The View from my Kitchen

For the first summer in many years, I have few commitments that stand between me and my backyard garden. That's a pure pleasure for me.

Also for the first time in many years, my vegetable garden has fallen prey to marauding squirrels and other critters. After a mid-July harvest, my started-from-seed lettuce entirely disappeared from the garden before it could produce a second crop. Same thing with my carrots. I have three beets left. We've harvested one tomato and a lot of hot peppers. There's a Barbie-doll-sized eggplant that I've earmarked for mid-September ratatouille. Chives, parsley and eggplant are - thankfully - doing fine. 

Still it's an odd time to rename the blog to include the word "garden," I guess. 

Oh, well.

Twelve years old now, the blog began when I wanted to engage my college journalism students in news blogging. That really didn't work out, but I did meet some terrific bloggers online, many of whom are now Facebook contacts and cherished friends.

My blog has brought in a few hundred dollars from Google over the years, and I'm fairly happy with it, even though my audience is small. Becoming a blogger forced me to acquire some photography skills. I'm still using the Nikon CoolPix my husband bought me in 2005.

I love shooting photos of anything garden related, and I've been searching for a way to share those photos without overburdening my Facebook friends. 

The photo above is the view from my kitchen window. It's what I see when I'm making a salad, peeling potatoes, or prepping a chicken dish. It's as part of my kitchen as the stove or refrigerator.

The view enables me to run outside to chase critters away when necessary, and monitor the birds, bees and butterflies who visit regularly. 

After 12 years, it just seemed the blog needed another name change. Welcome to "A Frenchtown Kitchen & Garden."