70 this morning and sunny. Expected to be near 90 today.
Still Covid positive, daggone it.
But other than that, life goes on. I canned salsa,but and dill pickles...again. I swear, everyone will be getting 12 jars of pickles this Christmas! The cucumbers have loved all the rain.
But sad news about the tomatoes. Despite everything we have tried, the deer are still getting in. So Larry picked every tomato in that garden, green or not. He also picked all the butternut squash as the deer got to them too. They were nowhere near ready but oh well. So tomorrow I will be making green tomato mincemeat, and those squash I hope will ripen and just be small.
Gardening is tough these days, with the deer population expanding by leaps and bounds. It doesn't help that many neighbors feed the deer. They don't grow gardens, you see, and think the deer are pretty. Which they are, but there are far too many of them. West Virginia has the nation's highest rate of vehicle-deer collisions, and this in a state with one of the least populated states! You would think our Department of Natural Resources would see that there is a problem, given the amount of crop damage and accidents involve deer, but they take no action except for incremental increases in the amount allowed during hunting season.
It's not just deer, either. As the corn approaches picking stage we are watching out for other marauders. Larry has trapped 6 raccoons and 2 possums so far this summer. Sometimes it feels like a battle between us, the wildlife, and the weather.
Still, we certainly won't go hungry. The cellar and the freezers are exploding with good food. But it is disappointing to work so hard on growing a good garden and then see it damaged and not be able to prevent it.
Enough ranting! I know I am blessed with a good life, and surrounded by beauty. I went out in the smaller garden--the one we call "my" garden because I have more to do with this one than with the bigger garden-- for the first time in 2 weeks this morning, and while it was disheartening to see how the weeds have grown, it was also nice to see how many things are thriving. We do have a few tomato plants in this garden so will at least continue to have eating tomatoes.
We came back to the house with cabbage, dill, a few tomatoes cucumbers, squash, and potatoes he missed the other day. He tilled that ground for fall planting and found these taters with the tiller, so they are a bit damaged. I will use them to make potato salad today.
Onward we go. I hope to finally kick this virus soon so I can get back to the gardens, but meanwhile I have at least been able to keep up with canning and freezing. Another blessing.
Ugh - that covid can really hang on. Hoping that you are soon negative for it and I do hope that you are feeling well. Sorry to hear about your tomatoes - we have deer - lots and lots of them. There doesn't seem to be as many hunters as there used to be. I know my husband and son haven't been hunting in a few years.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed it here too. A lot less people going after the deer. It's a shame because its basically free meat. We buy very little beef, less than 10 pounds most years. It makes no sense when there are so many deer.
DeleteWow, you sure are doing a lot while supposed to be "sick". I guess this virus isn't really getting you down much. Critters and gardens are always such a conflict. Sorry they have pushed your crops into the choice of pick it unripe, or lose it.
ReplyDeleteWell, az i said, we have had an abundance of most things. And we are fighting back! The Liquid Fence seems to be working but must be applied every night since it seems to rain every day. So maybe the tomatoes will set on some late fruit. We can hope!
DeleteI wonder why this pandemic doesn't disappear for almost 2 years.
ReplyDeletehope, you will better soon....
I wonder that too, Rainbow. A friend who is fully vaccinated and boosted just came back from overseas, with the bad Covid. I would have thought she was well protected.
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