Cucumber!

I know...2 posts in 2 days. And both about cucumbers.

Well yesterday, I was under the impression that I'd have to wait until next year to get a second chance for a ripe cucumber.

I was wrong.

You see, early in the season, my cucumber plant was growing in such a way that I was stepping on it. It was making it difficult for me to water my tomatoes. And to use my grill.

So I "encouraged" it to grow in a different direction. I "helped" the tendrils wrap around my planter and eventually between the slats of my deck rails.

I kept leaning over to see if there were any flowers. I didn't think so.

Again, I was wrong.

I looked down yesterday, and there was a full grown (yet still unripe) cucumber hanging down!


I am very excited!

I can even see it as I walk my dog.


Okay, enough about cukes.

Kristen out!

July/August

Many of you already know that I was interviewed at the DC. It was fine. It's better now that it's done. My family wasn't able to come to see me do it live, so Josh recorded it for me. You can see it here. My interview starts at 2:20.

I also grew a cucumber.



When I finally got to go to the garden center at the end of May, I was seduced by the promise that I could grow cucumbers in a container.


And my plant always looked healthy. I got very excited early in the season when I had approximately 257 flowers and roughly 72 little cukes.

They all died. So I stopped looking and just continued to water. I guess good things come to those who ignore. I was rewarded with a real cucumber!

Alas, I should have ignored it a little longer.


You can see by how green the seeds still are that this cuke wasn't exactly ripe. The result is a very bitter cucumber. It is, however, crunchy.

So I cut it up and mixed in some of my homegrown cherry tomatoes, a little onion and doused it a vinaigrette.


I will eat it up, love it, and learn from it. Next year I will have to continue to be patient.

Patience has gotten me nowhere with my strawberries. My plants are bigger and healthier this year than last, but I haven't had any fruit.


So that's all that's new with me.

I'm exhausted from the convention and hope I will sleep well tonight.

Date nights have been a little crazy as Josh is working a funny schedule of late. This week should be on Friday, but we'll see.

Kristen out!