stubbed toes and mud pies

[flowerbug]

yesterday's weather and running errands kept me from checking the gardens for tomato worms.

this morning i found 23. which is a record number i've ever picked and with us only having 16 plants out there and over half of them didn't have any worms on them at all it was different for me.

in the past i've never seen more than one tomato worm on a single branch and very rarely would i find more than one at a time on a plant. today i found a single branch that was almost barren with three different worms within a few inches of each other.

most of the worms i was finding today were medium to larger sized (skipping a day would give them more time to plump themselves up) and perhaps 1/3 of them were smaller sized - and yes, in spite of the damage they're doing i still consider them rather cute...

also unusual this season a lot more of the smaller tomatoes just forming now are being partially chewed on or even completely consumed by the worms. i recall in past years where perhaps a few tomatoes would get chewed on, but not to this extreme.

 

[flowerbug]

2 tomato worms this morning. looks much nicer out there today since i trimmed off all the chewed up stuff so i can find new damage when it appears. it makes worm hunting a lot easier...

 

[flowerbug]

4 tomato worms yesterday and 1 this morning. mowing day so not much going to get done elsewheres.

 

[flowerbug]

Saturday 2 worms, none today.

none of the forecasted rains amounted to anything, there is still some soil moisture and we did water, but now i need to give everything a good soaking again. good thing it is cooler.

 

[flowerbug]

beans from a cross i'm hoping is stable now (looks like it is) - these were harvested from the same plant about 4 days apart.

finished weeding the North Garden and then transplanted some more ground covers to get some more erosion control layers going. it looks a lot better with green on there instead of bare dirt (plus it's a lot fewer weeds). if you look closely in the left and some of the ridges and slopes you might be able to see the transplants that were watered in and getting ready to take over their new corner of the world. i still have a few layers to go, but it's getting there... the lack of bean plants in the central area back there is due to deer eating most of them.

from another angle that i don't usually take a picture standing in that spot. showing some of the other decorations around that area (and the front birdbath).

the Red Lucifer out front also has been grazed pretty heavily but they didn't get all the flowers. too bad the hummingbirds won't fly at night and defend their flowers... perhaps i need to get them some night goggles?

i thought of Mom and @Carol Dee when taking this one as i know they like those close up and personal kinds of flower pictures.

one tomato worm this morning, going to have to pick again sometime the next few days.

 

[flowerbug]

picked and canned 21 quarts of tomatoes today. Mom helped for the 2nd round which made it go faster and that was nice. we're often on different schedules but today it worked out and we had fun.

 

[flowerbug]

plenty of heavy rains, exercising various erosion control layers, fun to walk in the rain and see what is happening, got soakers... not playing in the rain when there is thunder/lightning though.

found one blow out due to mole going under a ridge. stomped the thing shut but that just means the water can now flow over what i stomped down until i can get back out to fix it.

i need some good boots, at least hip waders, i wish i had not gotten rid of my stockingfoot waders i had back in my fishing days. those were lightweight and you'd not slip on slimy rocks because the boots had felt soles on the bottom that would grip well on about anything. i walked many miles in those things and fished many rivers and streams.

 

[flowerbug]

and now for something completely different...

what kind of creature would you call this?

 

[digitS']

A chilly mouse?



Were you up-late and, now, up-early, ‘bug??

 

[flowerbug]

A chilly mouse?



Were you up-late and, now, up-early, ‘bug??

A chilly mouse?

i was thinking possum or rat.

Were you up-late and, now, up-early, ‘bug??

my sleep schedule has been staying up later especially if i get a nap in sometime in the afternoon (which i did yesterday for 2hrs). wake up time wanders around now that the mornings are staying darker longer.