Farmer Mel

Seeds have always amazed me. Such a little package with awesome potential. Put that dead looking thing in the ground and keep it damp and a miracle seems to happen. (Probably a good example of the eternal seed in us as good as dead.) A few weeks ago I got inspired, bought a half dozen packets of seeds, and turned some soil. It's late for a garden in SoCal but I didn't care. The garden is small, perhaps 6x10 if all in one place, but irregular in shape as it winds around several orange trees. Every day I venture out to see what has risen from the dead. The green beans are doing the best. Cilantro, onions, and basil are barely up. Bell pepper is keeping me waiting. So are the tomatoes. Only one zucchini seed got planted for obvious reasons. Cucumbers are breaking through. It's fun. I may need to get some bib overalls.

Jo invited us over for dinner Wednesday, Mom's actual Birthday. Nice time. Thanks Jo and John. I brought along 3 seeds to instill the kids with agronomy skills. They asked, "What kind?" "Green beans," I replied. That absolutely killed the event. Sarah flatly replied, "I don't like green beans!!!" Despite my insistence that these were the best green beans ever, and fabulous with butter, a little salt, and a grating of Parmesan, none of them succumbed to my salesmanship. New approach.... these are the seeds Ice Cream comes from! Seth wondered but the other two weren't buying it. Beyond poking a little hole in the soil and dropping a seed the fantastic event was over. If the sprinklers don't give them enough water these three seeds are doomed. After tormenting the grandkids a while longer, then a good Italian dinner, the fact I had been up since 4 AM caught up with me. The culprit must have been that second helping of carbs. Sarah had homework to do so we headed home early.