Oh, Deer

Winter is closing in.

Today and Saturday will be quite lovely, late spring-like days. Tonight's low is set at 60.
Sunday's high is in the mid-50s. Monday will make it into the low 40s.

On Saturday I will pull the inner row cover over the lettuce and broccoli. On Sunday, I will add some extra protection by throwing old sheets over the low tunnels housing the lettuce. Lows will be in the mid-20s for several days this coming week. Now comes the time when keeping things not just alive, but in good condition requires awareness of the weather. I should probably give serious consideration to replacing the row cover on the low tunnels with plastic. Easier yet, just throw the plastic over the row cover.

Lots of tender lettuce has yet to be harvested. This past week, we've eaten some very fine broccoli, fresh from the garden. I hope the plants will produce side shoots. The cabbages, etc. seem a bit slow this year. And I am wondering if I will get cabbage or cauliflower at all. The brussels sprouts are very close.

Next year, I might start some of the cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower a couple of weeks earlier, to ensure that they head out before it gets too cold. Sept. 1 plantings worked just fine for a couple of years. This year, I'm beginning to wonder.

Oh yes, here are some rather blurry photos of some of the deer who tramp through our woods and munch on things in my garden. The photos are blurry because the camera wanted to focus on the trees in front of the deer and I was in too much of a hurry to think about setting it on manual focus. They rarely show themselves when I can quickly get the camera, or when there is enough light to get a good shot. Not that these are good shots, but they are something.

Even though the deer munch my strawberry leaves, chew down the cover crops and rend the elderberry shrubs down below, they are beautiful creatures and I enjoy their presence.