What happens when you neglect the garden for a few days in the middle of summer?

On Thursday, we returned from a 4-day camping trip in the mountains of western NC. Boy, oh boy, am I missing the cool mountain air and the refreshingly frigid swimming holes! Of course, the hot and humid garden was in need of picking... swollen cucumbers, too big okra, overdone green beans, cracked tomatoes. It doesn't take long for things to get out of hand, but with the help of Rouse the Spouse, we got everything up to date .... picked, watered, and weeded.

Unfortunately, we found another black snake (the second) ensnared in the bird netting installed to protect the blueberry crop. I'm sorry to have caused the death of Brother Snake. Yesterday, I discovered a spicebush swallowtail butterfly trapped in the netted space. I carefully caught it in our granddaughter's pink butterfly net and set it free. The berries are at the end of their season... the BEST blueberry season we've ever had, I might add. I guess it's time to take down that net.

The tomatoes are really coming in now. We are enjoying the annual deliciousness of juicy tomato sandwiches. Imagine thick tomato slices, sprinkled with lots of salt and pepper, slathered with mayonnaise, stuck between two slices of real white bread from our fantastic local baker at Phoenix Bakery. Sometimes we eat standing over the sink to better manage the drips!

Of course, BLT's are also on the menu... and pasta loaded with basil pesto... and refrigerator pickles... and more green beans than we care to eat... plus shishito peppers... and the incredible roasted okra! We're in the thick of scrumptious summer.