And away we go!
This is my sort of weekly post where I write whatever comes to mind until the coffee pot runs out.
I just arranged my first ever ATC trade. Whoop! I’m trading this one for one that she has not posted yet, or this one, but ANY of her needlefelted ATCs would be a treasure. I definitely think that I’m getting the best end of the deal here, but she initiated the trade!
Let’s see, the tomatoes that survived the initial planting seem to be doing well now. Especially the Romas, which were the most important to me, since I’d like to have enough paste tomatoes to can this summer. I’ve had wonderful garden dinners every evening for the past two weeks or so, many times standing next to the pea vines, shelling and eating raw peas on the spot. I never knew how good this was. I may never cook a pea again.
Also the red Nanking cherries finally ripened, and I’ve actually beat the birds to most of them, I think. I took a bag of raw shelled peas and cherries to snack on at work. My co-workers thought that it was pretty strange. I guess it was. 
> The white Nankings have yet to ripen, but there are cherries on that bush for the first time this year. One of my blueberry bushes is loaded with berries. I hope that I can get some, because the bird netting is out. Sandy was furious that the birds kept getting caught in it – I was not happy about it either, but he was really upset. The fig tree looks beautiful, but as I reported a while back, the figs disappeared. It is getting really big.
On my way to work there is a large mulberry tree in a small parking lot. I love to pick the ripe mulberries off the lower branches to munch on. I see branches filled with the little lovelies high above my head. I really need to buy a stepladder.
Here’s the funny thing – I am not really a big fruit fan. Like green beans, I’m more fascinated with growing fruit than eating or cooking it. I picked the kinds that I like the most, and blueberries have a special place in my heart since growing them as a hobby was my father’s passion. The other push that I’ve made for small fruit trees and bushes is that I’m trying to plan for the future, when times might be hard and I will really appreciate that jar of pear preserves or blueberry jam. There are a couple of permaculture principles that I’m trying to put into play here. One is different levels of food producing plants. Another is that I’m trying to devote a good chunk of my space to perennials, hence the artichokes, cardoons, and asparagus.
Well, this turned into a Back Forty Update, didn’t it? S’all righta. Remember the Spanish comedian with the painted talking hand? Oh never mind.
Here’s one last thing – I nearly tumbled completely out of bed last night. You see, I was riding my bike with a friend, and we stopped at a gas station for a soda. I had an argument with the proprietor because his drinks were warm and I insisted that he bring me a cold Diet Pepsi. He brought me a Coke, at which we left and were about to ride away, ridiculing him for not knowing that there are Coke people and Pepsi people and never the twain shall meet. But before we could leave the parking lot, a crook got out of his car at the gas pumps with a pistol! I say “crook” because he was the kind of smarmy guy with Brylcreemed hair that always gave Barney Fife trouble on the Andy Griffith Show. Well. One male customer ran away, and the crook turned his attention to me. So I decided to lay down and close my eyes and maybe he would pass me by. This never worked as a toddler so I don’t know why I thought it would work now. But anyway, he pressed the big fat black pistol to my arm and demanded that I pick up a hunting bow and arrow and shoot the gas station proprietor! I was having none of that karma, so I did a karate move to knock the pistol out of his hand, except it didn’t work, so I tried to roll to my feet to run, and that’s when I knocked most of the stuff off the bedside table and ended up halfway on the floor.
Nighttime almost always brings adventure for me. No wonder TV bores me these days. I’d rather go to sleep.
slowly she turned 
