The Daily Bucket is a place where we post and exchange our observations about what is happening in the natural world in our neighborhood. Each note about the bugs, buds, and birds around us is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns of nature that are quietly unwinding around us.
I was rummaging through a folder of images the other day. (It used to be a box of images.) I found this picture of a tomato from November 2001. I didn't have a garden at that house. So, we bought from the farmer's market, or a roadside stand. On August 3rd, see tomato, we drove by a stand on the other side of town. He had a lot of nice things, especially nice looking tomatoes.
I asked "Are these grown locally?" "Oh, yes. Right over at Muscatine by the river" he said. I bought two or three. We ate the first ones right away. They didn't seem very tasty like 'home grown' should taste. You know the John Denver song about true love and home grown tomatoes, don't you? So, I put this last tomato on the shelf to let it ripen.
A week went by. It still seemed too firm. Two weeks went by. Nothing seemed to change. After three weeks and still no softer ripe tomato, I thought "No way am I going to eat this thing! Lord only knows what preservative chemicals are in it. I'm going to wait it out until I have to throw it away."
I don't recall the actual date I threw it out. But, as you can see, I waited at least 3 months.
What is happening in your neck of the woods? How well preserved are you feeling today? Think you will last another three months? I hope so. Let the rest us know where you are and what sort of goodies you will put into the daily bucket today.