`I have been gardening most of my adult life. I still remember my first beautiful little garden. My dad drove 3 hours with his tiller in the back of his truck to work the ground up for me. I labored and toiled and had the perfect little garden. That year at the peak of gardening season, the time when your garden looks the best and the bounty of all your hard work is just about ready to be harvested, we went away on a weekend trip. The gate was left open, the cows got out, what they didn't eat they trampled or pooped on. It was sad. I cried. Now I laugh.
Not since that year have I had such a lousy gardening season. This year has been horrible for my garden. Even worse than the drought we had last year. We are being over taken with wild animals. We have deer, but they are the least of my problems. It's the coons and squirrels. Last year the squirrels and ground hogs ate a lot of my garden produce. I tried to overlook it because it was so dry and I figured they were searching for something moist. I am pretty sure it just gave them a taste of the delicious goodness of green tomatoes. Between the raccoons, squirrels and I'm sure the occasional ground hog I have harvested ZERO tomatoes. That's nada, nothing, zilch I mean ZERO tomatoes out of almost 40 plants. I am frustrated to say the least. Yes, we've set live traps. We've caught one, but why, mind you, would a wild animal venture into a small wire contraption to retrieve a chicken leg when he can feast on corn, tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, squash, and cantaloupe. Yes, that is all the items in my garden that have supplied nutrition to every coon this side of Jefferson County.
One morning I ventured up to my garden and every single watermelon, cantaloupe and honey dew was laying on the ground, top half gone, bottom half scooped out. The only remains was a tiny fruit rind bowl.
I am envisioning in my head a scene from Old Yeller. You know, the one were Travis and that Old Yeller dog sleep out in the corn field to catch the coons and a dozen coons appear. Maybe I need me an old yeller dog. I don't think Daisy Will do the trick here.
The only bright note has been the green beans. They have done splendidly and strangely enough the wild critters have stayed away from them. Last year the deer ate the tops off the green bean plants, but not this year. I guess so I could have one single ray of sunshine in my poor pathetic garden. Okay, maybe I am being a little dramatic.. So I'll just lift my chin and repeat one of my favorite Bible verses...Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11 And then I will plot and find a plan of demise for next year. Mwahahahaha!
Out of 3 rows of corn here is my harvest for this year. Yep, 2 teeny weeny, itsy, bitsy ears of corn.
Thankfully I was able to restock my canning shelves with 30 quarts of green beans, plus plenty of fresh to eat now. I am still blessed! :)
We have been taking camping trips to Taum Sauk Mountain at least once a year for quite a few years now. It is a place that is near and dear to my heart. The scenery is just as breathtaking as the first time we went. 
