Last week, I wrote, as is my custom, on Tuesday. It was after Hurricane Ida had wrecked havoc on Louisiana. It had not yet moved through the country into the northeast.

We do not live where flash floods happen but the rain certainly was impressive. One can only hope that the pending infrastructure bills in Congress will pass and we will better prepare for these catastrophic weather events.

The flower gardens are looking pretty tired. Then again, so am I, so who can blame them? I’ve been cutting out tons of debris, pulling spent cosmos, deadheading zinnias, and making a feeble attempt at weeding.

I am happy to report that the heat and rain have created serious vegetable production.

I picked more than a bushel of apples from two trees. I planted them as babies at least 20 years ago and this is the first year to harvest more than a handful.

Because deer eat every one that drops, I shook the trees to get ahead of them. While picking up the drops, a family of turkeys waited for me about 30 feet away. Guess they hoped I’d overlook some.

These same turkeys helped themselves to several of my pumpkins. I picked the rest, even though they were not totally field-cured.

Honestly, it’s a constant battle with nature.

I did manage to salvage a couple of musk melons. They fall from the vine with a gentle tug if they are ripe. All I can say is: yummy!

Because I pulled up the spent zucchini plants, there was some available space. I seeded carrots, radishes, beets, spigarello and romaine lettuce. Radishes are quick, as are beets, carrots, and spigarello can stay in the ground at least until December.

I love a fall garden. It seems more organized and useful.

I finally did a canner-load of tomato juice. I run raw paste tomatoes through the Squeezo Strainer. It removes the seeds and skins. I use a pressure canner, although tomatoes are probably acidic enough to use a boiling water bath. However, it takes a half hour and really heats up the kitchen.

The pressure canner only needs two quarts of water in the bottom. I whip it up to 10 pounds of pressure and turn it off. It’s quick and much cooler.

I have a new favorite daylily: Steeple Jackie. The blooms sit on top of five-foot stems in clusters of dozens of small, trumpet-shaped, very fragrant flowers. They bloom late after more varieties are mere dried-brown sticks.

I am practicing restraint of pen about the emotional and very divisive subject of abortion. The new Texas law that was basically endorsed by the Supreme Court by its inaction may be a step too far. It is the clause that empowers bounty hunters to, how shall I put it, rat out fellow citizens in the United States of America.

I’m all for pro-life, especially for the already born, so the $10,000 bounty could be paid to support new babies and their families.

Also, just an aside to Greg Abbott: support masking up and getting vaccines to protect the lives of others who are also already born.