STORM #2 ON THE WAY???

Up early this morning - today's the day we pick up the new table/sink combo! I got the house caulked and painted yesterday, in preparation for the sink install.

With Big John working nights a couple more days, installation probably won't happen until Thursday. Can you tell I'm excited? I can't wait to wash produce outside, instead of tracking all that mess into the house.

Of course, the 9 inch rainfall we just got has had some effect on the garden. We pulled all the cherry tomatoes yesterday - they were about done anyway.

We're giving the big tomatoes one last chance. I think they're drowned, but Big John didn't want to give up just yet.

 It is a sad thought to think we'll have to wait a couple of months for another delicious giant tomato. My precious yellow pear tomato - an HEIRLOOM variety - has quit. (That's it just above, on the right. It was prettier a month ago!) I just didn't have the heart to pull it yesterday. It was an experiment this year, and I can't wait to plant a ton of them next year. We found that heirloom varieties won't put out much past June, so we'll plant them a little earlier next spring and try to keep them protected from any late frosts. I made the most incredible yellow pear tomato jam - tomatoes, jalapenos, basil, and lots of sugar. OMG! Put that over cream cheese on a cracker - heaven!

Squash - yellow and zucchini - hasn't done much all summer long. It's just been too wet. We've had lots of mildew problems, and the rain is hampering pollination. I wanted to pull them yesterday, too, but Big John won out. Maybe this next round of rain will convince him we're just not going to have any more squash this year. Okra, romas, melons, and cukes - all doing well. The eggplant are producing, and I'm hoping they'll put out more than one a week. We've got another load of cucumbers ready to pickle. If man could live on pickles alone, we'd have it made this year!

Even the pumpkins are coming on! Those glowing white pumpkins aren't nearly as vigorous as the plain old orange variety. And I can't tell how close we'll be to the magic date. We may have lots of pumpkins for Thanksgiving decorations!

It looks like sales will start to slow down with not as much coming out of the garden. That's ok, that table and sink will be ready for the fall produce sales!

The weatherman is talking about another little system to watch. This one's just a disturbance right now, with development likely soon. And it might be headed our way. There's no way I'll wish for a summer like we had last year, but it can get just as bad the other direction. There IS such a thing as too much rain. For now, cows are fat and happy. Mosquitos haven't hatched yet (any day now) and my feed bill has gone WAY down in the past couple of months. Just like we do all year, we'll keep a close eye on the weather and hope for the best. Wonder if we've got time to get another round of grass planted, Big John?!!!!