4th Quarter?

God popped in this evening. "Its been a while, where have you been?" I asked. "Just watching." God answered. "So, you're a lurker?", I asked. "Well, I wouldn't put quite that way" he answered. He elaborated, "I'm more like a coach. I sent the play in from the sidelines, and see how well you listen and execute." I answered, "I'm trying God, its not the 4th quarter, is it?"

Happiness

Who could have possible known the happiness that millions of people would feel by the simple experience of planting a seed in the soil?

I Could Pretty Much Repeat the Last Post

Its been warm for a few days, but the cold comes back in tonight.   Lows are heading down to the upper 20s in just a few days.   I tilled up the raised beds, and bought some Compost and Cow Manure to amend them.  I'll get that done tomorrow or day after, but I think I'll wait to put in my new Cauliflower seedlings till after this cold snap.  Hopefully we'll get a good rain by then as well.  Things are getting awefully dry out there.  What a contrast this is compared to last winter, when we up to our eyeballs in rain.  Oh well, that's nature.

Warm, Then Cold Again

We had a couple of warm days in the low 70s, but its back to cold again.  And next week it will be back to warm for a few days, then back to cold again.   We should call this the "see saw" season, instead of winter.

I was wondering through the garden today.  I tripped over an old vine, and out popped a nice Acorn Squash that I missed.  I split it, saved the seeds, and cooked it with a little butter and brown sugar.  Talk about goooood.   Wonderful complex flavors, but simple to prepare, and healthy.  Got to love that.  Its funny, that my family, in-laws, and no one else I know ate the winter squashes.  They sure were missing some good food, but I'm not.  They'll always be a part of my garden from here on out.

While I was in seed saving mood, I went out and got some Cucumber seeds.  I had read to let them get yellow and soft before harvesting the seeds.  Needless to say, I wasn't looking forward to this operation, but in spite of the fact that they were pretty disgusting looking, yellow and soggy, the insides still smelled like fresh Cucumber.  To say I was relieved is an understatement.

The second set of heads are starting on the Broccoli, in spite of the fact, that I let a couple of large first round heads go to flower.   Hey, at least the bees love me.  They are all over those pretty yellow Broccoli flowers.  I did lose a couple of Cauliflower heads, which turned yellow and ugly after the freeze of last week, but I had already harvested, and gave away so much, that I can't say that I minded.   I still have some Cheddar Cauliflower coming along, too.

And still got a great crop of lettuce, along with enough Georgia Collards to feed a small army.  My Curled Leaf Collards are shaping up great as well, while my spinach looks like really sorry.  Beets and Carrots don't look so good either.  Go figure.

Lots of Cold Early This Year

We have a couple nice little freezes last week, and over the last two nights we've been down into the upper 20s. The fall garden is officially frozen and done.  Winter garden is not showing near the vigor of the fall garden.  Pretty much same soil, same prep, the weather hasn't been quite as friendly as the fall weather, which was darn near perfect as far as gardening goes.  I have to admit, I am tempted to just harvest out the rest of the winter garden crops, till it all up, cover and wait for spring.  I am just not sure that what I will harvest of what is still growing is worth the effort as opposed to being really ahead of the game in spring.  I'll wait till the first of the year to make a final decision, but sure am leaning to the early start for spring.

Last of the Mohicans, err, I Mean Last of the Bell Peppers

This was the last Bell Pepper harvest before winter finally did them in.  We stuffed and froze them.  Hopefully, there are enough of them to make it till spring.   I've always thought of stuffed Bell Peppers as kind of a winter food anyway.  I am funny that way.

I Showed Up at the Front Door with a Bouquet of Lettuce?

Ain't I just a romantic?

Got Sick, and Winter Arrived

I got sick right after Thanksgiving.  Something flu like, but it kept me in bed for nearly a week.  And after than, in the first week of December winter slipped through the back door with a series of freezes and heavy frost.  Most of the grasses are now a nice warm brown, the bananas and elephant ears are melted, and the deciduous trees are losing leaves fast.  The fall veggie garden is toast, quite literally.

I Am Not a One Trick Pony. I Can Be Mr. Cauliflower Head, Too

The fall garden was on steroids.  What can I say? 

And these were not isolated incidents.   Pretty much all of the Cauliflower and Broccoli were that big.  And I have enough Georgia Southern Collard Greens to feed a small army as well.

My Friends Call Me Broccoli Head

And I haven't a clue why.