'clocks were sending up shoots, it was too late to do much but hope for the best.  The plants had already entwined themselves through the wood rack.  Moving the rack was not an option at this point.  The plants were now sandwiched between the stacked firewood, the garden fence and the two foot tall broccoli plants.  They would just have to do the best they could. 

  Plants are resilient, for sure.  Surprisingly, the four-o'clocks are blooming beautifully each night.  Their sweet scent can be enjoyed even though they had to squeeze themselves through an obstacle course of stuff.  I have decided to let them be.  Hopefully, the woodpile will be depleted this next winter (if we get one) and I can make amends to the plants.  Perhaps I should apologize to them for my oversight.

Just Eat The Aphids Already!

     It was a bit disappointing to see tiny aphids hatching out in the garden.  Most folks would douse the garden with insecticides but that is not an option in my garden.  No chemicals!  Anyway, the aphid babies were pretty much making a mess of things all the while I pondered the best method of removal.  Then, I spied my answer.  Creepy crawling on the pea plants were ladybugs...or, at least ladybugs of sorts.  Asian Beetles with their happy Ws on their heads were invading the garden!  Who cares where these critters came from as long as they eat the aphids!

  Supposedly, the easy way to tell the difference in Asian Beetles and Ladybugs is by a clear W on the head of the Asian variety.  Our local critters don't have that monogram.  To be honest, it matters not.  They are all Ladybird Beetles just from different areas and they all eat aphids.  Oh, happy day!

  

Dark Clouds Overhead!

   The Bayou has been catching its share of storms for the past year and now they tell us that the season for hurricanes is going to be rough...so rough, in fact, that the season is starting in May instead of June.  Well, now.  That does not sound promising, does it?  But...we will deal with it as we always do.  No problems as it is a part of living where we do.  

  This afternoon, we had a "winter" storm come through and dump yet more rain.  The rains are not a problem here as it runs off into the Bayou but my dear friends to the north of us are pretty much flooded.  My heart breaks for them as they are literally trapped in their homes.  Thankfully, no water has encroached into the houses but having roads blocked is never a favorable thing.

  The storm clouds are curious things and are always a cause to take a gander outside.  While I have sense enough to stay out of harm's way, it is always a fascinating thing to watch the storms roll across the Bay even when they come from behind us.  Now, the winds have shifted from the north and you can feel the chill in the air.  Come morning, it will be nippy!  That nippiness caused me to cover the tiny tomato and pepper plants and hope for the best on the squash.  For the next few days, I guess I shall have to pull out the flannel shirt again.  Nice!

The Cute Exterminator!

   This, my friends, is the best kind of pest control for the garden!  It is free.  It is clean.  It is efficient.  There are several birds that hop around in the garden between the rows of cabbages and mustard greens.  This little wren has the better idea of sitting on the fencepost while keeping a watchful eye on the plants.  The first wiggle of a caterpillar brings the bird to life and it hops off the post and is soon snatching its prize.  Once one worm is in its belly, the little bird lets out a loud chirring for all of its family to join it for lunch.  Soon, there are several wrens busy as can be.  They are cleaning the leaves of any and all bugs.  

  Today, the wren braved the cool winds to stand "bug watch" while the other wrens went off in search of possible places to forage.  They will be back as soon as this one calls.  Their presence is one of the reasons that I refuse to use any insecticides in the garden.  There is no way I would ever do anything to hurt my critter friends and especially not those that are so helpful.  Who needs to put harmful chemicals out when you have such cute, little exterminators that work for free?  

Critters In The Garden!

   While out working in the gardens this afternoon, I noticed that yet another of my critter friends came to visit.  This time, a mockingbird was my helper.  The bird was busying itself investigating the cabbages for worms.  Even though the birds scratch around in the mulch or sometimes cannot resist taking a nip out of the crops, I welcome birds into the garden.  These are free pest control and they fall under that category as being fully ecologically safe and organic!  In fact, there are very few critters that are not welcome around here.  

  I do have to wonder if it is possible that this is one of the mockingbirds that I raised after they were orphaned.  When I got the pair, they were so tiny that neither had much in the way of feathers and could do little more than flop around in the makeshift nest.  It was a daunting task to take on raising yet more critters and especially ones so tiny.  It became my duty to do round the clock feedings something I had not done in some 30 years at the time.  Happy to say, both birds survived and then adopted our old dog as their surrogate mom.  She was so very protective of her wards.  The birds flourished and I allowed them to come and go as they pleased for a while by keeping the screen door open.  Soon, they made their way to being "real" birds and joined their wild cousins.  Both did come back for a while to visit.  I would often find one clinging to the screen door wanting to come back inside the Little Bayou House.  Of course, they were welcome to enter and stay as long as they pleased.   Could this be Knox or Shelby?  Who knows?  I seriously doubt it but it is nice to think perhaps one or both are still around.  Regardless, the little mockingbird brought happiness to the day and I will take that!

