A Hot, Quiet Summer Day

Goldie, Sunshine, Blackie, Peanut and Brownie are cooling themselves deep under their chicken coop.

I came early this morning, filled their water and food containers, distributed crisp greens and tossed out their favorite treat–cherry tomatoes. No tortillas today as corn will raise their temperatures and make them susceptible to heat strokes.

The hot sun is good for the garden. Sunflowers are bursting into bloom daily and our hundreds of green tomatoes show signs of ripening in the next week or so.

The basil is thriving in a back bed. It smells divine and I can’t wait to make lots of caprese and mixed-tomato salads with strips of basil. The new third-graders will make Italian pesto when we harvest the basil during the first week of school.