Despite everything...

 I really have no idea how homesteaders did it back in the day.  Here it seems like it is always something.  The does are munching their way through my flower beds, garden, and now they are jumping into the orchard and chowing down.  There is no fear.  Do these two look scared? They are just upset I'm interrupting their breakfast. 

This little fguy is following right into his mom's footsteps.  He is just looking for something to nibble on and if you look below, you can see he found it.  Argh.

My husband and I put our heads together and came up with a solution for the hail hammock.  We put sticks with tennis balls in the middle and voilà, no longer a problem.  How do I know?  Because again with the hail.  As I said in the title of this post, despite everything I garden.

These two little fuzz balls were enjoying the pollen.

Yesterday, my husband and I went to a farm supply store.  When we came out of the store this fella below was on his back.  Of course, I didn't tell him that he was giving a ride to a praying mantis, until after I had relocated it.  How it found him in the store is beyond me.  I would have taken a picture of it on his back, but I feared my husband wouldn't find that amusing.  Funny part was we went to another store and when we came out, he had a ladybug on him.  I guess he was the bug whisperer.  We figure his green shirt gave them hope for something outdoorsy and they were right, as it got them out of the stores.  

That is all I know this week.  I am going to a conference in Washington DC this week.  Between the deer and hail, I don't know what will be left of my garden.  When I go on trips, I make my husband sign a contract that he will replace any plants that die under his care.  I always hope I will end up with a trip to the garden center when I return, but the truth is he is better about watering things than I am.  

What are your garden woes? What battles do you wage during the summer months?