Buried in Tomatoes

Well, well. 

Buried (not quite) in tomatoes today. 

I am guessing I'll have to pull this plant, suffering from wilt, out. 

It's Gypsy, from Baker Creek.   It succumbed within two days, just about. 

It's spreading, see it? 

I am going to pick most of these tomatoes when I go back out. 

Another view of the same bed.  You can see the wilt is extensive.  This is one of the few drawbacks of raising non-hybrids.  I'll be rotating beds for next year, and not planting as closely together.  

These tomatoes are down at the other end... and that's a SuperSauce, which, as you can see... has some wilt problems of it's own. 

I'm going to pick as many as I can, and then give some to Kathy so she can can some.  I am making chili base and Italian sauce this evening, freezing both. 

We have very cloudy skies right now, and while I was out mowing a bit, I felt raindrops on me.  It hasn't let loose though, and now is lighter out.  I turned a hose on full blast in the flower bed... and ran us out of water, so am waiting for the water to pump back up in the well. 

I took a picture of this before I cut it... and I actually only had to cut a bit of the yard, since everything has gone dormant... 

As Erma Bombeck wrote, "The grass is always greener over the septic tank".  Too true. 

However, if you remember, about a month ago we had to have the septic tank sucked out.  The ground was disturbed here, and I took the opportunity to spread some grass seed thickly. 

Look what happened!  

I spread the same seed in the pasture, so if it ever rains again, we may have some re-growth down there. 

Speaking of tanks... I keep cutting back a seedling tree at the propane tank, but am afraid to do anything really strongly to it, as my uncle and aunt had a propane tank explode on them once. 

I did remove a huge starling's nest from the bonnet... for the last four years, a starling has raised two clutches in this tank... so we can never check the propane during April, May and June.  Mama is finished now for the year. 

The sunflowers provided us with so much glory this year... I want to get them out of the garden and into a dedicated space for them... and am still trying to decide where that will be for next year.  I just love them, and Keith marveled at them all summer. 

The hot flower bed is also just past it's prime... as we wind summer down. 

Though the zinnia side is still pretty strong... and the asclepias outdid themselves, as far as I'm concerned. 

I leave you with a picture of Donald and the girls grazing, just a few minutes ago.  He takes such good care of them... and I have to walk them in every night, or I think they would stay in the pasture.  

What wonderful eggs they give us, too.