Hail! For a Lonely Fall Day

What a difference a week makes.  Last week was warm and sunny and we wore short sleeves.  The  Stoddart Avenue Community Garden had seven volunteers to move mountains.  This week, it was brutal.  There was wind chill, layers of long-sleeved fleece and HAIL.    And no volunteers.   The day started with the best of plans.  I had hoped to get the three lots mowed, the flower beds edged, the plots weeded and the plants well watered.   However, it was too wet to mow and too cold to water.

According to WTTE’s Bill Kelly, September was the fourth driest September in recorded history.  Both of our tanks (i.e., 850 gallons) were dry on Sunday.   The City and Rain Brothers generously put a couple hundred gallons of water in our big tank on Wednesday and then, FINALLY,  we finally received a half inch of rain on Friday.  So I thought Wayne and I could water the food pantry plots on Saturday because those plants need more than a half inch of water per week.   But he didn’t come and it was very cold.   So, I weeded the food pantry plots, and cleaned out another raised bed.  (Two down; four to go). 

When I arrived, there was a car parked illegally in front of the Garden (i.e., parked too far off the curb and facing the wrong way).   When a city garbage truck could not pass, they called the police before backing back out onto Main Street.  An officer promptly came, ticketed the car and called  a tow truck, which then hauled it away.  That was the most excitement we had yesterday, but it wasn’t the only excitement.  While I was weeding, it began to hail.  I have included pictures because I was so surprised.  Fortunately, the hail wasn’t very big, did not deter me from my duties and melted after an hour. 

I ended the day as I always do – by harvesting.   Our pole beans have been extremely prolific.  They liked the hot dry days we had last month.  With just a little water, they will explode and have done so the last two weeks.  I’m hoping that our cold weekend will not kill them because they have lots of flowers left that could become another bumper crop next weekend.  I pulled the rest of the eggplant and basil because I do not think that they will survive this weekend, and I pulled the pumpkin patch, but I’m hoping the rest of the crops – including one zucchini plant --  will survive since the rest of this month looks to be pretty temperate. 

For those of you keeping track, the squash is still there.   In fact, I  am pleased to report (and hoping that I do not jinx anything) that we had no produce thefts this week.