I am attempting to grow a very small garden this year.  Now growing up on a farm raising our own vegetables and livestock, you would think I would not use the words “attempting to grow”.  Please remember I was young and my parents were the ones to get the garden started and we (my siblings and I) were the ones responsible for weeding – my least favorite chore! One summer we had to weed our cornfield – oh how mad the three of us girls were!  We had to make the best of the day so weeding away while using a hoe we began goofing off and chop – gasp disaster we cut down a nice growing stalk of corn, chop gasp repeat, chop gasp repeat.  With an ingenious plan of  “propping” the stalks up with dirt and rocks -brilliant! We just knew no one would notice… after realizing how many stalks we had chopped down, we knew our hides were going to be skinned if not tanned!  A few days later a conversation between Mom and Dad about needing something for the cut worms in the cornfield was overheard …. VICTORY!! My sisters and I never told my parents the truth about chopping down the stalks until many years later – I’m talking us married with children years later….

We had a Jenny mule (male horse/female donkey offspring) who was more like a pet than a “working farm animal”.  We actually named her Jenny and would ride her anywhere with just a rope around her neck.  One day my mother and I decided we were going to plow another row for planting in the already established garden – needless to say not only did we plow a row but a row right smack dab down the middle and halfway back of said established garden! It looked as if we were going for a maze design.  There was not explanation or good excuse for that one – oops.

I always water my garden in the early morning unless the weather man is predicting rain of course.  Yesterday I waited and waited and waited for the predicted rain – none! Drat so around 7:00 pm I watered my garden, checking out the plants for any insect activity or produce. I have lost several squash already due to bloom rot and hopefully have this corrected.

Hip-hip-hooray I have two beautiful squash ready for picking – thrilled and doing the happy dance smiling from ear to ear, I came in the house proudly displaying my – first harvest of squash, with basil and cilantro while planning what I’m going to do with my two beautifully well cared for, grown with love squash for dinner the next evening.

Today Monday, Robin came home early due to rain (still none here and yes I watered my garden this morning) and starting changing the brakes on the car and needed my assistance.  Maleigh and I go outside to help him.  The two of us sitting in the car, while Robin bled the brakes, started playing like we were astronauts in a spaceship being attacked by aliens (her Tata was the alien) having a blast. Brakes changed, test drove the car, all go back inside the house.  I noticed something unrecognizable lying in the living room floor, walking over to pick it up, only to learn it was my SQUASH!!!  My beautiful squash – Rango (the dog) had completely consumed one and half of the other! I was furious!!! I had plans for those veggies, plans that involved us/me eating them and not Rango.  Sighing and feeling let down I told Robin at least I have a picture of my first two squash grown with love…he laughs at me.