Work Day

Today, we had another work day. My muscles are aching, my cheeks are stinging from wind and sun (I did wear a hat most of the day), and my hands look and feel like cotton picker hands, even though I wore gloves for everything I could. We got the chicken wire installed around the garden perimeter. We also got a big gate installed on the back side of the garden to allow the tractor in to disk. Yes, the garden is that large.

Even so, this year the garden may not be big enough. It is BIG CORN year. The freezer is totally emptied of corn. Last year we only planted a few rows for fresh eating because we had such a big crop the year before. Even those few rows were lessened by raccoons. The raccoons eat corn just like humans. They pull the shucks back and eat every kernel and move onto the next. All that was left was a pile of empty cobs. Those few bags I was counting on did not materialize and we have eaten every morsel of the previous year's crop. So, this year we plant corn.

While on the subject of gardening, I want to update you on my indoor seeds. Everything is up except the eggplant and a few persnickety pepper seeds. I have put a heating pad underneath to encourage them.

I know this is rambling, but I need to tell this super sweet story. My 9 year old son attempted to install water to my garden. Of course, his method was completely illogical, but, oh so thoughtful. While I was distracted with weeding where the chicken wire was going, he dug a shallow trench from the nearest water facet to the garden (about 60 feet). Then he laid a water hose in it and covered it. When I finally noticed what was going on, I didn't have the heart to tell him that it wouldn't work for very long. I was just so happy that he was thinking of my need for water in the garden. When the hose is flattened, cracked and worthless we will trench deeper and install pipe. Right now, I would never think of touching it.