The Last of the Russet Potatoes...

Tree 1108

More Blessings!

Ok, I know I said that I love to dig fresh taters for Thanksgiving, but it has been so cold I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get the taters out of the ground if I waited much longer. This is the last of the Russets-a real fave with the saplings.

The Russets did very well this year! So well ,in fact, that I think I will present a meal to a beloved gardener friend of mine who outgrows me in everyway in every season. He never plants russets since they rarely do well in Maine....hehehe not this year!

My early red potatoes are long gone, but we have been enjoying the russets for awhile. I also dug up a small row of Kennebec whites-full of scab and some green ones. I never got around to hilling that row, and I think I had taters there the last few years, so that may explain the poor showing. That, and the fact that the saplings mistook worm-digging directions this summer and dug up half that row in search of good fishing wrigglers. LOL.

Also today, the Willow help me dissect the scarecrows and dig the russets. Then she went off digging the tiles out of the overgrown garden paths, while I dug the scaby white potatoes.

She and I then positioned the tiles on the ground off the back entry-a skitter-skatter, pell-mell of color and texture, filled in with gravel scrapings and topped with some ancient goldfish tank gravel for highlight.

Not the end of the chores, I then coerced the Firebird into helping me re-dig the other half of the russet bed; long-gone lettuce over-run with moneywort and tall fescues-a nit-picky, back-breaking job. The ruthless dictactatoress that I am, I then highjacked him into digging well-rotting animal bedding and compost and wheel-barrowing it onto the bed we dug over. Then he was finished. (!!!!)(poor kid :P)

The Willow then leapt into enthusiastic assistence, and once I showed her how to use the compost forks, she set to work single-handedly filling wheelbarrows while I edged and turned over the next bed; former home to aforementioned red potatoes and the early row of peas, long gone. My work was frequently interrupted with shouts from Willow, "isn't this FUN!?!" and,"look how much I got on this fork...and this fork and this fork!!!" and, after each wheelbarrow, "One, more, ok Mommie?!"

Blessed! Yes, I am. :)

Between the three of us, we turned over two 5X25 foot beds and dumped 8 wheelbarrows of compost. The chickens will spread it out later.

Peko kept us company throughout-standing on the fresh-turned earth and staring into each fresh-turned hole. He loves to dig, but has been reprimanded for it. He dug hesistantly at the beach the other day, and barely managed to restrain himself in the garden today, although he got some good sniffs in.

We continue to revel in poverty! We do what we can with what we have, and are thankful for it! Some might call it mad, but I think it is making the most of what is given to you, and enjoying every minute. ;)