We have had enough rain (and morning dew) that I have to mow every 5 - 6 days! That's OK. When my MD asks about exercise, I can honestly say that I get it on a regular basis.

I planted San Marzano tomatoes (8 plants) for the sauce making; and one cherry tomato for eating immediately. Have put up 24 pints of sweet corn and about 12 pints of green beans. This afternoon I will can about 4 pints of hamburger dills; I already have 11 pints of bread & butter pickles and 2 pints of dill beans. Also, a two quarts of refrigerator dill spears. We eat the carrots as we dig them, nothing left to freeze. And the winter squash are getting bigger every day.

There is no beach near here to lounge on; however, I'll take a cruise in January into the western/southern Caribbean.

Jim

OldFixer, I love your optimism and outlook on life. You're pictures capture the joy of childhood and your enjoyment of them.
I'm not in the ranks of tomato lovers, but reading what you write, I can appreciate the lovely taste of a warm, fresh picked home grown.

I have ONE cucumber growing from a plant I planted in a wastebasket outside my door. No yard, patio or balcony to plant on, but I do what I can, and I got lots and lots of compliments on my leaf lettuce growing. I've had fresh organic lettuce on my tortilla wraps for lunch every day for weeks.

Jim, you're garden bounty and canning sounds delicious!

I'm glad to know you're doing ok with your health; a friend of ours has had NHL(eukemia) for years and is still holding his own, due to the newer drugs. My best wishes for your continued success!

We have tons of tomatoes to pick right now, and will cook them down (after peeling) to freeze and use the rest of the year. They add soooo much good flavor to dishes.

Your pictures are lovely. I usually don't comment because If I were there I'd feel worried that a stranger was taking a picture of my kids, not knowing the reason for it. You're a very good photographer.

I enjoy your posts and love the beach in Florida. I also like your attitude towards your illness. I have end stage renal failure and once I found out I was not dying (yet) my attitude changed and I am trying to be positive about my illness. We are all going to go sometime I prefer later than now. lol As I don't have a vegetable garden this year I have had one in the past and I alway enjoy the tomatoes and cucumbers we have grown. Nothing like a vine ripened tomato. We do get good tomatoes at our local garden market, I think tomatoes are now from Tennessee. Enjoy your beach weather and sun.
Mary

Hey, I LOVE the beach pictures! And I love how you thrive in the sun, heat, water, waves, and all of activity that goes on at the beach. I very much miss my days living at the beach and have great memories of summers spent in Ohio, when we could play all day in the big waves on Erie. Gosh, that was fun.

We just have a pretty small garden, but it supports our huge vegetable requirements for many months of the year. I don't can or pickle or even freeze anything, but I might freeze some tomatoes this year and maybe some basil.

We'll plant some fall things today or tomorrow.

It seems like you're doing the driving, if you know what I mean, as far as your health issues go. Stay strong!

Tried freezing tomatoes, once. Absolutely no flavor. Never again. Don't put tomatoes in the fridge either.

OF, I love your beach pictures too! Your photography is wonderful.
You bemoan the cool temps this summer, and I love this summer, because of the coolness! LOL

I have tomatoes, leeks and peppers planted in a small portion of the landlord's garden. We have a large number of tomatoes but none are ripening :(
I generally buy a bushel of Romas and peel, make into sauces and freeze. Last summer I didn't buy any, they were only in the stores once, and they were super-small. Hopefully this summer there's another bounty of them in the stores.

OF, if you cook (in a LARGE) frying pan chopped up tomatoes until they're just paste with almost no water left in them--and hour or more-- they will be delicious in the freezer, come winter. It's the water that makes frozen tomatoes taste disgusting. Try it!

If it's the water, thanks for the tip. I'll do my cooking for canned stewed tomatoes, where the juices add flavor. Can buy sauce for 50â and save some work.

Can you plan now for some sun breaks this winter?. It looks like you need *that* medicine as much as any pills or potions.

"That" therapy has already been proven to outperform pills & potions. (Combined with Tequilla.) Need sizzlin' sun to repeat it daily. Plan now? No. Spring is better, when beaches get into the 90's. One week notice is plenty.