Back At Home

The problem with going on vacation is that you're continually wondering what's going on at home while you're away.

The pet sitter kept us informed about what the four cats were doing (mostly eating and sleeping), the news media assured us that no meteorites had obliterated San Diego and that the Padres were as pathetic as usual, but there was no way to know what was going on with the garden in our absence.

That leaves the gardener free to imagine that the tomatoes are all dying, the varmints are running rampant and somewhere there's a zucchini rapidly approaching the size of a Shetland pony.

Tomatoes Not Looking Good

When we came home, we found that some of those fears were unfortunately well founded:  the tomatoes really were dying, the artichoke we had recently planted was dead, the back flow valve on part of the irrigation system was leaking, and the radishes had bolted.  Too bad, Cindy really loves her radish sandwiches in the summer.

On the other hand, the green beans were reaching for the sky, producing another bountiful crop, and the squash were looking good.  Cindy picked a couple of the Clarimore zucchini (smaller than Shetland ponies, fortunately) and a handful of tender green beans and they were delicious.

Green Beans Rising

So, back to normal.