"The sweetest flowers, the fairest trees/Are grown in solid ground"

So, I thought I probably should say something about my garden other than various bad things that happen (I realize that this is a very expansive definition of "bad"). My tomatoes have really grown since I first planted them. Just look at the difference from how they used to look and now:

I really should be pruning these, because I really don't need that much folliage. If I'd be more diligent about that I'd probably have more tomatoes now, but what can you do, eh? Besides, I have a lot of tomatoes growing. I ate a couple right off the vine last night on my way from a concert (The Fine Print, tell your friends) which was very tasty. I also have about 4 chilies growing, all still green now but I think they'll probably be turning red soon enough. I'm very excited about some of them because they're from plants that my neighbour gave me and I've never tasted that variety before. I had a very nice conversation with her today, she and her husband have a massive garden (and then an even bigger garden in their backyard). I brought down weeds for her compost and toured it, they have a pumpkin plant lazily sprawling over a lot of real estate. There are two pumpkins and about a million spikes. Seriously, those things are covered with little spikes, including the stem connecting the pumpkin to the plant.

I think I'll try to get ahold of some fresh basil and use it with the tomatoes for pasta and with the chilies for an approximation of this dish.