Yesterday, I got up and showered, then headed out to the garden to do the Coffee Walk. You know...see what's growing with my mug o' Joe in hand. It was predicted to be the hottest day so far this year for us, and I had no intention of working outside in the heat and humidity. Well, I should have known better. Those weeds needed hoeing; the melons needed watering; the squash needed picking; the peppers needed staking, and on and on and on. Next thing I knew, it was after noon...and I was back in the shower, trying to get clean again.
I don't even want to see our water bill this month. Sigh.
Still, I'm having a ball with the garden, in case it isn't quite evident from all of my posts. Lots of work, no doubt. But also lots of great exercise...lots of opportunities for creative expression...and lots of chances to work through stress. And there will be a big reward in the end! Yummy, homegrown produce, and beautiful flowers.
Remember back in early May, I posted a shot I said would be the "before shot?" That's it on the left, below. And on the right was about the same angle shot, taken yesterday. See how my veggie garden is growing?! The tomato cages you see on the left are filled with bushy plants on the right. The peppers have grown so much (in the center of the shots) that I've had to stake and cage 'em. And, the squash that wasn't even sprouted on the left has almost taken over on the right. Two things are "less" on the right: no lettuce remaining (between the limbs, serving as row markers)...almost all eaten by Mr. Bunny; and fewer onions, as we've harvested several since then. Still, I thought a "before" and an "after" shot might help you visualize the progress.
Yes, good things are happening outside. But, more importantly, good things are starting to happen inside.
It's time for this year's picture of the first BLT! Remember, I do love my tomato sandwiches; can hardly wait for the first one of the gardening year. Well, I harvested a couple of nice Early Girl tomatoes this week (yes, a good two weeks before my July 4th deadline!), so it was time to do the honors.
N/M/E and I agree on almost everything about the perfect BLT: white Wonder Bread, Hellman's Mayonnaise, thick-cut bacon (I used Plumrose this year), crisp Iceberg lettuce (store-bought, since Mr. Bunny devoured all of ours...), lots of salt and pepper, and thick, juicy slices of red, ripe tomatoes. Our only difference is that she wants her bread toasted, and I prefer it to be so soft that it sticks to the roof of my mouth. Heaven...pictured below:
Oh, and about the bread. While that wrapper says Wonder Bread, it ain't. At least, not the white bread I remember. It's called Whole Wheat White...and it tastes like they put sawdust in the dough before baking. I don't want my BLT to be healthy; heck, I'm pretty sure that having BACON on a sandwich puts "healthy" out of reach. I just want it to taste like when I was a kid. Only better, because I grew the tomatoes.
And, Mr. T's lunch request on this fine day? A PBJ, if you please. What can I say?
No comments:
Post a Comment