Spring Ends

LAKE MACBRIDE— Spring ended at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Coralville where we did periodic shopping for specialty items. A man with a microphone attached to his ear was speaking to a group of wine-sippers on the mezzanine. His words drifted over the bakery, frozen food cases and rows of brightly packaged dry goods, barely audible. A few patrons shopped with carts, and after a while I went outside to wait on a bench for fulfillment of the trip— a month or more of supplies that can’t be purchased elsewhere.

A fly got into the house yesterday, signifying the invasion of insects. There were broccoli beetles at the farm on Wednesday, and something is eating the cucumber leaves in our garden. The small white butterflies continue to lay their eggs near the broccoli and Brussels sprout plants. A dash of chemicals would kill the pests off, but I don’t use them in the garden. Today’s activities will include identification of the cucumber pest and research on organic remedies. Summer’s struggle may not reach epic proportions, but the cucumber problem kept me awake last night. The pest control part of gardening is less exciting than harvesting.

Some rain fell last night, but not much. The wet spot on the driveway will soon evaporate, leaving what is expected to be a hot, dry day. There is a 30 percent chance of rain mid-afternoon, so here’s hoping it does rain. We don’t want another drought, and any rain would save watering.

Aaron Copeland’s “Appalachian Spring” is playing over the radio waves, a version conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Somewhere there is a cassette tape of the piece. It is one of my favorites and I listen to a version of it most springs— n informal ritual. The radio has moved on to “Blue Danube” by Johann Strauss. It must be a morning of popular favorites on the classical station.

A pot of pasta sauce is simmering on the stove. It was made with yellow and red onions, salt, finely minced garlic scapes, fresh basil, a quart jar of tomato sauce from last year’s garden, and a can of prepared tomato paste. It will make a lunch, so I had better get busy working up an appetite. Spring is over, and the hot, long work of summer begun.