Jason planted an herb garden in a big wooden tub right outside the back porch. It has basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley and catnip. There was an orange mint plant in there too, but it and the basil were growing so large, one had to go. So the orange mint got moved to where the sunflowers would have been if 1) the squirrels hadn't gotten to the seeds and 2) the rabbits hadn't gotten to what survived the squirrels.

Yesterday, I made spaghetti and walked out the door, picked a handful of basil and oregano and in to the pot they went. (Yes, I washed them first, for Pete's sake!)

So today, I went to Lowe's and bought a cayenne pepper plant, because in my cooking, that is an "herb".

I got so depressed, standing there with my little pepper plant in hand, looking at the tomatoes and squash plants and watermelon plants. They even had sweet potato plants.

But it has been tried. By better gardeners than me. By people with mesh netting and chicken wire cages around the plants. Between the squirrels, the rabbits, the racoons, the possums and the birds, nothing survives.

Oh, but how I miss it. Strolling out to the garden and picking what looks good for supper. Sitting on the back porch with a salt shaker and a big hot-from-the-sun tomato, so much juice running down your arm, you need to rinse off with the hose.

Hmmm.. maybe if we plant a row of "decoy" veggies along the marsh line....