Creepy! Garden Mysteries . . .

Can you see him? I didn't notice him until I got him home and situated him upon the front stoop. I've zoomed in too close for you to see him very well. At a distance one can see him straining to get out. This reminds me of the time I stood in line at my daughter's school's athletic field after dark to look through a high-powered telescope at Saturn (amazing!) and the moon. I was disappointed to see that, when you really see the moon up close there is no "man in the moon" at all. I need a healthy dose of mythology in my life. Anyway, I won't be carving this pumpkin, as I'm afraid of what may come bursting through the rind.

There's been no sign of Buster lately. These lovely specimens would not be proliferating so if he were still around. Where is he? Did he finally get tired of the solar powered sonic device I'd installed? Doubtful. It's more likely the few dips in temperature have signaled him that it's time to hibernate.

The Autumn garden is odd. Some vines are vibrantly alive and productive, others are dead as doornails, but . . . they are still producing tomatoes!! The living dead!

The bok choy was not happy in this pot.

Likewise the kale, but the butternut squash, still in it's wrapping from the store, weeks later, is happy as a clam. I had only placed these winter varieties in the pots temporarily while I waited for the tomatoes to die. I don't have the heart to rip out the tomato vines yet, prolific as they are, even the living dead ones!

Other happy campers in my Halloween garden: the eggplants (aubergines). These are Hansel eggplants, and these are Gretel:

The cooler nights have turned the skins a lemon yellow instead of the summertime creamy white. Has anyone noticed the ghostly varieties of veggies tend to be more tough and fibrous? I remember an otherwise lovely frittata I had in Madrid, Spain, that was filled with white asparagus that were reedy in texture. I'm sure I could dig up some appropriate preparation suggestions for these tougher veggies, and if I do I will share. In the meanwhile I'll just enjoy how spooky they look in my garden.