Someone Else's Garden

One of the amazing things about visiting my Mama in Eastern Oregon is the fresh produce.  Sure, you can get it at the co-op in the town 48 miles away, but the fresh produce I'm talking about comes from the neighbors.  Every time I stop at someone's home or run into a neighbor, they fill my arms with yummy things from their garden.  And everyone has a garden.  Everyone.

The other day I came home with 7 pounds of fresh peaches, a zucchini the size of my arm and an enormous basket of onions, beets, carrots, chard, kale, basil, fennel and tomatoes. All of it is fresh and all of it is organic.  I'm so impressed with these sweet gardens.  The Dallas heat is searing all of my meager plantings into a burnt mound of decaying greens, but here climate, compost and steady hands are making magic.  The photos below were taken at a neighbor's home.  When I was leaving, I thanked her for the amazing gift and she said, "Come back when you need more."  Will do!