Whatta Bully

I was out in the yard late afternoon when the sky cleared up (it had been raining all night and all morning). While there, I heard a boy crying along the street below, but couldn't quite see what was going on because the shrubs, sunflowers, and trees obscured my view. It turned out his brother kept pulling his school bag from behind. It wasn't until I spoke that he stopped annoying his younger sibling, and they quietly walked home.

"What a bully," I thought while stepping back from the edge of the yard, and appreciating the purple blooms of the Glory Bush.

Then my eye caught something a few feet away, so I stepped closer and found this large fruit, almost hidden amongst the leaves. The hubby or one of the boys must have noticed it before and placed a sack under it so it won't be touching the ground directly.

We have two more in the open. If I'm not mistaken, one is almost mature based on its color. We have to start searching for pumpkin recipes to try in a week or two, it seems. I'm quite excited already!

Meanwhile, the beans might be nearing the end of their lifespan, as I didn't see any sign of new flowers. Sadly, we haven't had the chance to harvest more and enjoy the fruits because insects, ants, and snails bullied them terribly.

Anyway, we'll just let those remaining pods mature, so we will have something to grow next time.

The Lima beans, on the other hand, appear healthy at first glance. But a closer look revealed they are heavily infested with black aphids. Some of the leaves have holes in them, too. Might be worms, or something.

It's quite ironic that while the farms produce tons of crops for the wholesale markets, we are still buying greens for our table. I had been meaning to grow leafy ones - i.e., Romaine, Lettuce, Bok Choy, and even Spinach. Yet summer has come and gone, and I haven't done anything about it. I'm tempted to say "blame my hormones," but is that even an excuse? LOL!

Just crazy how I am becoming lazier by the day (low on energy and feeling tired even without doing much), especially during these monsoon months. "It's a sign of aging," the husband teases, quickly taking it back, saying it's just the season.

Maybe.

Anyhow, I'm just happy to have stepped out of the house today.