Ambitions of gardening grandeur

I wasn't going to have a garden this year. In October, when I officially gave up on harvesting a single pepper from four plants, accepted that a lone cucumber would be it from six plants and dug out the four inch posts that had been my corn stalks, I threw up my hands.

"Fine, grasshoppah; you win," I said.They were a plague. Every shape and size. Mandibles of steel devouring nearly everything in sight. (Including the alfalfa, but that's another story.) I grabbed a handful of dirt and declared, "As God as my witness, I will not garden again!"

Famous last words.

Garden 2010 was a nice, tight little number. She was about 17x40, had a couple of winter squash and pumpkin plants, a few zucchini and summer squash, a smattering of tomato plants, four cabbages, the aforementioned peppers and cucumbers. Nothing fancy. The Ford Taurus of gardens. 

If you looked at our yard this year, you'd think Verizon was pushing an upgrade. Jack and Colonel got all excited with their plow and new fence and I got a bit overzealous with my seedlings.

The new space is more than double last year's. We've gone from approximately 680 square feet to around 1700. I have 16 winter squash and pumpkin plants, 86 potato plants, 400 onions, 35 tomato plants, 16 cabbage plants, Brussel sprouts, Swiss chard, beets, pole beans, eight or 10 zucchini plants... you get the picture.

This was partially strategic. The more I plant, the more likely the grasshoppers will leave something for us to eat. Right?

Sit, Mariah, Sit. Stay.

Spring is windy season in Wyoming. For days Jack has been doing his best Harve Presnell impression, walking around the house singing "They Called The Wind Mariah."

Yesterday he had to take his act on the road when the wind helped fan some spark and began blackening a stretch of sage between us and the highway. We don't know for sure, but assume a cigarette butt was the culprit.

Luckily, our house sits over a third of a mile from the road, so we weren't in any real danger. Especially because Ms. Mariah decided about then to have a nice rest.

A lady passing by on the highway called in the fire and Jack and Colonel went at it with shovels. 

 Before I made it even halfway down the driveway (with extra camera batteries in my pocket) I saw this:

 The firemen were amazing. So fast! I come from a long line of firemen so I realize the sacrifice and commitment they and their families make. It was strange, though, to be on the receiving end. They are the line between us and destruction.

Colonel was still going at it when they arrived:

 Traffic slowed a bit for a few minutes, but they made quick work of the smoldering flames. Which was very, very good since on my way back to the house the wind came up and was so fierce I had to wear two hoods to keep it from coming in one ear and going out the other.

All in all, we are very grateful for the wind stopping, for the lady who called the fire department, for Colonel and his shovel and most of all for our unknown neighbors who gave their Sunday afternoon up to save our fields.