It’s been a good day at Shady Acres.  The taxes, though late, are finally done and to the accountant.  

It rained most of the day.  Tonight, I wanted to go out and see if there was any asparagus for the taking.  The row was so weedy.  I decided that it would be good therapy for me to try to at least get the weeds away from the few brave shoots of asparagus.

I don’t think that weeds and grass would really stop asparagus from growing, though.  I remember seeing it grow wild along the ditch banks of Delaware when I was a little girl.  If you got to the right place, you could harvest enough for supper along the road.  But I was having difficulty finding mine among the weeds, and Certain Man, usually the best weeder ever, just isn’t up to it.  Yet.

The cows, in the field beside the garden, caught sight of me weeding away, and trekked over to see what was going on.

They happily chomped on the chickweed I threw over the fence, and fought over the lonely thistle that I found growing, green and still tender.  Then suddenly,:

“Mo-o-o-o-o-o!   Mo-o-o-o-o–o-o!!!”  There was a great commotion from the six steers in the pasture.  I couldn’t figure out what was going on, until I looked across the yard towards the chicken house lane, and here came Friend Gary in his old blue truck.  

It doesn’t hold much for looks for me, but the cows sure thought it was beautiful.  It meant supper was coming!  They abandoned me and the tender chickweed, and headed for the barn for supper.  Gary has been filling in with the chores at Shady Acres the last few weeks.  My heart goes out to him.  His back hurts, his legs hurt, he doesn’t know if he can hardly make it.  But the chickens go out tomorrow, and then he shall have a rest.  And we wouldn’t have been able to make it without his good help.  I am so grateful for good friends.

I picked all the asparagus that I could see.  Literally.  And then cut a bowl of lettuce.  

Our first.  It is sweet and crunchy and good.  Part of the crunch is the sand that seems to have invaded everything after the inch and a half of rain we’ve had over the last few days, but the lettuce is a whole lot better than last year’s bitter batch!

 The spinach is doing well, too, as are the potatoes and peas

And even onions.  

Daniel is embarrassed at how weedy his garden is, but is gratified to see how well things are growing.

Besides, he has offers for help for the weeding that would have materialized tonight if it hadn’t been for the rain.  It will be okay.

Another thing that has brightened his day is that he has had several inquiries about “Them Thar Tomato Thingies” and his idea is being utilized in several gardens around the country.  How famous is that?  I am so proud of my man.  He has been doing so well, working so hard at Rehab, being cheerful and optimistic and upbeat.  He even preached on Sunday — one of his best sermons ever, if I do say so myself.  Full of vision and hope and specifics.  I am so glad that this surgery is behind him.  After the way he put it off for so long, I am truly waiting for the day when he admits, “I don’t know why I waited so long . . .”

And that is the news from our little corner of the world.  

My heart gives grateful praise.