With the popcorn harvested, I needed to find someplace to put the box cover. While removing the chicken wire, I figured out a great spot for it.
The onions had a cover simply because I had one. It made weeding impossible, but with onion tops growing through it, it couldn’t be conveniently moved aside.
Since these covers are all 9’x3′, it fits perfectly on top of the box cover. This would be an ideal set up to protect taller plants! I just used the twist ties that were holding the chicken wire to fasten the two covers together. The onion bed is basically a storage spot for them, but now I can access the onions for weeding!
And yes. Those are new squash blossoms in the compost ring in the background!
While checking the other garden beds, I had a little surprise.
The largest melon had picked itself! 😆
I even found a pattypan large enough to harvest.
That’s the size we enjoy the patty pans best.
My daughter gets back from house sitting soon. We will save tasting the melon for when she gets back. 💚
In other things…
When feeding the outside cats, I tried to do a head count. It takes a while for them to all show up. I eventually counted thirty – then three more kittens ran into the yard!
After my rounds were done, I did a dump run. The car was already loaded, because when I tried to do it 2 days ago, it was closed.
I was glad to be able to air out the car, later!
As I was returning to the house, I spotted Nosencrantz slinking away from the kibble under the shrine, and disappear behind the pump shack. She is looking big and fluffy, and is acting incredibly shy. I wish I knew why! At least we know she’s still around.
Now, if only Butterscotch and Marlee would show up!
The Re-Farmer
The Re-Farmer 
Self picking melons… awesome!
I’m impressed you can tell 33 cats apart! I’m currently at 17 and there are 3 which are virtually identical.
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It’s easier when they are in groups. One bunch in the sun room, another on the cat house roof, more in and under the kibble house, and others under the shrine and the spirea. It’s hardest by the house, as so many of them run from one spot to another, so quickly!
Last year, it was the printer babies (white and greys) that were hardest to keep track of. This year, it’s all the tuxedos!
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I feel like your property is turning into a mini “cat island” situation. Charge people to visit!!!
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😅😅 It certainly is!
We don’t get visitors.
I like it that way. 😆
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I feel ya!! I’m currently torm between “NO one inside my house!” and getting someone to check my wall heater before cold wrather kicks in. I managed to go without last winter!
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How did your melons do overall? Our area is known for watermelons and our first garden we had melons growing like crazy, musk melons and watermelons, a bunch of varieties of each. I was a beginning gardener then and I was SO excited. They are like weeds here, I was so convinced! I’d become the Melon Lady, have an entire melon farm! Every year after that the melons got worse, until they wouldn’t produce at all for a couple summers. Then a couple of years ago I got fed up with no melons and found a new spot and new varieties and we’ve had 2 excellent melon years again. The point of the story? I never really know what were the problems and how I’ve managed to fix them, so the next time it happens I don’t have a proven formula and have to make stabs in the dark again. 🤔
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They’d be a lot better if we hadn’t had that frost! The plants are still alive, though, and covered in melons. Most quite small. I deliberately chose short season melons, two of which we had success with 2 years ago (a summer of drought and heat waves). Though the plants did well, melons did not start forming until later, so most of what we have may not reach full maturity. Getting this one ripe one may end up being the only fully ripe one!
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