Harvest

Harvest (Summer Memories), originally uploaded by ToniVC

Fall is here in Minnesota. I'm going to skip past the denial stage this year and jump straight into happy acceptance. Autumn means apple pies and long motorcycle rides. It's also the season to reap what we've sown in our backyard garden.

Our tomato crop was iffy. Earlier in the summer, they made some tomatoes that were half-ripe, half-black-and-shriveled. Now they're cranking out big red fruit. Even the little plants, that we put in to replace the early casualties, are new growing tiny green tomatoes.

It has been the year of the cucumber, although I'm experimenting with new plants. Cukes have been growing all summer, and showing no signs of slowing. Strawberries sent out shoots but no fruit (or what they made was eaten before I could pick it). I planted a single spinach just for fun. Mostly I'm excited about our cantaloupes. We should get at least three ripe melons off the vine. It's been a good year.