Yesterday I went out to check on my nearly ripe cantaloupe and found my 'mini' corn field decimated. The stalks were knocked over, the ears ripped off and the the little nibbled on cobs were left lying in the dirt. My heart fell. They were almost ready. They had been doing so well.
It is hard when I have spent a number of hours preparing, and planting, weeding and watering only to have an uninvited guest come and help themselves.
On Monday we stopped by a local farm, one of our favourite farm stands and bought two dozen corn cobs that we blanched and froze for winter. We will probably have to do that at least one more time before September. Last year, I froze just one dozen and it barely lasted until Christmas. The ones I was growing in the back were an experiment, something we could eat and offer to neighbours at a barbecue. Not anymore I guess.
Perhaps a scarecrow would have worked. I may try that next year.
Today I did end up harvesting one cantaloupe and hope it is ripe and ready since I really have no idea what I am doing. There are four others that are not quite ripe.
The pumpkins are growing still, the strawberries as well. Tomatoes are ripening as I type but other than that the garden is coming to a slow close. Next year I will try harder at extending the harvest but while we are still living here, there is very little I can do. For now we make do visiting farms, buying local produce and freezing, or storing for winter.
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