Different Strokes

In June I finally started swimming lessons. I learned to swim with my head out of the water when I was in elementary school, so I know how to swim. I want to be able to swim with my face in the water because it's more efficient for lap swimming. After about a month of lessons, my instructor told me that I knew the technique but I wasn't making progress because my problem was all in my head. After I came home from one lesson crying--I was supposed to pretend that I was swimming to rescue someone at the other end of the pool, and I didn't make it--I considered that I might need therapy before I could be a good swimmer. Instead I decided to learn other swimming strokes. Perhaps the freestyle isn't my stroke. I could already do the backstroke, so I started learning the breaststroke. I had taken my instructor's advice and had watched YouTube videos about swimming. In addition to getting some good tips, I discovered that one company makes a swimmer's snorkel. Instead of sticking out at the side of the head, the snorkel comes up straight in front of the nose. It allows swimmers to practice proper form without worrying about breathing. AHA! Practice without worry! Maybe I could get out of my head. So I ordered a snorkel from Amazon, and I love it. I can feel myself making progress. When I swim in the mornings, I do several laps with the snorkel and then a few laps without, and I can tell a difference in both my freestyle and breaststroke. And with enough oxygen, I'm finally developing some stamina. I'm still not a great swimmer, but I'm getting closer to my goal of efficient lap swimming for exercise. And even if I never get really good on my own, I now have a snorkel to help.

When the Gardener's Away, the Squash Will Play...

In mid-July, we went on vacation, so I got a student we play board games with to water my garden while I was away. I had put too much time into the garden to let it completely die in the 90-100 degree weather we were having. But while we were gone, central Kentucky got lots of rain, and my garden went wild. I still haven't recovered. I have weeded some, but it's a losing battle at this point. Amid the large weeds, my spaghetti squash overgrew the nearby purple hull peas. Tendrils were twisted around pea pods and were trying to wrap around the tomato fence in the front garden, and vines were growing halfway across our driveway. And tomato plants too short to tie up were over a foot high and falling over. It was crazy.

Despite the lush growth, my harvests have been meager. My fennel bolted before the bulb was big enough to harvest. A couple of my eggplants shriveled. My zucchini and summer squash plants never made any squash, and even the plants are dead now. My cucumber plants keep making flowers, but I haven't seen any cucumbers yet.  I have gotten two "messes" of peas and will probably pick another tomorrow. I ate the entire last batch all by myself, and they were good. I only get one or two cherry tomatoes at a time, which I pop in my mouth as soon as I pick them. And they've been good. We got a few ears of corn in early July. My second planting of corn is beginning to put out ears. And the spaghetti squash plants are making nice sized squashes. I'm pretty excited about the spaghetti squash and leeks. And I've got some nice beets and carrots going. I'll try to take some pictures soon.

I need to start thinking about fall planting, but I'm already thinking about next year. I've got big plans for walled gardens and compost bins and rain barrels and companion planting and squash trellises.