A strange thing happened in the garden yesterday...absolutely nothing. I never went out there. I woke up Monday morning and it was cold and gray and gloomy. I was depressed even before I got out of bed. It was just like the December mornings when I wake up and the only thing I can think is that I need to go to the sun. I think the official name is Seasonal Affective Disorder...I just call it seasonal depression. I need the sun to shine to feel alive and energetic.

When I awoke at 6:15 this morning the sky was again cold and gray and gloomy. Today I forced myself to get out of bed and marched out to the vegetable garden. I could smell the wet grass, an unfamiliar scent for an August morning. Snails were lively and alert rather than basking in their warm shells. The tomatoes were bright and upright but their leaves were damp. I began to have visions of fall, when the tomatoes are winding down, production slows and hornworms appear. I know the end of the season is nearing because I ignore the worms and just let them eat my leaves.

I left the garden and went to work, returning late in the afternoon. I was thrilled to see that the weather had warmed enough to cause the plants to droop. Ah...it is still summer and the tomatoes are far from finished! I made my way through the rows of plants to be sure that nothing needed immediate attention, making mental notes of some things I'll need to address on the weekend. A hole in the chicken wire and stakes that need to be extended. Regular maintenance tasks for a garden enthusiast.

My first nibble of the afternoon was a Suncherry Extra Sweet...it wasn't! Just next to this plant is a Sungold Cherry loaded with beautiful orangey gold fruit. I couldn't resist and enjoyed a few delicious bites. I could have easily named Sungold Cherry as my favorite but that would have been redundant. I'll allow myself to repeat but not just yet. Continuing on, I munched on mostly small varieties - Black Cherry, an uncharacteristically small Carmelo and an unimpressive White Beauty. One of the varieties that I am growing for the first time this year is a small, just larger than a pea sized, orange gold tomato which has proven to be a little bite of perfection. And so, my favorite today is a wonderful little tomato called Jenny.