The last days of June
passed in a whirlwind of family visits. One family came from Maine. Another one
came from Colorado. Two families live here, so everyone except our three oldest
grandsons was on hand. Children, of course, create a lively atmosphere,
although they have quiet moments, too.
Cousins create new hair dos
for each other.
Three generations pitched
in to shell peas and stem gooseberries. I was delighted that my granddaughters
got to experience the great conversations that occur while everyone’s hands are
occupied with the same task. We ate creamed peas and new potatoes, and froze
the peas we didn’t eat. Our first cherry tomatoes were picked and eaten with
relish.
In the meantime, the
gardening season proceeded in its inevitable cycle. Dennis and Carol picked the
last peas and pulled up the pea vines for the chickens to enjoy. Then Dennis
moved the pea fences to the Tiger’s Eye beans, which were looking for something
to climb.
In the peas' place Dennis
planted more sweet potato and yam slips. They love hot, dry weather, which will
be coming soon.
Today, after all the
visitors had returned to their homes, I remembered seeing blooms on the
Blue Lake green beans before our visitors arrived. I asked Dennis if he had
been keeping an eye on them. He had not, but when he checked, there are perfect
beans ready to pick later this afternoon.
This is the great thing
about gardens. Just as you’re sick of shelling peas, they are finished and
replaced by something different – in this case, green beans.
There’s no getting sick of
family, though. We miss them and already look forward to next June when the
peas are ready and our girls come home.
Copyright
2014 by Shirley Domer
1 comment:
This is a lovely tribute to family and to gardening. Your garden looks so beautiful!
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