...A Lover of Riot Days...

In the interest of giving this post an intriguing title, I tried to find a specific, scientific name for "someone who loves summer." Google could not produce a sufficient answer, so I turned to my beloved Thesaurus.com and typed in "summer."  Some of my favorite synonyms for summer are as follows: picnic days, summertide, sunny season, and the ultimate - riot days. I cannot find the etymology for this, but I will definitely be google-ing like mad until I figure it out!

I know that the summer solstice is not until June 21st, but for me, summer has always begun on Memorial Day weekend. Additionally, the Lighting Bugs have emerged, and they are always right on time with the Riot Days. It has been a full spring at the Watson house, and it looks like it will be an equally full summer! One of the most surprisingly fulfilling things that I have experienced this season is my garden!  I am amazed by its virility and deliciousness among other things. Mostly, though, I am surprised at how it thrives on neglect.  Oh, if only things like marriages and friendships could take a cue from the garden's wise ways.

Being a good softball coach and an equally good English teacher has absolutely consumed 250% of my time this spring, and my house and garden have suffered profoundly. The piles of laundry don't seem to be vanishing as quickly as I would like, nor do the dishes magically wash themselves as I would prefer. I'm not sure who to formally file a complaint with in regards to the above, but I have a feeling it's me, so I'm just learning to ignore the overflowing hamper until school gets out. When I planted my garden, I was certain that I could spend every spare moment I had tending to my plants, but I have not had any of these elusive spare moments and have had to run out to the garden a couple of days a week at most, spray it with water, and pluck a few succulents. I have yet to sing the plants any songs or converse with them about Sartres, but that's still on my very long To-Do list. Despite all of this neglect, I have been up to my freakishly full and youthful lips with produce. Here are some pictures of recent harvests of mixed greens:

1st Lettuce Crop

An Early April Crop

A Mid-May Crop

Today's Harvest! (Please ignore the Toilet Paper on the counter...)

As you can see, my little garden is quite prolific. Patrick and I went to the beach with friends over Memorial Day weekend, and it was scorching hot here in good old Southwestern NC, so I figured my poor little greens would be wilted and anemic looking. I fully planned on pulling up all of my lettuce and  planting a squash plant there; however, imagine my surprise when I walked out and found my lettuce and Spinach as healthy and full as ever! I literally have half of my counter space covered with lettuce, spinach, and onions after 3+ days of blatant neglect!

In addition, my potatoes have gone crazy, the tomatoes have created a veritable forest, the cucumbers have started creeping, and the Zucchini plant is up to my waist. I'm in shock. I feel very close to my sweet Nana when I'm tending to my garden because she so dearly loved gardening. The romantic, naive part of me would like to credit some of my garden's success to her sweet spirit around me...but it's probably just the cow manure. (Nana would be chuckling at that remark if she were in the room, and would probably be calling me a "little shit" right now. How appropo.)

Here's to heritage, sweet memories, the hopefulness of nature, and excellent cow poop.

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