Len--Our red bell pepper plants also take a long time. The reason we have so many, so early this year, is because my husband dug up the one last year, stuck it in a pot, and it sat there, looking very sad and dormant, although my husband kept it watered. (This is when we discovered that the porch did not allow heat in through the new windows.) It had two small green peppers, which we expected to fall off, but they didn't. As soon as it was warm enough, my husband transplanted it to the garden, and it took off. Not only did the original little peppers turn red and be ready, but we have harvested five additional large peppers, and there are still more on the plant.

A second bell pepper plant, started from seed, has grown, but it is not producing. (Maybe it needs a winter on the porch.)

Some critter(s) is eating my tomatoes on the vine. I don't know what it is, I'm pretty sure it's not the suspect pictured below because I am doing container gardening and the containers are on carts which puts the containers several feet above the ground.

Anyway, this was 15 years ago. I had my first tomato of the season turning ripe, I was going to pick it the next day. In the early evening I went out there to water the plants, I was standing there with the hose watering each plant individually. A rabbit came out and sat near the ripening tomato. I never chase the rabbits away. Then his nose starts to twitch and the next thing I know his mouth is on the tomato like a vampire on a vixen. Several thoughts raced through my head but then I realized this was a Kodak moment. I gently put the hose down, slowly backed away and went to the house, got my camera, changed the lens to the longest I had, went back out to the garden and found the rabbit was still there.

In this pic, he is sticking his tongue out at me as if to say, "Go get your own, buddy, this one is mine!"

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by RiversideLen.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by RiversideLen.

My favorite is the rabbit eating the forbidden fruit with a wary look out eye. But both are great, Len!

That's an idea Mike. I'll have to give it some thought.

Cole slaw for dinner again tonight! Unfortunately, it is not the last cabbage from the garden!! I bought a six-pack of seedlings because they didn't have anything less than six plants - and this is cabbage #5. I've given most away. One huge cabbage will feed the two of us for weeks! I know that a head will keep in the refrigerator for a month or more, but I'm really tired of eating cole slaw. It's the only way we eat cabbage. I think next year, I'll just but one head at a time at the market.

Rain! and more rain! It's been raining now for about 3 hours, and we have 1.15 inches of the wet stuff! It's taking a short break and we're forecast to get thunder storms for a couple of hours and then more rain until around noon tomorrow. The only other rain we've had this month, on Sept 3, was .03 inches; plus some drops that dampened the deck 2 weeks ago. We have a complete outdoor fire burn ban in effect dur to the severe drought; and there have been a number of small field/forest fires reported but rather quickly brought under control. Gardening is over for the season, but I sure hope there is enough rain to soak the ground and lower the risk of fire.