Doctors and Tomatoes

So my childhood friend is still in a coma, still lingering on that mezzanine between life and death, but life on the homestead has to go on, and so it has, although I've felt off-kilter all week.  The first tomatoes have finally ripened and I was able to can five quarts of them, roughly one-third of what I need for winter.

I've also planted lettuce and carrot seeds, which sprouted unbelievably quickly (hmm, maybe there is something to that Farmer's Almanac Good Planting Days thing after all!), and we are still harvesting eggplant, cukes and zukes in diminishing amounts as the summer wanes.

I can't help but notice that the nights are now longer and cooler than they were a month ago, which is quite lovely. We have an automatic door closer on our chicken coop, and I recently had to reset both its opening time in morning (later) and its closing time (earlier).  The days are noticeably shorter, and it's safe to say the world seems ready for fall.

In the vineyard, harvest is going full swing at most wineries, which means a lot of extra people around, a general sense of busyness, and an increased number of flies!

I had my complete medical at the concierge doc too, the most complete physical I've ever had.  What a gift, and in my opinion it was totally worth the money, even if it was just for this one huge battery of tests and the two visits I had to discuss the results (and actually, it is much more than that, because I get free office visits for the next 12 months).  I don't think I've spent this much time with my doctor since I was a child.  These visits were truly old fashioned office visits, lasting an hour or more, which gives you lots of time to discuss anything you're wondering about, health-wise.

Oh, I am also current on my vaccinations now, which means I can be kenneled if necessary and can go play at the dog park without impunity, right? 

No, seriously, I am grateful to have good health, especially in light of my friend's plight.  Health is something that is easy to take for granted, especially when you do a lot of basic physical labor around your property. Maybe celebrating that I'm able to pick tomatoes, lift a canner full of water, and work all day without becoming overly tired is appropriate and good, for I know this will probably not always be the case.