TOMATOES

You plant your tomato plants in your garden, have them on
the patio, and as they grow, you stand with pride. And then it
is getting the cages to fit around them.. Making sure they aren't
dragging the ground. Big plants, green plants... so proud you stand.

Then the yellow flowers all over, and you smile... with pride... Yes,
I will have tomatoes...

The first pink one comes, and you are so anxious for the taste of the
first one, it is barely orange before you have picked it, and sliced it.
Or if they are like a lot of mine, the cherry tomatoes...you eat them
like peanuts. And then there is a hand full for the salad...BUT...

The trouble with tomatoes is that you get one and then another red one...
and then bang you have 20 ripe and then 40 more and you are picking
as fast as you can... and the next morning there is 20 or 30 more...
and you are making stewed tomatoes, canning tomatoes..
eating them as fast you can... giving them away... Tomatoes everywhere.

Because you don't want waste, and the frost is coming on, you pick your
green tomatoes..wrap them in paper, box them in a dark area, and letting
them slowly ripen. Or hand up side down inside, the plants, to let them ripen.
Checking every so often, to see how many are getting ripe.. or you have
forgot them for a month and go remove the rotten ones, and then make
sure you check them... Tomatoes every where.... YET....

Come next Spring, you can't wait to start all over again.

UPDATE....
take your extras to the food bank ...they will love you for it.