Garden Goodness...

August has been good to us so far...

We've been having some gorgeous weather this week.  It's been hot, yes, but the humidity has dropped below it's normally (IMO) unbearable levels, and we couldn't ask for a nicer day today!

We've been enjoying produce from our garden...not nearly at the volume of other years...but maybe that's part of why I'm enjoying it so much!

The cantelopes are ripening all of a sudden...

I picked four so far, and there are two more that will be ready in another day or so.  I plant the Athena variety.  They seem to be disease resistant, and they're nice and sweet.

My Black Cherry Tomatoes are loaded.  This is the first year I planted this kind, and they're not quite what I expected.  They're a little larger than I thought they'd be.  I've picked a few ripe ones, and the jury is still out on the taste...

I'm glad I saw this guy before I reached in...

The first batch of regular tomatoes that I planted have all died, as usual, but I found some for a dollar at a neighbor's greenhouse late in the spring, and gave them a shot.  So far they're doing well, and haven't shown any signs of blight or whatever usually ails my tomato plants!  Maybe it's because the second half of our summer has been much drier than the first half?

The red raspberries are growing in leaps and bounds.  I planted three plants behind my garden shed a few years ago, and now they've gone wild!  These particular bushes bear all summer long.  I pick a few cups a day, and freeze them until I have enough for jelly or pancake syrup...

My new chickens like to hang out by the fence beside the bushes.  They like the shade they get there, as well as the occasional berry that falls on their side of the fence.

Earlier this summer the Japanese Beetles had a feast on the leaves, but now they've moved on and the bushes have set more fruit.  Don't they look delicious?

The chickens also eat my scraps.  These young ones are still learning that garden scraps are tasty.  They've eaten a few overgrown zucchini, they love watermelon rind, and are learning how good cantelope tastes as well.  They still don't come running when they see a bucket like the old ones did, but they're learning!  They're 18 weeks old, and will soon be laying a few small pullet eggs...

Here's a sample of what I found in the garden today...

My zucchini outdid themselves this year.  I found one small one yet this morning, and it might be the last one.  We'll see.

I don't think the kids will mind!