Niblets

Watching the sunrise at 5:30 a few days ago it struck me how far south down the treeline that event has moved. Summer is waning, large v's of geese are overhead, the sandhill cranes are on the move. Many warblers have passed through already. The swallows are gone, and the Monarchs are few to be seen.
On the other hand, the garden is bursting, with flowers and every color of vegetable. The laying flock swarms to the fence whenever anyone shows up headed for the garden, they know that goodies are soon coming over the fence as we clean up bruised and damaged veggies. Once in a while a hen will go to extra effort to reward us for sharing...

One of the fun things about having the punks help with garden projects is that they literally get to see the fruits of their labor. Jayden helped choose and plant the onion sets, he weeded and mulched, he watered and checked for varmits. And at long last, he got to harvest. Too bad he doesn't like onions...(he doesn't know how many he actually eats, all chopped up and cooked into some of his favorite meals- we're sneaky, that way!)

Our family believes in doing things together, work or play, one for all and all for one, etc. Somehow our animals pick up on that concept, too. Happy and Nikki learned to stay out of the garden when we're working out there, but hang close by. Jetta the cat, independent miss that she is, just walks through like she owns the place. Not to be left out, Nebby, our lovely little Arab senior citizen, likes to join in when ever the urge strikes her. She nonchalantly walks over or under her 1-strand fence, to do her share of "work". Here she is mowing between beds of herbs and strawberries. Her gentleness just adds to the atmosphere of quiet enjoyment and being together as a family. I did finally have to draw the line at the hens coming in the cabin...

For all the love, work, nurturing and praise, the garden is giving back a bounty of healthy vibrant vegetables. What more could we ask of a few seeds and a ton of mulch?

(No one knew, when the garden was planted, that both Carrie and I would be on the "walking wounded" list at harvest time - a HUGE thank you and hug to Kathy for not only taking care of me but taking on the daily harvest detail for a couple of weeks. Care to guess what all that produce weighs that she toted out of the garden this evening?!)

(For those who need to know these things: more or less clockwise from the left - spaghetti squash, Sun spot cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, big bowl of tomatoes, big bowl of Spanish Spice peppers (under Kathy's elbow), russet potatoes being removed from colender, zuchinni, purple Japanese egglplant, sweet green peppers, Garden Peach tomatoes (yellow), and more tomatoes. Last night we had venison meatloaf - meat from the back 40 - and delicious right-out- of-the-garden Acorn squash baked with butter and brown sugar. We are SO blessed.)