Now I can finally join the club!

[thistlebloom]

As I have been on the sidelines for MONTHS reading about everybody elses ripe tomatoes, finally, at last (!) I can also say something about my ripe tomatoes! BOTH of them!

Ok, I have had ripe cherries for a few weeks, but we all know cherries don't count. Any nincompoop can grow a ripe cherry tomato.

I lucked out so far with no late frost, no early frost, no wandering moose and lots of warm days, so it's not entirely the result of my stunning prowess as a gardener. I'm so pleased and happy. A ripe tomato is not to be taken for granted!

So here they are, my Alaskan Fancy, which win the prize here for the earliest ripener of all the early tomatoes I grew this year.

TA-DA!!!

 

[Carol Dee]

Yum. The 1st off the vine are always to tastiest! I love the photo props. (Love your yard and the fact that MOOSE are a bigger *no pun intended* Pest that our deer and rabbits.)

 

[ninnymary]

Horray for you Thistle! BEAUTIFUL and not a weed in site!

 

[so lucky]

Those are some good looking giant tomatoes, but what is that gold hula hoop doing in the picture?

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Nice job Thistle!!! I bet they will make a good mater sandwich!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[thistlebloom]

Those are some good looking giant tomatoes, but what is that gold hula hoop doing in the picture?

I ran off to play on the tractor and just left it where I dropped it....I'm not very good about putting my toys away.

 

[Kassaundra]

Awesome!

 

[peteyfoozer]

Still nothing ripe down here!

 

[897tgigvib]

WOW!!!

You'll need a bigger tractor than that one to haul those units off to the house!

They look tasty

 

[Smart Red]

Thistlebloom, you are not alone. I, too, pick my first non-cherry type tomatoes Saturday (yesterday). Today we had BLT'sI still have many plants loaded with flowers and mini-fruits, but they are far from ripe. Got my tomatoes in way late this year. I think it was partly because of last year's drought that I waited to be sure we had plenty of rain before 'wasting' my time in the garden.

Now I put my garden produce at risk to protect my 'girls' from the uncouth trio. Yep! Those teen roos think themselves dandies and attack the hens at every opportunity. No gentlemanly dance, no courting, no foreplay just a sneak attack from behind. Since I don't want my chickens hurt, I've been banishing the trio to the only fenced in area -- my veggie garden. So far the three haven't caused too much damage. Nibbling on a cuke I was saving for seed and pecking bites out of any tomato showing the slightest red (I'm picking anything that looks like it's changing color).

Tonight my Cochin-cross is going home with a tenant. (May he rest in gravy and potatoes). I'll have to do 'something' similar with the other extra roosters -- and soon!