Late afternoon stroll

Lately it's been hotter than an asphalt parking lot at Wal Mart on a July afternoon.  We wake up in the morning at 5 am to go out and milk the cows and the air is heavy, still, hot and humid.  The cows labor in their breathing and mainly slumber in the shade all day long panting.  It is only in the late afternoon that the cows 'catch their second wind' and get up and go out and graze in the cool of the afternoon.

I'm kind of the same way.  I like to go walking and just checking out things around the farm when the sun starts to go down.  I walked through the garden and picked a 'mess' of yellow crookneck and straightneck squash.  We have a recipe for a squash casserole that is delicious and I can't wait to cook these up.


Yellow Squash

I picked a small bucket of Money Maker tomatoes which Tricia promptly cut up and made a fresh tomato salad with olive oil, basil and purple onion.  

Homegrown 'maters

The cucumbers are producing nicely and we enjoy cool, refreshing sliced cucumbers each evening with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.  Very refreshing.
 

We gotta make some pickles

Chinese Mosaic long beans continue to produce.  Tricia likes the texture and taste of them with one requirement - she wants them cut up prior to cooking them.  She says that a potful of 18 inch long beans remind her of intestinal worms and ruins her appetite.
 

Chinese Long Beans

Anaheim peppers almost ready.
 

Anaheim peppers

Purple Beauty Bell Peppers are starting to load up.



Still small, though

The heirloom tomatoes are just about to start ripening.  Here is a nice, big green one.  Russ was just asking me last night when we're going to make Fried Green Tomatoes.  Maybe tomorrow night that will be on the supper menu.


Homegrown Heirloom Tomatoes!

Finally here is our first Ronde de Nice Squash.  It is essentially a round zucchini squash that originated in Nice, France.  I think they're cool looking.

Ronde de Nice Squash

As the sun goes down I watch as old Red (the Rooster) calls his hens to come in and roost in the chicken tractor.  You can see them entering the tractor and assemble themselves on the roosting bars.  Once they're all in I close the door to keep them safe from nocturnal predators and I'll let them out first thing in the morning.


Last call

Walking back to the house I take another peek at the setting sun.  Good night all... 

Good Night