When we got home from our trip to New York City, there were many vegetables waiting to be harvested. In fact, some of them were desperate to be picked. If you look at the yellow squash, they are much larger than they ideally should be. Typically, I would pick squash when they were about half the size that the largest ones are in this picture.

There are also green beans, also many of them larger than is ideal, carrots, potatoes, banana peppers, cayenne peppers, bell peppers, and one okra that looks like it was on steroids. My garden also had lettuce, strawberries, and raspberries that are all done bearing fruit. I also have tomatoes that are not ready to be picked yet.

I have really enjoyed gardening the last two years. It has been an entertaining hobby. It gives me something to do with my hands, to give my mind a breather, and it makes me feel a connection to my family roots – I have very fond memories of going to my great grandmother’s farm in Michigan and picking raspberries. Even more, I remember helping my grandfather with his garden when I used to visit every summer in Tulsa. One of my favorite pictures from my childhood is of me and my grandfather kneeling down next to a much bigger and much more impressive harvest.

So, it was nice to come home to some good fresh food. On the other hand, my grandfather shielded me from the world of bugs and pesticides. With the humongous squash, I also discovered humongous squash bugs. So I spent today spraying the plants. Hopefully these squash won’t be the last.