My dad.

This is my dad...

...with his old horse, chief compost contributor,

and his old chevy Cheyenne full of onion and tomato starts....

Today was a funny day...

Doesn't this look like some kind of elaborate burial ceremony? Well, maybe... maybe not.

I was clearing out the greenhouse.. making room for more starts and some of my favorite heirloom tomatoes. We had a volunteer acorn squash plant in the west corner... hiding in the midst of the round zucchini plant. The zucchini plant has ripe fruit... the squash had started its fruit, but it will be a couple months before we can eat them and I could only imagine him trelised to the ceiling of the greenhouse. He had to go... So, I yonked him out and carried him out like a small person in my arms. I was headed for the chicken yard. But Dad stopped me in my tracks.

"Where are you going with that guy??"

"Chickens," I said. "Just don't have the room."

His face twisted, "Now Sar... that guy should go right back in the ground. He wants to make fruits for you. Now lets make him a little warm spot and get those roots back in the ground." He gently touched the roots... assessing their ability to bring this octopus back to life.

We headed back to the garden... made him a hoop house all his own... and we'll see what happens! I have to say, I am so so so busy... elaborate ceremony is not something I have time for... but can't squelch any participation in the production of food.