Cabbages and Chilly Weather!

   Old Man Winter has decided to pay a visit to the Bayou.  While our "right at" freezing temperatures may pale in comparison to those a bit further north, they are cold enough for me.  As I age, I realize that I now "feel" the cold a whole lot more than in the past.  In fact, I just cannot seem to get warm.  The old wood-burning stove chugs away happily but I am still shaking in my boots.  Age and health gets in the way of feeling good, I suppose.

  For the past two mornings, the temperatures hovered just about at the freezing mark.  This laid a fine frost upon the hillside and caused a bit of concern about the garden patch.  I needn't have fretted, though, as greens of most types seem to do better when it is a bit chilly.  When I went out to check, the cabbages seemed none the worse for wear.  The caterpillars that were munching on a few leaves did not look so good, however, which is all the better for the cabbages!

  Cabbages are some of those odd plants that are pretty cold hardy and that makes growing a winter garden a lot easier.  All of the tropical potted plants have to be toted into the (now makeshift) greenhouse and have heat lamps to protect them while the cabbages and mustard greens sit right out in the garden with the icy winds whipping about them.  Seriously, I would do far better to do away with the silly tropical plants.  Life would be easier and it is getting to the point where I need to think about that aspect.  

  Tomorrow's forecast is rain!  Perhaps it will be a grand time to get a few things done inside and take a break from laboring so on the yard-work.  This hurricane cleanup is taking much longer than it has in the past.  

Of Cabbages and Hurricanes!

   Mentally, it was important for me to take a few moments break from hurricane cleanup.  This is going to take several months with only Son and me doing the work.  Both mentally and physically, it is exhausting work.  Mark will be back working and won't be able to help.  Son and I will work as a team and do it but breaks now and again help us regain the gusto that will help us win.  Yesterday's break came in the form of clearing the small vegetable plot. Yes, it was still clearing hurricane debris but, at least, this had a different motive.  I wanted to check on my little plants.  Just days before Zeta hit our area, I planted broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages and mustard greens.  I was not even sure if the plants were still there or if the seeds had sprouted.  Limbs and debris totally filled the small garden.

  After removing the large limbs and some roofing from the greenhouse, I was ready to start searching for my little plants. Carefully raking between (what I thought were) the rows, I started finding plants!  Green, green plants had survived the onslaught!  It was almost overwhelming to find something living since we have been dealing with a lot of death lately in the form of dead plants and animals.  Now!  Green! 

  After my afternoon's work, I finally have the garden space somewhat cleared and I am overjoyed that only one cabbage plant was gone.  Life is good.

Of Cabbages and...Good Intentions

   I spent the morning shoveling in the garden.  The place was a mess with all of the waning pepper plants and eggplants plus a ton of leaves dropped by the recent storm to hit the Bayou.  After pulling up all the spent plants, I started turning the soil.  Afterward, I made several nice, straight rows and felt good about my "cardio" workout!  I, also, had good intentions of letting it sit for a few days before attempting to plant a fall garden.  That did not happen.  Before I knew what was happening, Son was pouring fertilizer in the open rows.  Well, there was nothing to do but start stirring that into the soil.  Well now!!  The garden did, indeed, look better!  My rows were made and ready for plants in a few days!  Nope. It did not happen that way at all!

  Mark is still going a bit stir crazy from his recent quarantine.  Two weeks was far too much for this man! Since he came home, he wanted out!  So, he headed to the plant department of the local lumber yard.  "Get me 30 cabbage plants, a packet of mustard green seeds and a packet of broccoli seeds." That was my strict shopping list!  This man has a knack for purchasing far more than I need so I put "numbers" on the items!  Nope.  It did not happen.  Today was turning into a "Nope" day.

  The man came home with 72 cabbage plants and no seeds!  It seems that the garden center does not sell seeds after August!  What??  Whatever happened to fall gardening?  I was appalled!  He did, however, manage to pick up ALL those cabbage plants.  I guess he thought to grab them while they were still there just in case I decided to send him back for more.  Well, my grand ideas of a variety of plants in the garden does not look like it is to be.  The good intentions of planting later in the week did not happen, either.  After supper, there was still enough daylight for me to plant 32 of the 72 cabbages in the nice rows.  Now, I will have to scrounge in my saved seed supply to find if I saved any mustard or broccoli seeds.  I think...maybe...if those darn rats that invaded the greenhouse did not eat them!  I do have cabbages, though.  Lots and lots of cabbages!