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Our melons have finally decided to bear fruit. For the last couple of weeks, we have been nurturing only one melon, now about the size of a softball. On Thursday we noticed two new ones, and last night we uncovered yet another. We may have a melon harvest after all.
Last night while letting the dogs out, there was a commotion at the back fence. Once the dogs were called back, I noticed the silhouette of something running along the top of the fence. I put the dogs inside and returned with a flashlight. Following the sounds with the light, I came upon a pair of raccoon eyes reflecting orange at me. Then another pair. And then another. When I called back Sherm to see the sight, there were no fewer than seven pairs of raccoon eyes visible in the tree. Sherm and I watched the show for about 15 minutes, then we left them to their dining in our neighbor's apple tree. So cute!
Homegrown foodies are making their way from farm to fork. The other night we savored our first Romanesco zucchini, an Italian variety of ridged zucchini that is absolutely delicious. I recommend growing some as soon as possible. For breakfast this morning I cooked our own fat cloves of garlic, a couple of sliced Green Zebra tomatoes, some Anaheim chili, and leftover pasta, and ate it in a bowl made by a friend of my long-deceased mommy, which sort of added to the homemadeness of it all. It was extremely delicious. I like those Green Zebras. For dessert I had wedges of a large freestone peach, also extremely delicious, all the while appreciating how we grew everything ourselves, just like little red hens. The toil almost seems worth it. Last night, as a TV watching snack, I sliced one of our Honeycrisp apples (the Queen of Apples in my opinion) and sprinkled it with cinnamon. Yum! This year's Honeycrisps are extra tangy.