And then the Mama Bear said...

"Who's been digging in MY beds?"



Somebody has been digging where I laid fresh mulch!



AND, they peeled back the cardboard I so carefully pieced together!

It's not moles, voles, or gophers. It might be a raccoon, but mostly likely the culprit is the Nasty Nocturnal Armadillo looking for bugs, worms, or a hot new girlfriend. Bastard!! So, now Stud Muffin will have to sit on the porch after dark, with a pistol and eliminate the critter that doesn't have the good sense to go digging where I need holes and turned over soil.

BTW, did you know that if you try to grab an armadillo by the tail, it will jump straight up in the air and shriek like a little girl?? Don't ask me how I know.

Since I was out taking pictures of the 'dillo damage, I thought I would give a garden update (sort of.)

Yesterday, I decided to pick the apples, before the birds and worms got them, or Sassy learned how to climb trees for snacks.



This is one of the Gala apple trees, first thing in the morning. The overloaded branches are being held up by all manner of homemade, goofball contraptions to keep them from breaking.



Undesirables go to my helpers. Sassy knows exactly what to do with them, but poor Nick isn't quite sure.

Nick, are you making a face?!?

Once I took a bite out of it and offered it to him, he got the idea.



We got a nice basket full of apples and now I have to figure out what to do with them!! Most of them have a spot or bump and probably won't keep very long. Got to bottle them up!

Red Galas on the bottom, greenish Fujis on top.

Now I don't need the branch supports! I left one little apple on the tree because, "One wants a bit of color!"



I've cleaned up the raised beds, weeded them and removed the spent tomatoes.



The recently planted pickling cucumbers are already producing. Just a couple of cukes at a time, so I will probably have to pickle them one jar at a time too!



The new bush beans are up and running. I forgot to plant these in the spring, so I'm hoping for a fall crop instead!



The mulching continues... ad nauseum. As in I'm sick of it. Barf.



And what would a post be without a few more canine friends. Okay, how about...





Toile Poodle! Get it?? Toile... Toy... Toile Poodle? No?

Alright then, may I introduce...





Balle-wiener!! Got to love the little ballet shoes!

I think I need to have my meds changed!! Or maybe I should just spend the night plotting how to eliminate an armadillo, kinda like on Caddyshack.