The best of everything

All the healthy food advocates recommend we take advantage of farmers' markets for a number of sensible reasons. This summer, the homegrown fruits and vegetables here have been plentiful and delicious.

If you are not aware, the market is usually set up on Tuesday and Saturday mornings until early afternoon -- unless weather prohibits.

We regularly get gorgeous green snap beans, tender okra, new potatoes, squash and greens there this year. My sister in Texas drools when I tell her about the veggies.

For the first time ever, there were no fresh black-eyed peas or green beans available there because of the unending drought in that part of Texas.

Grocery stores, of course, have had good supplies of produce this year -- especially the watermelons, cantaloupes, peaches, pineapples and berries in season.

Our gardening effort this summer has been limited to growing tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce in large containers. The unusually rainy weather enabled a huge invasion of weeds and grasses over which we rapidly lost control.

A large crab apple tree in the front yard has been very attractive to deer for several weeks now. The deer love the ripening crab apples.

Last year one particular mother doe brought her twin fawns to feast on the goodies every morning and every evening. She returned this year, bringing not only her year-old twins, but also her new twin fawns. They pay little attention to us or to the presence of our dogs.

It is great entertainment just to sit on the enclosed front porch and watch the joyful antics of the deer family.

I am hoping we are spared an extensively hot late summer, but it would be nice if we had a moderately warm fall.

There is sure a lot of mowing and weed-eating to be done. If I can't do it, and the grandsons don't have time, I will call my friendly helper Raphael.

-- Louis Houston is a resident of Siloam Springs. His book "The Grape-Toned Studebaker" is available locally and from Amazon.com. Send any questions or comments to [email protected] or call 524-6926. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

Community on 08/20/2014