Last Saturday we returned to timeless earthly labor and planted our vegetable garden.  This was the first time in memory that I participated and, truth be told, 3/4 of the work was done by Joanne. 

Usually she engages in this annual ritual with our son Alex.  However, he was unavailable and I was drafted to substitute. 

We started with an early morning visit to the garden center where we loaded up with various tomato species and other harmonious vegetables. 

The garden patch needed to be weeded and raked and while helping with this I tweaked my ever sensitive back.  From thereon I was the installer of the tomato cages and wielder of the stake pounding mallet, while doing double duty as the official photographer and videographer of still another "historic" Kleinlore event.  This artistic endeavor was highlighted by filming Charcoal rolling around in a smelly grassy spot to erase her recent institutional grooming scent.

We planned to do the job in stages, but once we (mostly Jo) got rolling we pushed through and got it  done to our great mutual satisfaction.

A side benefit for me is that I will be motivated all summer long to tend the garden for the first time ever, as I am invested in the fruits of our labor.