Birds! Yesterday I fell in love with the little guy nestled in the tomato bed (see the honey bee on the flower to the left?). His or her brother or sister was hanging out by the pitch fork in a front ornamental bed. Cute, right? Till you see what mom and dad and assorted distant relations did to the last two apples and to each tomato, just as it begins to ripen. The babies are mocking birds who jumped from a nest in the side yard and who are worrying me and their mom by not sticking together. I don't know exactly which bird is eating the fruit, but I know it is birds!
Pulled out the squash plants today and added them to the compost pile. With the pickle worms burrowing into the fruit, the squash borers digging tunnels into the base of the plants, the drought sucking the moisture from the fruit just before it ripens, and the powdery mildew, I figured it was time.
