A taste of success

(About a quart of strawberries.)

Thoughts about cats

I've been noticing a black and white cat hanging out in the garden lately. It doesn't stick around when I come out, but it will run away, and sometime's I've seen it out the window. Seeing the cat now makes me feel a little guilty.

I had cats visiting the garden when we first moved here 12-13 years ago. I remember surprising a cat just at the moment of catching and killing a chipmunk. At that time, I tried to keep them out, mainly because of what they left behind. I remember a variety of things, including moth balls, designed to keep the cats at least away from the plants.

Now I see the cat and I think: "Good. That will keep the rabbits, squirrels and birds away."

I don't feel guilty about the rabbits and squirrels. They deserve being chased away by the cats. But then I caught myself hoping the cat would keep away the bird that feed on the blueberries. Nothing else has worked, but maybe the cat will do the job.

And that's why I feel guilty. Because cats kill birds.  And I don't want to support that. I just want some way to be able to eat the blueberries that I grow.

In which I learn about strawberries

Since I was at the farmer's market, I asked the strawberry seller whether his were late. He confirmed that, indeed, they were coming in about two weeks late, although a couple of days of 80 degree weather should help a lot.

Then I came home to work in the garden. And found the first ripe strawberries. And they were good.

It's been cold this year

How do I know? First, there's the broccoli rabi. Here's a picture:

That hori knife is stocking about 12" out of the ground. These plants are supposed to be 2-3 feet high by now. Not quite. The Gardenweb discussion I found when I got curious said that unusually cool spring weather can bring this result: stunted plants and tiny clusters of buds that flower too early.

Also, the strawberries are still just forming, and quite a way from being ripe. Last year, the first strawberries showed up on May 4, and the next week I picked several quarters. So they may be as much as a month late this year.