DOMINO EFFECT IN THE GARDEN (or AMATEURS NO MATCH FOR MAMMA NATURA)

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Mamma Natura really threw us a curve ball on the second Saturday in August. This has been a record hot summer with temperatures in the high 90's, all of which has led to fabulous produce--football-sized luscious tomatoes, my new purple pole beans, beautiful white eggplants, peppers, peaches, yellow plums. But then we had a crazy hail storm that caused a "domino effect" on my normally invincible tomato and bean supports. ZUT! NUTS! OY! PORCO MISERIA!
 
These poles used to be vertical!

What's wrong with this picture? Everything!

Still attached to those crooked poles are loads of heavy tomato deliciousness.

Whatever you do, DON'T try to sit here! (This was part of my incompetent attempt to solve the problem)

Now what? It's definitely time to call for reinforcements!

















Our neighbor, Farmer Galli who, except for his magical aged sheep/cow manure normally keeps us out of doodoo, had surgery that has kept him from being as active as he'd like. But as you can see from these photos, we needed an expert consultation, pronto. He and his brother came right to our rescue, bringing their generations of contadino skills and all necessary equipment with them.

As I mentioned to a dancer friend who is a choreographer, to watch Farmer G and his brother in action was true choreography!

You've seen the "before"; here's the "after":

Now that's more like it!

How did they do it? We watched, attempting to be helpful (but more importantly, to stay out of the way). 

All I can say is that it was pure poetry in motion. The tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans, and we their caretakers  all say, GRAZIE! 


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