Dispatches from the vegetable garden

I wanted to record some progress in the vegetable garden just in case we have a bad storm and it gets destroyed. It's unlikely, but you never know. If a hail storm develops over us we could lose the plants. And it would be a pity, because this year's garden looks very promising.

The first roma tomatoes. Get ready for sauce!

We did have a big thunderstorm last week and I thought the garden might have taken a lot of damage. Many of the plants were on their sides after the wind and heavy rain. But with only one exception, they all came back and look great. The tomatoes and squash are covered in blossoms and there is already some fruit. The peppers are getting their blossoms now; the eggplants have a little more growing to do.

A new zucchini blossom just opened up.

The second crop of radishes is coming along nicely, and the corn gets a little taller every day. If we're lucky and the weather cooperates, as it has so far this season, we'll be in for a great harvest.

Nasturtium volunteers under the towering zucchini plants.

In cat news, just after midnight last night I heard some rather frantic meows outside the window. I remembered that Bertie had not come home at bedtime; he was out and about. The meows grew more intense, almost like howls, and I realized there was more than one cat out there. Then bam! Cat fight. I threw on a pair of shorts and sneakers, grabbed a flashlight, and headed out. There they were, Bertie and one of the other neighborhood cats face to face in pouncing positions, almost growling at each other. Then they pounced and I watched the roiling ball of caterwauling cats roll a few feet across the grass.

Red- and yellow-stemmed Swiss chard (and a few weeds).

I got them separated and the neighbor cat ran. Bertie wandered around a little and finally came toward me. I scooped him up and took him inside to his bed. This morning I went outside and noticed twenty or so tufts of gray and white fur where the cats rumbled the night before. No black fur. I hope that other kitty is ok...