The last week of December, we had a cold front that blew through. Other parts of the country get this type of weather and are quite accustomed to it. We are not. We were just recovering from the hard freeze a couple years ago and now we have to deal with it again. Temperatures were projected to be 17 degrees with wind chills colder and it was going to stay below freezing for three days. What to do? What to do?
First, I wrapped all of the pipes outside with pipe insulation and a bag of old t-shirts. Then I brought ferns and tropical plants indoors and all other plants into the garage. Then I got a heat lamp out of the attic that we normally use for baby chicks. I set it up in the garage for Belle and Ginger to keep warm. Belle has a thick winter coat. She enjoys this type weather. Here she is playing hide and seek in a hole that the cows ate out of the center of a round bale of hay.
First thing was to say goodbye to the tomatoes. Three rows of beautiful, healthy plants full of tomatoes. But it just wasn't meant to be. We had harvested a handful of red ripe ones, but most are still green.
Some were big and plump and nearing maturity.
Others were smaller, but nice looking with no blemishes.
I filled up a big bucket full and we spread them out in several boxes to ripen. We covered them with a paper bag and put a banana in the box. Some are turning red. Those that don't turn red, we'll eat fried green tomatoes or make green tomato sauce.
I filled another bucket with peppers. Tons of Anaheims, jalapeno, lilac bell, horizon bell, emerald sweet bell, and criolla sella peppers.
The cole crops will generally handle a freeze, but I covered them anyway. I also picked all the mature heads off of them. Here's a nice PURPLE cauliflower that I harvested.
One final preparation before the cold weather blows through. That's to sit down with a bowl of shrimp and okra gumbo.
Nothing warms the body and soul like a big bowl of gumbo!!
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