[gardeners] Saturday in the garden
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 12 May 2001 17:39:33 -0500
Today we played in the garden most of the day, neglecting the laundry which is
being done now. First Miz Anne pulled the last three Florence fennel, they are
very large, one will be eaten, lightly sauted, tonight. Next she picked a
5-gallon bucket of New Zealand spinach. I sat in the shade and plucked the
leaves from the vine on the spinach, washed it, and started it cooking. I had
already picked about 3 pints of green beans, snapped them, and had them in the
pot also. Her next chore was cleaning out most of the Swiss chard leftover from
the winter garden. We got about 3 quarts that was still edible and that went to
the elderly neighbors behind us (about 10 years older than us so that makes them
really old - B-)). She got about half the carrots pulled, cleaned, and soaking
in bleach solution before the bottom fell out. We got almost 3 inches of rain in
about an hour, really a tropical deluge only loaded with marble sized hail. I
went out in it and brought the new car under the carport. Looks as though we
didn't lose anything in the garden but the oak trees suffered a good bit of leaf
loss.
My shoulder is smarting a bit but I tried to baby it as much as possible and did
take a half-hour nap with a ice pack on it right after my peanut butter and fig
jam sammich for lunch. Miz Anne and Sleepy Dawg are asleep on the couch at the
moment, just worn out from gardening. Sleepy kept the squirrels, mockingbirds,
and the chickadees from attacking us while we were out causing her to have to
take several short naps in the sunshine.
Our daughter also called, she got tickets for two on Continental airlines to
anywhere in the USA for being a "good teacher." Evidently one of the parents
whose child she teaches is an airline pilot and gave her two "buddy" passes.
She, her daughter, and Miz Anne, who was going anyway, are now planning a trip
to Southern Maryland to see the in-laws in the latter part of July. I'm pleased
they're getting to go together as it has been awhile for our daughter and the
MIL is over 92 years of age now. Should be a fun trip for the "girls."
I think I'll go check on the pork loin that is slow cooking in the gas grill
with a little raspberry chipotle sauce on it. That, some NZ spinach, green
beans, and fennel will be our dinner tonight. Last night we went to the Outback
Steak House as I had won a $50 gift certificate in a raffle. Guess what, the
bill ran almost exactly 50 bucks, didn't have to add anything to the
certificate. Looks like we've been winners this week.
Life is good.
George