Perpetual August

It's simply what it feels like here to me…every day is warm and sunny, some more so than others, some days have windy evenings, but in the end I am perpetually seasonally confused and everything is…August.

This is not entirely bad, and some aspects of this are quite nice. Perhaps the best is that my daily wardrobe doesn't change.  I need a sweater for work, and if we drive north to Selva Negra, a coat will come in handy, but in and around Managua, and when I'm not at work, shorts and a t-shirt are my daily uniform, especially when I'm in the garden.

The garden: perhaps the number one reason I don't mind the perpetual August. I have an amazing cherry tomato patch (started from seeds that didn't burn up in my old compost pile), roma tomatoes (from purchased seeds) are growing, my basil is flourishing (some from seed, some replanted), the ginger is in good shape, the mint is going crazy, and last, but not least, my compost pile rarely cools down.  

I've also found local parsley, rosemary and thyme (no sage, sadly) at a local garden shop outside of Catarina. We spent our last Monday holiday there, ambling around Mirador, enjoying lunch at Mi Viejo Ranchito, and stopping at Grupo Viverista Torenias.  I've not always found a huge selection of herbs locally, but they had quite a few and an overall amazing selection of greenery.  To have so many now in my back (or front) yard year round and ready to be added to a home-cooked meal is nothing short of heaven.

The cherry tomatoes have been ripening in droves, and my favorite post-work activity is to spend a few minutes watering the herbs and tomatoes, collecting any ripened tomatoes, and perhaps tossing the compost about a bit (quite a stress reliever in and of itself).  Today as prepared to go out, I casually mentioned to Nick that I was going to water the plants.

"I want to garden with you! Don't go out without me!"

Music to my ears. I love that he is thrilled to help water, collect tomatoes, perhaps pluck a bit of basil for tasting, and help me with the compost.  A friend stopped by to play while we were outside, and he offered that he could play after he finished watering the plants for me.

Ah…the little (and not so little anymore) things….