The Raymond Community Garden

Earlier this year, I tried my hand at growing 30 tomato plants in the community garden. I planted them in May, after raising the seedlings to where I could transplant them to the garden. Alas, I planted them too close together. I guess I didn’t realize just how large they would become in such a short amount of time. Back then, they looked so weak and lonely that I tried to group them together. As a result, there were tomatoes, but mass confusion ruled. I’ll know better next time. 

This fall, I tried my hand at greens, and it is a bonanza! The seeds jumped out of the ground after 4 days and have been growing and flourishing ever since. I planted Turnip Greens, Mustard, Collards, Kale, and Rape. I couldn’t be more pleased. Mother Nature has rewarded me for my efforts. Greens are a staple here in the south. Most everyone knows how to cook up a mess of greens, and they are so nutritious! Some years ago, when I was living in California, I cooked a pot of greens and my guests thought they were lawn clippings. Whoops! Wrong culture! When I returned to Mississippi, that was the first thing I looked for in the grocery store. Now the community and my friends can share in the bounty this winter. And they’re organic!

Kitty Come Home

SeeKitty, my 17 year old cat failed to show up for breakfast about two weeks ago. I searched and called for her for days. I checked the streets to see if she had been run over, opened all the sheds in case she got locked in. I even crawled under the house to search, but to no avail. I haven’t been able to write about her until now, and as I write, the tears fill my eyes once again. Her sweet little face, her beautiful green eyes, and her bob tail... it breaks my heart. She is sorely missed. We had a bond that grew closer each passing year. At her age, she seldom left the yard, and now there is an empty bench that reminds me each time I go out the back door.

SeeKitty was a feral cat and I remember it took almost a year for her to make contact. I never attempted to touch her, and eventually, she became curious as to why I didn’t. I let her touch me first before I ever tried to pet her. As a result, I was the only one she would allow near her until later in life. Eventually she accepted my friend Elaine who lives next door.

I suppose I will eventually take in another rescue kitty, but for now, I am still grieving.

Bay Lee Bird

This is a photo of a Cockatiel deep inside of a Snyder's Sour Dough Pretzel box. She doesn't like sharing and we often bicker over who gets the most pretzels.