DAY 12

We have a winner.  Harley got to choose.  I made little slips of paper with your names on them, threw them into the air and instructed Harley to GET 'EM!!!!  The first name off his big silly tongue was SusanBknits.  Congrats, Susan!  You will need to send me your snail-mail address so that I can put this cherry treat in the post!  To everyone else, thank you so very much for taking the time to stop in and leave a comment.  Your thoughts mean the world to me.  I really enjoyed reading about why blogging is important to you.  I love that we all come to this creative venue from different places, but the bottom line is that we ALL derive a great deal of profound satisfaction from sharing our thoughts, our writings, our worlds.  Thank you.  

The season of the tomato is upon us.  Would it be overly boastful to admit to having some of THEE most gorgeous, unblemished tomatoes in Ulster County?  It's really true, mine are magnificent orbs - better than any other year.  I don't even want to know why.  The foliage on this cherry tomato plant reminds me of swiss chard - it's THAT green and starchy!  It practically smacks your hand when you go digging around in it for a treat!

Anne Hanson shared some tomato tips earlier this season and I pruned my plants, according to her instructions.  I was nervous about it, but hey Anne!  I think you are onto something!  People are clamoring for my 'mators!

My first cinderella.  You will become intimately connected with this group before the season is over.  Can you see the little cucumber poking out for its photographic debut?   There was another surprise hiding under the pumpkin foliage . . .

Imagine.  Hiding in the vegetable garden - away from prying eyes - my perennial passion flower.  (sigh)  It's very shy and very tenacious - good qualities in plants and in men.

My vegetable garden has made me a happy woman.  It started off poorly, if you recall.  The sweet orderly seedlings turned into a riot of color and shape and invited the weeds over for a slumber party.  They stayed and took steroids.  The rain ceased, the temperatures rose, I ran out of water for a moment and when I turned around the other night this intense grouping of green filled my senses -

Picasso said, "If I don't have red, I use blue" and like the great artist, I improvised freely.  When I ran out of landscape straw, I pilfered the lawn clippings.  No more tomato cages?  No problem, I found old wire and bent it into submission.  Arugula unproductive?  Ripped it out and planted mexican sunflowers.  I cannot remember ever enjoying the garden as much as I have this season.
There HAS been fiber-y stuff going on in small spurts.  Here's a hint ...