Summer bummer

The Lovers of Valdaro

Ben and I have been taking turns being laid up and nursing injuries this summer. There have been several consequences to this - chief among them the fact that we keep setting ourselves back by trying to take care of each other. Example - I drive him to a doctor's appointment because he needs to go and can't drive himself, but driving is the worst thing for my back, so I end up having to lay on the couch and ice my back for the rest of the day.

My friend Charlie described our situation something like this, "You guys could be out there in the garden, and Ben could fall over, and you'd throw your back out trying to help him, and then they'd find your skeletons later..."

Another consequence is that we got way behind on garden projects - here are just a few that fell by the wayside:
Weeding anything
Thinning seedlings
Planting a pumpkin patch for cash crop.
Second plantings of greens and root veggies: beets, carrots, turnips.
Planting fall veggies: winter squash, cabbages, Brussels sprouts.

I am so grateful that we put in the time and effort ($$) to install a low maintenance garden, with black plastic for weed control in the rows and an intricate system of drip hose for easy watering. And that we did get the tomatoes staked. And that Nature finds a way.

We have been harvesting, though! The first onslaught was peppers:

 

 I ran into a friend at the grocery store the other day, and I told her I was facing the 'zucchini dilemma.'  Patty Pan squash, summer squash and zucchini - 10-15lbs a day! It's slowing down a bit now, but here's the haul from just two days: