The Harvest

The brisk fall winds have begun blowing and the first hard freeze of the season settled on us a week ago. We picked all of the bell peppers and the red and green tomatoes from the garden the day before the freeze. As I was picking them I noticed dozens of little yellow flowers on the tomato branches. If not for the weather change those plants could have gone on indefinitely. The day after the freeze the plants had obviously been killed, their branches drooping and leaves curled up. The tomatoes have been stored in the garage on a long table to ripen, if they will. We have talked about what to do with this huge bounty, and I think there will be plenty of fried green tomatoes, chili, spaghetti, goulash, homemade V8, roasted tomatoes, and anything else we can think of while they either ripen or rot. The freezer is already full, so the only other alternatives are canning or eating them. We have shared with family, neighbors and coworkers as well. Our first garden here on the acreage produced more tomatoes than we ever experienced in the city, and only seven plants were involved. The field crop harvest has finally started, but slowly. It has been a wet fall and the farmers must wait for the fields to dry out or to freeze. There have only been a few advantageous days so far when the fields become busy with harvesters, but otherwise the rain has kept them away. The sun is setting earlier at each days dusk, and the high temperatures are declining, giving a daily reminder of what is to come.