Kel prodded me for a progress report on the pumpkins, so I thought I'd post the dismal summary here. Things started well enough. I planted around mid-May and had seven foot vines by the end of June. then a fungus set in and wiped out one of the plants in mere days. The other vine was doing alright until a critter made off with the only pumpkin on it, a yellow orb of about three pounds. I found it under a bush with a few gnaw marks in the side, evidently deemed insufficiently tasty. I suppose it was the comeuppance I deserved after the hubris of pointing my bat to the bleachers, so to speak.

Other garden crops have thrived, especially carrots, tomatoes (sungold & green zebra), eggplant and broccoli. Made a ratatouille on Sunday with basil, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and herbs from the garden. Only garlic and onions were store bought.

Head on over to Flickr for photo documentation of our family travels in Michigan. We spent a week with extended family at my folks house before heading to Beaver Island for our first-ever nuclear vacation -- just Ruby, Shep, Jean Marie and me. A couple shots: