Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Need I say more?
I was feeling pretty good this morning and strutted around the house, looking for things to add to my “to-do” list. After 81 years, I am getting this “strutting” down to a science with my dark glasses, jeans jacket, and walking shorts. Mary even gave me a “wolf whistle” from the back of the house.
We had a tiny window to work in the garden, and we grabbed it as if it owed us money. While Mary picked the goodies, I was busy hoisting the cantaloupe runners off the ground and onto some heavy metal stands. That should keep them out of reach of the local varmints, who apparently enjoy cantaloupe almost as much as we do.
Fixing the cantelopes.
It’s hard to see, but the cantaloupe plants are now locked up in heavy steel cages—clearly living out their melon prison era. They’ll keep growing, vining, and churning out juicy little escape attempts all summer long.
No ground varnmits will get them now!
We did a quick walk-around and found oodles of tomatoes sprouting everywhere. The one below is really showing off and producing nicely. We also finished trimming the bottoms of the tomato plants so the leaves wouldn’t be kissing the ground and sending out open invitations to every pest in the neighborhood.
Tomatoes everywhere.
Here are some quick Roma tomato trivia facts:
• Roma tomatoes are also called plum tomatoes because of their oval, oblong shape.
• They’re meaty and low in water, which makes them great for sauces, pastes, and canning.
• Roma tomatoes were developed for their thick flesh and fewer seeds than many slicing tomatoes.
• They’re often used in Italian cooking, especially for tomato sauce and marinara.
• Despite the name, “Roma” doesn’t necessarily mean they originated in Rome—it’s more of a variety name.
• Roma tomatoes are usually less juicy but more flavorful when cooked.
At noon, Mary headed to her painting class, and I stayed home packing the van with cages to keep pesky rabbits from Dianne’s new rose garden. Mary was gone about three hours, and while she was out, I worked on the garage, making it easier to get in and out of the car, plus I drilled holes in the bottom of our new 1.5 cubic foot resin planters.
Mary showed her latest work of art but expressed a desire to add a butterfly to the painting before pronouncing it finished.
Mary went painting today.
Via magic, I gave her some ideas. I went to PNGTREE.COM, found the transparent background butterfly, and applied it to her framed image. This will help her decide where to put the REAL butterfly and what color it will be!
Ain’t software amazing?
After Mary got home, she packed up some goodies from our garden for Dianne, and we headed to Mount Reidy in Santa Ana. The house is way up high overlooking Tustin/Santa Ana, with a clear view of Catalina and downtown LA.
The critters do not seem to care about the view, only the feast in the back yard!
Critters eat rose stems mostly because they’re:
• Tender and easy to chew: New rose canes are soft, especially in spring.
• A source of food or moisture: Some animals eat the juicy inner tissues for nutrients and water.
• A good way to wear down teeth: Rabbits, rodents, and similar animals need to gnaw to keep their teeth from overgrowing.
• Accessible when other food is scarce: In winter or dry periods, rose stems may become an easy target.
• Attractive to browsing animals: Deer and rabbits often sample whatever is available and palatable.
But we came to the rescue, as they will not get through the steel mesh! If they break through this, I have an ELECTRIC FENCE, and that will a) keep them away, and b) provide for rabbit dinner! Shocking!!
Dianne had varmints.
Try eating the rose now, you wasticating wabbit! One more bite and we will call Elmer Fudd!
Mr. Fudd to the rescue!!
We hope the cages work.
After protecting the roses, Dianne took us to dinner at Ruby’s in Tustin. We hadn’t done Ruby’s in years, and it was, to say the least, overwhelming. I’d forgotten how massive the burgers were — and the amount of fries could’ve sunk a battleship!
Ruby’s Diner is an American restaurant chain that began in California in the late 1980s. It was founded in 1982 by Doug Cavanaugh, who opened the first location in Newport Beach as a tribute to the classic diners of the 1940s and 1950s. The restaurant became known for its retro style, burgers, milkshakes, and family-friendly atmosphere. Over time, Ruby’s expanded to multiple locations, especially in California and other parts of the U.S.
Oh my, we should have invited the neighbors!
They had wine at Ruby’s, which was a lifesaver! Needless to say, Dianne took a lot of this fine meal home and will chow down on it tomorrow.
Chomp slurp, chomp slurp, repeat!
During dinner, we got a text from Robin saying she and Bob were visiting the Finches at their house in London. Jan and Brian still look the same, so we put Robin and Bob on an important mission: make sure they know they absolutely have to come to the States for a visit and stay with — no pressure — just a friendly, completely non-negotiable invitation from across the pond.
Bob and Robin finally met up with our dear British friends, Brian and Jan.
At the local country club!
Brian is still actively painting!
We got home and knocked out a few errands around the house, basically prepping like we were starring in a dramatic weather documentary—so if the rains came, we’d be ready for action! By 10:00 pm we realied Mother Nature was just toying with us (and the weatherman).
It was supposed to rain, but it was only blustery.
We got a text, and the kids will be home tomorrow around 7:00 pm!
We watched some TV and finally hit the sack around 10:30 pm.
Good night, all!
