Garden Report

2011-10-24 10:22:17-0400

"Land sakes!" she was heard exclaiming, as the far corner of the garden's raised bed boxes split open, sliding the topsoil on the ground, complete with tomato plants. The nails had rusted through, and although it was still morning, it would take all day for the garden to be cleaned up and put back in order. I helped a little with that. 

The roof over the shed wasn't looking too good either: the tin patch was useless, shingles were cracked, lichens were holding together large patches of it. And inside the shed, bird nests, yellow jacket nests and unspooling spools of wire fence made for a cautious entry. Under a tarp, the old boat was still in good shape, but the trailer's tires were flat. The tools on the wall were blocked off by piles of wood scraps. 

So it was no surprise when, a week later, the whole thing went up in flames when the wildfires breached the retaining walls next door. Hattie managed to wet down a kind of moat that protected the front part of the garden, but the back part was a loss. The dogs were fascinated with the fire, as they approached barking, and then retreated from the heat. Horrid smells from burst cans of garden chemicals lay in the air. Afterward, Hec raked up a pile of the remains, picking out things that seems salvageable.