Broccoli

Things have been sort of up and down in my life. Youngest daughter has gone out west for the summer, and oldest was only here for a long weekend. My life is overbooked, and the biggest chunk of my day is spent at work. It won't go on much longer. The rumor on the evening shift is that it's over in two weeks, but I don't think they'll let everyone go at once. The paycheck is good, but I want some time. I've stopped trying to balance the home and work life, and am letting things go here, with the idea that I will have time later.

But I do need to clean the shower between now and then.

Meanwhile, I have grown broccoli for the first time, which I think is very cool. I don't know that this is the climate for it. The early spring is much colder than where we used to live, but then it gets very hot. I think broccoli needs cooler spring weather. I used to always plant snow peas in mid February in NC, but here, it's too cold for that, and then the spring is still too hot for them. I got a few last year, but none this year. Gardening in a different place requires a change of longstanding habits.

We've harvested some lettuce, and the Romas already have blossoms. They are volunteers that I moved. I hope the ones I grew last year weren't hybrids. If they are, these won't fruit. I grew those from free seeds, courtesy of Heinz ketchup, so I don't know what kind they were. I like the idea of saving seeds from year to year. I have some heirloom tomatoes growing from one of last year's tomatoes. Brandywines, I think. Or maybe zebras. I can't remember what it was I saved.

The fruit trees (1 each of apple, pear and peach) are full of small fruits. The bounty of the earth is amazing. But for a bit more time to enjoy it.