Update From The Compound

 I can't remember if I told this or not, so if it is a repeat, bear with me because I am getting old and forgetful. When Large Marge left us for the great chicken coop in the sky, the Old Man suggested I use the fenced in chicken pen to put some small potted vegetable plants - a grape tomato plant, a mini-cucumber plant, and a mini-sweet pepper plant.  I should have listened to him instead of assing around and procrastinating.  

When I planted the plants, I put each one in a 12-inch pot.  I kept them on the back porch in places they would get sun.  I did not inherit a green thumb like my parents and grandparents, and the pepper and cucumber plants shriveled up after a few days.  But the tomato plant was growing and looked great and healthy.  I was not going to give up, so I ordered another set of the three plants from QVC and they arrived on Saturday. The instructions said to put them outside for a few days to get acclimated. So when I got home from my Bible study yesterday, I decided to plant them.  I am rewinding a bit: while my Favorite Cousin and her Dear Husband were here this weekend, the Old Man asked him if he could do us a favor - if he could get the dolly cart and move a huge plastic pot that was by the back porch ramp to the chicken pen for me to use.  Fast forward to yesterday afternoon.  When I was walking into the house from my Bible study, I stopped on the back porch and moved the pot with the tomato plant out to the landing on the back porch ramp so it could get some sun.  I'd planned to carry it out later to put in the pen.  I changed clothes and headed out to do my planting, and much to my surprise, I saw a squirrel running away from the back porch ramp.  I reached down to pick up the tomato plant only to find that it was gone.  I cussed that squirrel and said out loud "I hope you choke on my tomato plant. "

It didn't take long to get my "garden" ready - I got a small shovel and dug out the weeds from the pot and then churned up the dirt and added some potting soil and carefully planted my three little plants.  Now I just hope they grow.  But they will be protected from heavy rain and more importantly, from squirrels.