Yesterday was S’s first day at school (the “special” school), and he seems to have survived.  The other kids start their respective schools today.  We’ll see how that goes.

I got more garden cleanup done to where you can actually see the garden for the weeds.  I’ve been laying down cardboard as I go, to keep the weeds down.  I even began the digging of the potatoes, but didn’t get far.  I’m finally starting to get peppers and tomatoes.  E has been harvesting okra and processing it for pickling, and the odd tiny watermelon here and there.

My latest plan is to direct-seed some cool-weather crops for fall as I clean up and harvest the summer veggies.  Keep it productive as long as possible, then eventually add compost and leaf mulch to be tilled in later.  I’ve stopped following gardening manuals for the most part, and just do what seems logical and intuitive.  Something’s bound to work!

Also, in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve dialed down my purist natives-only “religion”, in light of reality.  I still love that I keep discovering more natives in the landscape by not weeding them out, but I’m much more inclusive, as long as no harm is done.