Everyone feasts!

Part One: Production

The farmish part of our property is grooving right along. Our corn, as you can see, is tall and tufted and ripening up.

It's important to me, and us, that we have a garden and grow at least some of our own food. There's a financial reason, and a health reason, but mostly it's a fun reason. Gardening is fun. The garden has been quite productive this year, much more than last, and it's been fun to show it off.

[Insert cliché about overgrown vegetation here]
The hoop house has been a major success. Except that it is too small and the tomatoes are overflowing out the ends and falling all over each other.

It's also giving us peppers earlier than ever. Usually we only get about one, somewhere at the end of September or so. Though it has to fight with the tomatoes, this one is loaded.

Green beans are coming!

Part Two: Predation

The green beans came, with the tepee overflowing (more like a green bean fountain than tepee). And then the garden gate was inadvertently left open one night.

The deer walked right in and gave out tepee/fountain a shave. Not bald. But no whiskers on the chinny-chin-chin. Strangely, they left most of the beans, of which I harvested many today. But they munched pretty much all the leaves. Time will tell if the plant can survive and still have a long harvest period. When I saw the damage, though, I actually felt my heart sink. Really. They also munched on some flowers, potatoes, tomatoes, raspberries, peas, but didn't really do any damage with those.

Speaking of predators. Well, wait. Do plants count as prey for herbivores? Does prey have to be able to run? Or just move? I'm going to consider deer predators and my garden their prey. It's my duty to protect them. The deer love our neighborhood because of all the apple trees, which leave tasty morsels on the ground every day. Keep. Gate. Closed...

Speaking of predators, I went out to put the chickens on their roost last night, since we have very stupid chickens who don't seem to have an instinct for sleeping in high places. I put them up nearly every night, since I know my history, and don't want to repeat it. Hopefully they'll smarten up soon, because I hate going out there every night.

Anyway, last night. Went out to roost 'em and maybe leave a little protective scent around the pen when I heard a low sort of growl and saw some shiny spots in the headlamp glare. A closer look found me staring at one raccoon on the fence, one behind it, and three in the apple tree. Now, last year raccoons got our chickens, which was sad, but also pulled down our corn, which was just sort of rubbing our faces in it. I don't know if these critters were snooping around for a vegetable to prey on or an animal, but I threw some buckets at them (they didn't even flinch) and tried to bug the ones in my tree with my apple picker pole. I'm pretty sure my chickens will be safe. I can't protect my corn, but maybe I'll get lucky and they'll leave it alone.

Don't know why they needed five. I'm just one man! Take it easy on me, you stupid furry jerks.

On the plus side, I found a dead mole. Take that, nature! That'll teach you to burrow in my garden! I left it out there as a warning to other animals. Think that will work?