Summer ebbing away

  With today being the first full day of school and the garden harvest dwindling, summer is seemingly drawing to a close. It seems way too early.
   We have been giving away produce by the sacks full, but harvest is rapidly dwindling. We still have green tomatoes, but the plants are showing stress and not ripening as fast. I have been eating tomatoes once or twice a day for several weeks. The melons all came on at once as you can see in this picture.

   I am harvesting the last of the Cloud Nine sweet corn. All the corn that is later than this is Kandy Korn. Next year, we'll plant only Cloud Nine. It is a tall, strong stalk that doesn't bend in the storms. A sweet, white corn on a large ear,the husks are tight and it is not bothered by bugs or worms.

   The Summer Dance cucumbers are another keeper. Healthy vines and generous production of thin, long fruit that is tasty whether peeled or not. 

   We are still picking green beans from the Fortex and Annihilator plants. The yellow squash is about finished but a 3rd late planting is still to come. The Yukon Gold spuds and Walla Walla sweet onions are all dug and in storage and being enjoyed. Soon we will pick and store the Waltham Butternut squash. We planted some Jimmy Nardello long sweet peppers very late from seed, but we have 12" long fruit on the plants....waiting for it to turn red and try these for the first time. 

   I still have some blackberry pruning to do and lots of corn stalks to cut and compost, so there is no lack of work.

   Here is a shot of me returning from some bush hogging. 

   Quick medical update: I am feeling pretty good, starting the 3rd week off chemo. We see the radiologist for an initial screening next Monday and likely start radiation soon after. I still have the "concrete shoes" syndrome from the chemo, but my appetite is good and I'm maintainimg weight. The last CT was unchanged to improved, so that is positive. We just move ahead trusting God for whatever He has for us.