Worth waiting for…

It has been a struggle. Winter left reluctantly, and spring seemed to be sorry to see it leave, because spring stayed cold, wet and dreary, as if trying to fill the shoes of that slow departing season. As it finally began to warm up a bit, we saw day after dismal day of rain. The soil could not be tilled, and nothing could be planted, because it would just rot in the inhospitable conditions. At last, it warmed up a bit, and Larry accomplished a month’s worth of work in just a few days, only to have all of the seeds he planted wash away in a huge rainstorm just a few days later. Less than a week after that, hail tattered our tomato and pepper plants, but they survived.

The heavy rain and cool weather of the spring was followed by some of the most brutal summer weather we have ever seen. In nearly six weeks, we had less than a half inch of rain, and the temperatures climbed up over a hundred – to 103, which is hotter than either of us ever remembers. And now it has cooled off to pretty much typical conditions for this time of year, but everything is so late that we wonder if even our smaller-than-normal tomato crop will ever ripen.

Finally – slowly but surely – they are giving it up. And they are worth every minute of hassle and grief!Now, you will have to excuse me, as I go to turn this guy, and several dozen of his closest relatives, into sauce and whip them into my freezer. Yum.