Weekly Journal 2024-06-23

Using the rough reckoning of my life, I am about three weeks behind in the garden this summer. I did finish the tomato plot Friday, and while there are a couple items left in the greenhouse, planting can be called done. I picked the first zucchini, and cucumbers won’t be far behind. As mentioned previously, two plots will remain fallow this year. As soon as I clear the greenhouse, I’ll put it into storage and focus on other yard work besides gardening. It has been something of a slog to bring the garden in.

Trail walk conversation

Sometimes I meet someone with whom I have a long history on the state park trail, as I did this week. The conversation covered these topics: The rain/hot temperatures were good for the garden, tomatoes especially. How the Iowa political climate changed since 1993 when I moved here. Prospects for Christina Bohannan, candidate for U.S. Congress, and for our state senate candidate Ed Chabal, and house candidate Jay Gorsh. How did education fall from its pedestal in Iowa? No answers. Need for septuagenarians to get out of the heat and humidity. It’s not the heat but the humidity.

Hand cramps and tomato patch.

Friday was a big day in the garden. Mainly, I finished putting in the tomato plot. That involved laying the rest of the ground cover, attaching the outside row tomato cages to their stakes, and installing deer fence around the rows. After an unsuccessful experiment in growing tomatoes last year, I returned to the method I had previously developed. It took about four hours to get that done. I cooled down and then took a nap. When I woke, both hands and my right leg cramped, causing some pain. I worked through it, yet I don’t recall that kind of work creating such cramping before. By the next morning cramping subsided.

Saturday was a lost day

On Saturday I drove to Williamsburg for a political meeting at 8 a.m., went grocery shopping for the soon to be arriving house guests, lay down, and slept a solid several hours. I ended up skipping dinner and went back to bed, having a more normal night’s sleep. Missing days like that is not the best. I finally feel rested, yet I’ll never get the day back.

This week I felt moments of creativity coupled with moments of physical exhaustion. It was not the worst of weeks. It was a time of pushing my limits and acknowledging they exist. Something as the male of the species I am not enthusiastic about doing.