The best kind of rooster

This little feller showed up in my mail this week, compliments of my Darling Daughter. Isn't he cute? Do believe that he will have to hold a small pot of, oh, how about Echeveria "Hen and Chicks"? 

BLT Season is here!

The Celebrity and the Sweet 1,000's are gonna' meet with some basil, mayo, sea salt, toast and my tummy for dinner this evening. I've been eating saute'd zucchini/garlic with diced (canned) tomatoes all week. Yummy!

This cooler weather is most welcome. The current temperature in the den is 76°. Two days ago it was in the 90°'s. It isn't even July yet. 

this morning

So the plants themselves are looking rather pathetic but those are almost ripe "Celebrity"tomatoes that you see blushing up at you! And its only June 26th! They are well ahead of the "Early Girls" and the "Black from Tulas". There are also some nearly ripe "Sweet 1000's", in fact, there was a flukey very early one that I ate a couple of weeks ago.
The pink flowers are Oenothera, or "evening primrose". Why "evening"? They bloom all day, all night...They don't really belong in the vegetable garden but hey, they're kinda pretty, bring the bees, and are easy to pull up if they get in the way. 

Entirellllly Toooo hot for June!

Ok, having August temperatures in June is simply not kosher.
The entire day has been spent moving sprinklers around followed by standing in the wading pool, followed by sitting in front of the computer with a fan gusting a breeze toward my person, repeat. It is 91 degrees here in the den as I type. Do I hear a collective "Oh you poor baby?" I will be happy to be at work tomorrow if only for the air conditioning. The forecast is for 106. Ugh and Phooey. Could be worse; at least I'm not in Bagdad.
This year's first Yellow Submarine cuke was consumed today and that was by me, not the deer! The tomatoes are blushing, the white zucchini has produced two more tender little yummies, and I nearly drowned the regular zucchini by forgetting all about a running hose.
The Cardoon is beginning to bloom. Ya gotta' love those blue artichoke heads!
Don't forget to hang your hummingbird feeders in a shady spot. I inadvertantly bumped into one of mine today and got a hot sugar water shower. Later I wondered why the hair was glued together on the top of my head. After moving the feeder to a shady spot, I got to hold the hose over my head. Ok, so I was leaning over. There is a difference between "refreshing" and "Holy #*^! that's cold!"

Its free!

The little garden elf popped out of the Vegiform this morning. He has eyes but nose and mouth did not develope. I'll put the form on a crookneck squash next time. (Since that plant hasn't even bloomed yet, it may be awhile.) OH! I could maybe try a pepper...we'll see. Meanwhile, the elf will taste good sauted in a little olive oil and garlic.

YUMMY!

My friend, Al, planted a lovely strawberry patch "up on the hill" last year. The deer discovered it and ate almost every plant down to a nub. However, some well placed wire kept them out this spring and the berry plants grew lovely. Unfortunately, Bambi and family figured out how to get to the berries as soon as they began to ripen. For some reason, they missed these. I didn't!

HELP!

"I'm stuck in a Vegiform and I can't get out! " That's what the little elf said to me this morning. I placed this Vegiform on a white zucchini a few days ago and picked it today. Excitedly, I unscrewed the "keys" and voila..the little elfin zucchini...refused to come out of the mold! Guess I'll leave him on the counter and when he begins to shrivel...maybe he'll come out. Drizzling olive oil in the mold didn't help; just gave him a shiney complexion. He is really packed in there. I saved the tag so that you'd all know just what sort of white zuchini this is...and lost it somewhere between the plant and the computer.

Ah-ha! French White Bush Zucchini! "French gourmet, mild flavor, few seeds, 3-5" peak flavor."