A Day Off Mostly

Yes, I am on 'the tubes' in the middle of the day. I had to take a break from the garden. Somehow, some when I did something to my right knee. It doesn't hurt actually but occasionally, when I put weight on it, it feels like it is going to give way. It doesn't, thank goodness, but it sure does make one walk carefully. I thought a day off might be in order. There is, as always, stuff to do out there but the weeds are pretty much under control and no pests are in imminent danger of taking over. I did spot potato beetles and bean beetles but just a couple and they have been dispatched.

The Goddess is a real trickster when it comes to garden pests. Both of the aforementioned beetles along with the squash beetle are varieties of lady bug or lady bird beetles which is a garden good guy. You have to look really closely and actually count the spots on their shells to detect the difference. Why these three beetles are vegan and the good lady bug is a carnivore is a puzzler. I lost the battle with bean beetles last year on my second planting of beans (and that was a shame as it was the heirloom crop) so I am being especially diligent this year. This is the largest planting of potatoes I have ever done so potato beetles haven't been a concern and I could hand pick the little devils off previous crops but this year there are just too many plants to examine minutely. The good news is that since I haven't grown a lot of potatoes there shouldn't have been that many beetles overwintering in the soil. Don't ask why I planted so many potatoes...I just got carried away.

Digging potatoes is, however, a favorite childhood memory. My grandfather used to plant a lot of potatoes and harvesting them in the fall was like a treasure hunt. I can still remember how exciting it was to discover those potatoes as granddad would fork over the hills. There always seem to be another one or two hiding in the dirt if you just scrummaged around a bit.  I am sure part of the fun was getting so dirty but we used to fill basket after basket while all the time having the best of fun. I am sure a little of that childhood excitement will return when I dig potatoes a little later this year..well at least for the first 30 or 40 feet.