kids visit

Nate's niece and nephew are staying with us for the week. They helped us when we originally started the garden. They were good at planting. Tonight before dinner we'll go out and pick some lettuce and see if the red peppers are ready to be picked. 

cooler weather, still no rain

Moses, our 3 legged cat

The weather has been so much nicer to work outside, but we still have no rain, and no great chance of rain anytime soon. Only 20% chance tomorrow and wednesday. That's not much. The standard saying here in Florida is that if there is a 50% chance of rain, you will get rain. One of our rain barrels is empty now. We have one that is almost full, but with watering the new bamboo we put in, as well as our other plants, I'm afraid it's going to run out before it gets filled again. 

This was a very dry season for us, and it doesn't bode well if this continues. We've had brush fires around here in years past, and we really don't want that again. 

Time for another rain dance...

lots of lettuce

Nate tells me the lettuce is really coming along and I need to eat some. True, I need to eat lettuce and I don't want it to go bad. After yoga tonight I'll have a good salad. It looks so good and healthy! I am so happy with our progress so far. 

tented food

no, it's not some strange bio-harvesting project subsidized by the gubment.

So this is what the backyard garden looks like at present. I have to admit, as much of a pain as it was to put up these things, it sure has saved us a lot of grief and headache and heartache. This fabric has saved our plants from pests, disease, and the burning sun, but still allowing for rain and sunlight to get to the plants to feed them. I thought Nate was crazy to buy such things, but I've found that we need it in florida. 

The weather here has been beautiful all week. I rode my bike to work one day this week, and we have actually had a chance to open the house windows and let some breeze in. It is beautiful. I always tell people; we suffer through the summers to have winters like this.

and here's what's in the garden tents...

here we have some tall, hot peppers, and views of cabbage...

2 different kinds of cabbage, and some lettuce. all is well, so far, thanks to the fabric covering our food. Let's hope it stays that way. 

new garden tents

well, I call them garden tents because that's what they look like. They are protecting our fall vegetables. 

hurray! cooler weather!

It is amazing! The weather has actually been tolerable these past 2 days! We've had the windows open today in the house for the first time in months! This is so refreshing! I know I could go on and on and on about this, and I just might, because this is what we have been waiting for since May. Now, it's tolerable for us, which means in the low 80's, but I know for many it would be way too hot. I am so glad that fall is finally here. I doubt that we'll get any hurricanes now, and we have planted for the fall harvest, and what we have already done has come along so well. I am just so thrilled that the plants that are covered are doing so well. 

I planted some cat grass the other day and that has already sprouted. I don't know that the cats have seen it, as they usually go for what they are not supposed to get into. Nevertheless, it looks good too. I'm waiting for it to get a little taller before I move it to pots. Then I'll put it in the screen porch for the cats to gnaw on at their leisure. 

Rogue got in the yard waste bag. She was trying to hide. I caught her as she was coming out. 

enjoy the weather wherever you are!

fall planting

the tomatoes we planted for summer have lived their lives, and now we are working on broccoli, lettuce, beans, and I think Nate planted cabbage. I'm not sure. It's my birthday tomorrow, and I have no great plans to do anything but what I want to do, but what I really want to do is get our fall planting finished. We have the fabric covers on 2 of our boxes, and the plants in there are doing quite well! We don't have to worry about them getting burnt or full of bugs. It's a great idea! At first, I thought Nate was being paranoid - as he can be sometimes - and since I am the frugal queen, and I don't want to spend anymore time outside in the florida summer than I need to, I thought he was crazy. Crazy like a fox they say! We need to get more compost from the landfill, before it's all gone and before they stop giving it out. (budget cuts, you know.) 

The harvest moon was last night and was it beautiful! It lit up the yard so brightly I could see the kittens running back and forth. They like to chase each other when the sun goes down. They also antagonize each other. Sister's do that. 

The herbs are still doing well. Lots of basil and rosemary and parsley. It's great to have in food. I'm very impressed and happy they are doing well. 

watermelon problems

rotten watermelon
I just want to know what the hell happened to our watermelon?

hurricanes and breezes

scary hurricanes
I am not thrilled with hurricanes. Anyone who was here and lived through the 2004 hurricanes will agree with me that these things are no fun. This picture is pretty intimidating, but I am glad of the outlook. They are forecasted not to come anywhere close to us! Yippee! The good thing about these guys, is that they are bringing a lot of breeze and cooler weather our way. It was actually tolerable outside yesterday evening! I didn't sweat at all standing still! It was a beautiful thing! I was told this will be with us all week! yay!

covering the garden boxes

The bugs have been so bad here that Nate bought this very thin fabric to cover the boxes. He's ingenious at putting things together, and he came up with an idea of using pvc pipe as an arch over the boxes, and using this fabric to protect the plants. So far, it has worked well on the one box that we have covered right now. It is just so damn hot and humid that it's not fun putting this together. Either at 6am or after 6pm is when it's best to be outside. I can't wait for November. 

what're you lookin' at?

We have some plants for the fall: broccoli, cabbage, and we're going to try some lettuce again, in these covered boxes. I am hoping for the best. The herbs have done very well uncovered in this weather, so we may leave those smaller boxes as is for now. 

sweat rag and water bottle are de riguer around here.

Happy Labor Day

Take a break everyone! enjoy the day off! here is to all who labor, sweat, toil, and stress for a living. Congratulations on an extra day off. Do whatever you like today, enjoy the day. Because tomorrow will be here too soon. 

My beloved was working in the garden putting this cover over the plants. The bugs have been brutal this year, and the one container that already has this on it has been very successful. I told him to stop for today and take a break. It's too damn hot too. It's supposed to feel like 100 today. A great day to stay inside. (pay no attention to the butt crack.)