Now there's a good problem to have. The rutabagas have grown so large that the corner of the growing bed has been pushed out. 

October 14, 2017 - Saturday

28 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

The rest of the garden may have been a bust this past summer, but if rutabagas were gold, I'd be a rich man. 

Actually, having an overabundance of rain this past summer has taught me that given a normal growing year, I should irrigate blueberries and rutabagas more than in the past. Both produced admirably this past summer.

Friday morning's hike began by walking an alternate route and arriving home from a different direction. 

I met a neighbor who lives several miles from here and whose house we've passed many times. I told him we'd always admired his home and farm. Knowing exactly where we lived, he returned the compliment. 

It's quite the mutual admiration society we have going on out here in the boonies.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning the garden. 

Lord, what a mess. Seems a chainsaw might be more fitting to cut the giant sunflowers than just trying to pull them by hand. Most broke off at ground level and I'll have to dig the roots out before replanting next spring.

A few had roots so big that I actually considered using a rope to pull them out with the four wheeler.

Vines? Without a doubt, I grew the best pumpkin vines on the face of the planet this past summer.

Unfortunately, due to the cold and wet weather, the few pumpkins that formed were either underdeveloped or soft.

All but one of the remaining pumpkins were rotten. This was due to the early floods and having to replant. Most didn't set on the vines until mid August.

Trip after trip was made to the front meadow with either a four wheeler or wheelbarrow topped with dead garden greenery... or brownery. (I think I feel a new deep-thought professor word being born into my vocabulary.)

Almost halfway finished, I quit late in the afternoon. The old professor was about too pooped to pop. I wondered two or three times throughout the day where my helper was when I needed him, my three-year-old shadow who willingly shares his energy and enthusiasm.

Sargie arrived home early last night and closes this evening. Thankfully, she has a rare day off tomorrow. 

Speaking of tomorrow, I see the high is to reach only 43 degrees with a 100% chance of rain. Guess I won't be doing any skinny dipping in the garden pond.

I'm going to continue cleaning out the garden today. The more that's done now is that much less to finish next spring. 

The owner of the internet company is supposed to come out today and check our equipment. Service has been getting slower and slower the past several months, even to the point of occasionally going out. He's not overly dependable, so I'll believe he'll be here when I see him pull into the drive.

Meanwhile, it's time to fix Sargie's breakfast and pack her lunch.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

The reason why I have a high powered electric fence.
The deer swooped in to dine on the garden goodies almost as fast as I could haul them to the meadow.