As you can see, Nancy's garden is producing rather nice tomatoes. She doesn't mind sharing a few with the neighbors. However, earlier this week she noticed that "strangers" have been helping themselves to the fruit and leaving half-eaten tomatoes lying all over the patio. And then yesterday morning, she caught a chipmunk taking a tomato off the vine and carrying it through the fence at the back of the yard. "Completely unacceptable!" she was heard to utter. And off she ran to the store where she bought red, white, and blue shinny things to hang around the plants. With that, and some strategically placed blood meal, she's hoping to discourage those furry little marauders.

We hope everybody is enjoying this Fourth of July holiday. Even the chipmunks, which by now should be investigating our neighbor's garden. It's a double celebration for us, since tomorrow is the anniversary of our daughter's birth. So a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our Fourth of July baby, Melissa.