Getting Back to Daily Blogging

    Yesterday at Bridge our missing member sent news that she will be available in September. So I have decided to step back from the Monday group to make room for her. I will still be available as a "spare" as things do come up to prevent people from attending. My other Bridge group (which is a bit more challenging) starts up again next month on a Tuesday so I will attend that.

   Today started off with a couple of hours of tennis but since this was the "drop-in" group I didn't rush over. I had two sets and was home by 11:15. After a brief respite I cut the front grass as rain was threatening and it hadn't been cut in over a week. The weeds are pretty bad too but I will wait until there's a good soaking to get to work on them.

   There is tennis on TV this week from Cincinnati so I watched that for a while. After lunch I had a brief nap then got a loaf of bread started in the bread machine. While it was chugging away I got to work on the glut of tomatoes and made a vegetarian sauce to go in the freezer. The bread turned out well!

   When it has cooled I will slice it for the freezer. It tastes really good for lunch with some cheese and chopped tomatoes - my "go-to" lunch while the tomatoes are in season! 

Harvesting and Volunteering

    I have been absent from blogging for the past week as I was volunteering at our local tennis tournament. It was a 1000 level ATP event so was well attended by players and fans so it was a busy week. After the final yesterday the volunteers were treated to a party with lots of good food, drink and prizes, and I received the MVP award for my committee (mainly because it was my 18th year as a volunteer!)

While away all week my garden has continued to flourish so I did a massive cull of all the ripe tomatoes and zucchinis today. Tomorrow I will need to blanch, peel and chop the tomatoes for the freezer as there are more almost ready to pick. The zucchinis will probably be eaten right away.

First Red Pepper

 ......and it's a beauty! There's another slightly smaller one that's still quite green. I think that might be it for this plant.

A Close Encounter

    Came face to face with this interloper today as he dipped his paws into my pool and had a drink. 

     He wasn't fazed by my appearance and just ignored me as I yelled at him. Don't want him to get the idea he's welcome in my back yard! I returned with a broom and finally managed to persuade him to leave although I've no doubt he'll be back. Raccoons are usually nocturnal but often leave evidence (rather disgusting) that they have been there. 

 

   This is how he found his way into my back yard. Normally called the "squirrel highway" as they chase each other from yard to yard, it may have to be renamed!