It's Tomato Time in the Garden Patch

The month of August brings the glory days to our household. That's another way of saying that tomatoes are ripening in my husband's garden patch.

Many years ago I learned that the botanical name for tomatoes is lycopersicon esculentum and I would call the enthusiast who checks the patch here several times a day a lycopersiconnoisseur. He has his preferred technique for preparing the soil and planting the treasured seedlings. He has his preferred varieties which include the heirloom Brandywine. He has his preferred way of preparing an open-faced sandwich, placed under the broiler with Cheddar cheese. What he has not discovered is a preferred way of discouraging the squirrels who surreptitiously help themselves to the fruits of his labor.

These are obviously not fellow lycopersiconnoisseurs; they take a bite out of a tomato and then abandon the rest. Apparently they were not raised by the kind of mother I had. She taught me to eat what was put on my plate; it was not acceptable to take something and then leave it to be discarded.

The squirrels who waltz off with the coveted tomatoes cannot even be credited with sharing the gardener's appreciation of the virtues of this treasured red fruit-of-the-vine. Otherwise they would consume their booty down to the last juicy drop.

The glory days of August are being sabotaged by badly-behaved bandits, but, before the month is over, plans are afoot to outwit the thieves. Stay tuned.