Drought

Day after day it is hot and dry.  Everything that should be green is turning brown.  In all of my life, I have never seen it so dry and hot for so long.  Yesterday we had a brief shower - just enough to dampen the porch, but the earth and vegetation is so dry that when I walked through the grass immediately after the 2 minute shower, everything was dry.  It was like no moisture had fallen at all.  I dug up some of my perennials to put them in pots where I can get some water to them to try to save a start of a few of them.  I was shocked at the lack of moisture in the earth, and even after digging down about a foot, the soil was bone dry and cracked.  No wonder the trees are going brown.  Some will die from lack of rain.

The wasps come to the bird bath and drink and drink.  The birds come too and sit with their wings out and their feathers fluffed as they pant through open beaks.  It is pitiful to see them suffering.  I turn on the sprinkler in the evenings to water the garden, and the birds come to sit in the cooling water and preen themselves.  So far the well is holding out, but we are more careful with water now. 

The garden is still producing a few tomatoes, but everything has stopped flowering.  I keep watering hoping that when the 100 plus degree heat finally breaks and the rain returns we might get more vegetables. There are cumulus clouds building in the sky now, but so far no rain in sight.  Pray for rain.

Fruitfulness

Although we have not had any rain for a month, the gardens and orchard are fruitful.  The plum tree is bearing for the first time.  The plums are not the big things one can buy at the store, but the sweetness is beyond compare.  I am so thankful that the electric company spared the plum tree when they ravaged our trees and the orchard.  I am having to beat the squirrels to the fruit; they tend to take more than their share.  But I don't want to pick the plums too soon.  They are so much better when left to ripen on the tree. 

The garden is starting to produce too.  The sugar snap peas are almost done bearing, and as the heat is beginning to set it, the vines will soon dry up.  But the green beans, squash, peppers and tomatoes are thriving in the heat.  Last year it was too hot for the beans to bloom or pollinate, but this year we have lots of young beans already on the vines.  We should have our first mess with some new potatoes this week.

Last night everything on the table came from the garden or from the local farmers.  We had a delicious meatloaf (The eggs in the meatloaf were local and the milk was regional. Only the oatmeal was from an unknown origin.)  Roasted new potatoes from the garden with onions and carrots from the farmers market.  Corn that was raised locally last summer that I shucked and froze was still yummy and fresh tasting.  The salad greens were from the garden along with the snap peas and radishes.  The carrots and tomatoes were from the farmers market.  The hamburger for the meatloaf was raised locally.  I've visited the farm, and they are happy, grass raised cows whose meat has more omega 3 than fish.  It was a lovely, tasty meal. 

That is the best part of summer.  The eating is soooo good and soooo fresh! 

Grandma's Meatloaf
1 pound of ground beef
1 package of dry onion soup
1 egg

Mix these together.

Add:  old fashioned oatmeal --- just enough to help bind the meat.  I use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup.  Mix. 
Add:  Milk until the meat is moist and everything sticks together.  Do not add too much milk; add a little at a time.  I add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup depending on how much oatmeal I have used.   The leaner the meat the more milk you may need to add.  You know you have the right amount of mile when you form a ball of meat and it is just a bit sticky. (Milk tenderizes the meat, but too much will ruin the meatloaf.)

Form the meat into a ball and place in a 9X7 oven proof pan. Press the ball into a loaf shape.  Top with catsup. (Sometimes I add green pepper slices as a topping too).  Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour.  Remove from the pan and place on a platter and let it sit for 5 minutes, then slice and enjoy.

Spring

Spring is here once again.  All the typical signs are evident:  the peepers are singing in the ditch, the crocus and daffodils are blooming the country roads are littered with dead skunks.  It baffles me that of all the beauty spring brings, the flattened bodies of skunks are one of the first signs.  I guess it doesn't pay to be one of the first ones out in spring.  On a brighter note, this morning there were rabbits grazing on the few green shoots of grass out by the garden.

Today it is in the low 60's and the early seeds sitting on the counter were calling my name.  So since the moon phase is almost right, the ground was not cold, the soil had just the right tilth and I could no longer resist the call to get my hands in the dirt, I planted some peas.  Just one short row.  I have plenty of seed, so I will probably have to plant again, but just working the soil and placing the plump, wrinkled seeds in the earth was wonderful.  Sun and rain and they will grow.

The early seedlings I started indoors are coming up.  The tiny necks of the plant poke through the soil and then lift their head and unfurl their first two leaves.  I always feel that life is affirmed when a seed sprouts and begins its life.  Grandpa and I bend over the young plants and marvel at how such a tiny seed will become a sturdy pepper plant or a ranging tomato that will take over the garden.  All is takes is someone to plant the seed and give it food, water and light.  People are a lot like that too.  All we need to do is give each other care and food, water and light.  Affirm life.

Is It Spring?

A lovely, mild winter.  Everyone is loving the warm, pleasant weather, but everything is out of kilter!  My spring bulbs, which are usually just beginning to peek out by this time, are 4 inches tall.  The birds are singing in the mornings as if it were spring.  And beyond any reason, I planted lettuce! This shirt-sleeve weather has me sorting seeds, puttering among the garden beds and getting out the peat pots to begin starting seeds for the garden.  But it is too early.  They say a big storm is on the way.  Perhaps, but just in case it misses us, I am going to plan for an early spring!

How About This Weather

Love the weather today - still in the 70's.  Grandma actually had to wear a jacket to work yesterday!  The garden, or what is left of it after the ravages of this summer of extreme heat, is barely going.  A few peppers hang sadly on the plants; tiny things compared to the big, plump peppers I expected.  The eggplant is doing fine.  It took the heat and is still going.  If you haven't tried eggplant, I would suggest the Japanese varieties (you can find them at Farmers Markets).  Peel them, slice them and stir fry them with some onion and dill.  Top with Parmesan cheese and you have a quick lunch or side dish.  Think I'll go to the garden and pick some - I've made myself hungry!

In the Garden

It is amazing what 30 degrees difference in temperature can do!  Last week it was over 100 degrees and today it is 75.  Grandpa and I worked in the yard most of the day trying to catch up on long overdue tasks.  We took the swing out of the tree today.  The limb to which it was attached died, and it was unsafe for the grandchildren.  We moved a wood pile and worked in the raised bed garden.  The biggest, heaviest task was moving the railroad ties from around the old garden.  The big, old garden is being given back to the grass (at least the majority of it).  It is surprising that after 20 years in the ground how heavy those old, half rotten beams can be!  We heaved and hauled and got them to the burn pile.  It was heavy, hard work, but in this delicious weather we really didn't mind.  After unloading the ties we jumped in the truck and headed to the highway to blow out the debris.  Like a couple of kids we rolled down the windows, let our hair fly and flew over the country road in the sweet September afternoon.