Day 222 - still fighting the treat taking issue

I was too tired to write yesterday, after a little work outside, a movie and a larger-than-usual meal--I took the girls to Chili's for treat.  All that I accomplished was the mowing and the beets.

So that leaves today as harvest day, plus weeding the strawberries.  They're in serious need of attention.

Later.  I attended.  I weeded more than half of the row, dug some potatoes, picked a mess of purple hull peas, and picked the tomatoes.  And then dealt with the mess!

And tried, as usual, to get Izzy to take a treat out of my hand.  And failed.

Day 220 - dogs don't eat tomatoes

I am lost in contemplation...

 ...of the amount of work that ought to get done this weekend.

By the way, my pepper predicament of yesterday has proven to be just a big misunderstanding.  Not all of the peppers are evil--I ate two today that were fine.  I'll just need to be very, very careful--taste first; chop into small pieces in mix into a salad, second.

So, as to the weekend.  I should mow; dig and prepare beets; mow with the hand mower; put out cardboard to cover weeds beside the purple hull peas; weed strawberries; pick peas; finish digging up and/or tilling the beds that didn't get planted--

And then Sunday.  Sunday I need to dig potatoes and pick Swiss chard.

I forgot the tomatoes--I need to tie up the plant that kind of drooped over during the rain this week.  And pick them...endlessly.  There is no gardening job easier or more rewarding than picking tomatoes.

Every...stinking...day.


On the dog issue, I can't figure out how to get her to gain just a little weight.  When I give her extra treats, like yogurt on her dog food, she just learns not to eat her dog food until I treat it.  I really don't want to go that route, although my dog sitter does it with hers--she adds chicken broth to their dry food.  I never have to add special treats to Werewolf's food, or Zack's--why does she have to be the picky eater?

Something terrible has happened in the garden.

Not the weeds--they're terrible, all right, but two or three hours of hard labor will get them under control.
Not the tomato topping over--unless it snaps in the night, I can stake it back upright again.
Not even the purple hull peas springing out in awesome quantity.
It's the peppers.  They're....

Crossed.

I guess that's the problem--I dunno.  I planted all sweet peppers except two.  One was supposed to be a "mildly" spicy banana.  And the other a jalapeno--just one jalapeno--but here's the problem.  I forgot to sequester it at a far spot in the garden, and now--they're all hot as heck!   I picked several banana peppers yesterday and put them in a salad and...

I nearly died.

Do peppers really cross-breed like that?

Day 218 - wet dog alert

Monday's promise was a complete lie, and I admit it freely.  On Tuesday I had to pick beans, peas, peppers, and tomatoes, so there was no time for pictures. The results:

 

Lovely purple hull peas!  I was thinking of doing fajitas for Sunday supper, but the garden has dictated the side dishes.  New potatoes, purple hull peas, beets, and ripe tomatoes!


Today it's raining--lovely--but I have to put the dogs out.  Are they ever going to figure out what a dog house is for?

Day 216 - dog play

I will have some pictures...tomorrow.  Today I had to do maintenance on Callie's computer and pick purple hull peas.  There weren't as many of them as I had thought but then I didn't really did down through them and find the hidden jewels. 

All that I can say for sure is, I need a weekend!

Weeds run rampant.  Grass (and weeds) is growing up all along the sides.  The strawberries especially are struggling.

And the dog is home and out of her mind with play!   When I was in the bathroom, she was in all of the front rooms looking for me.  And when I was putting on my shoes in the bedroom, she practically pranced--just like a dog will when trying to start a game with another dog!

I'm a dog!!!!

Day 215 - poor dog takes the back burner

Akon 2012.  Unbelievable, indescribable, and over.

Dogs are home, waiting for me to put them out after supper.  The garden is so much in need of attention that it's ludicrous to think I'm not out there, but really, I'm too tired to care.  I went out long enough to turn on a sprinkler and grabbed a nice big tomato, ripe but not overripe.  I was going to eat a big salad for supper but my little girl just had a major meltdown and I lost my appetite.

We're tired.  We're both tired.  Only she won't admit it.

Day 213 - dog and human gone; garden stays

Off to A-kon in the morning.  See ya Sunday.

I got into the garden for the first time in three days.  No only are there millions of cherry tomatoes ripe but there's a few larger tomatoes turning.  Several of the cherries are either split or have a bite out; I'm okay with that.  Plenty of good ones for me.

But the sad thing is--if I had time to deal with them--there's a perfect crop of new purple hull peas.  Just the way I like them, too--firm and bumpy and only just starting to dry out.

Well, fart!  They'll have to wait.