The Garden is Flowering!

     Yesterday Jeff watered and fertilized the garden and of course, it rained about an hour after he finished.  This morning the plants that had tight flower buds yesterday...like the squash in the top photo, had opened...like the zucchini in the lower photo.  Jeff was surprised and excited!  We should have quite a few zucchini and butternut squash...both favorite of ours!  The corn has started to 'silk', too.  I can't wait until the ears are big enough to pick!

 And the green beans...in this case...the purple beans...are  starting to fill out.  Jeff thinks in another week or so we'll be picking beans, peas and peppers.

There's still nothing to report on the melons.  Jeff thinks the pH is still too high for them.
   Last week Jeff put a 2nd water filter on the house system and moved the outside faucet to the other side of the house closer to the garden.  This change means the water for the garden comes directly from the well without going thru any of the filters.  Since the garden sometime uses the majority of the well water it should extend the lives of the filters...both charcoal whole system filters and the Berky that we use for drinking water.  It also adds sulfur to the garden...which helps to lower the pH...without having to add too much powdered sulfur.  We'll see what it does for the veggies.
   I had my monthly INR today and my number was down a little...just out of range...so I'm waiting for a phone call with my MD's instructions (probably stop eating greens).  The nurse suggested I have a test for Lyme's, too, since I pick ticks off the dog occasionally. We both think I was bitten by a tick on my left forearm (halo mark), I'm tired all the time and my joints ache worse now than they do in the winter.  She was going to talk to the MD and let me know.  Jeff's in the same shape as I am and he's out in the garden more than me!  Ticks are a natural hazard out here in the little woods that have to be coped with and I'm doing the best I can.  Fanny gets a treatment every 30 days and I spray the chairs, rugs and beds every week.  Now if Bambi and her relatives would find another area to live in that might help, too.
   I've been hearing noises at night, Jeff's found footprints in the garden and Fanny's been hesitant to go out alone or stay out very long even if Jeff's with her.  Today we may have found out why.  A cat...a nice size black and white cat...was sitting in front of the garage when we came home.  It wasn't too friendly...ran into the brush.  Jeff couldn't get close enough to see if it had a collar.  There are plenty of chippies and mice around for it to catch and it can get into the garage if it wants to so we'll just wait and see if it stays around.  I don't think Fanny will track it but she might chase it if she sees it.  I don't need a cat...right now.