"Pharaoh, Let My People Go."

…OR  
The Perils of Gardening    (in LIVE WRITER)
What would my blog be if I didn't show both sides of the proverbial coin? 
You've seen the pictures.
The luscious greenness of my broccoli and potato beds.
 

The juicy red tomatoes perched so delicately in my kitchen window.  

You've seen the 'experimental mound' (ie: hugelbeet) smack dabbed in the middle of my Potager (puh-teh-jay).

You've read how everything was growing so wonderfully. 
 
But these are the dog- days of SUMMER- where the rubber meets the road, …when gardening gets tough!

I might have mentioned the grasshoppers before. This is what they did…
  First they ate the corn.  That was before the dry hot winds blew.
Then they started eating the lettuce…then it bolted and looks like this.  I had let it flower and harvested the seeds.  The grasshoppers didn’t care. They munched, munched, munched on all of it.

Now they’re eating my tomatoes!  No surprise there. 
We’ve also had CRAZY STONG WINDS…..BLOWING ACROSS THE PASTURE.
The trees have dried out. The grass has dried out.
Did I mention the grasshoppers?  Since the fields are cut short and dried out… they’ve no place to go except the garden—at least it gets watered every other day.

This Squash plant  has been whipped to death by the winds and because everything is so dry—we’ve got severe drought conditions and A Burn Ban is in effect. NO OUTDOOR BURNING.  (yes, I know it’s blurry—it’s windy outside)
No FIRECRACKERS this year on the 4th of July too.

I’d like to end on a high note—yesterday we woke up to cooler temps than we’ve seen in a while.  It was about 70° – on the official first day Summer. 

We had an early morning shower – heavy enough to leave puddles in the yard!

This is a lone tomato. It is all that is left in the front bed; where broccoli, lettuce and beets once thrived- before this…

…it’s  a plague I’m sure!

This is the last of the okra too.  But they’re being over come with ants! 
Oh and did you see my Elephant Garlic?  Hanging next to the outside thermometer?  YES!  That grows whether I do anything to it or not.  I’ve got more hanging across the porch, too. It’s great for cooking.  Use it just like regular garlic.
This has been a fun garden to grow.  We’ve learned a lot.  I’m so looking forward to growing again next year.  One thing I’ve learned is—gardening isn’t over just because you have a few set backs. 
The growing season continues all year long.  When you’re not planting – there is still dirt to be turned,  compost to be filled and gathered, mulch to be added, and plants to be grown that otherwise might not grow during other months. Whatever month it is—there is something to do in the garden; even if it is a little research.Before next season I’ll be learning more about
  
…Pests in the GARDEN and  DE (or Diatomaceous Earth)
I added some.  But it just didn’t do it for us. Need more research!
God bless you and Thanks for reading.

 Posting Late here:
and HERE

***PS-- this was done with LIVE WRITER,  what'd you think?
I know some of my pictures were  blurry, but that isn't because of LW...it's because I'm not a photographer-- Y'all know that!  But as for the photos-- they don't have the little blogger frame, and they look like they are just laying on the page, and they are all over.  Can they be moved?  Is it better to hit publish?  Or is it better to do a draft first?

Any tips?  I know Gail from My REpurposed Life uses it... tell me what you think, Gail!