Fiesta, Tomato Plants, & Cats

Photo by Rick Romancito from the Taos News

¡Viva Las Fiestas! Yes, it is Fiesta time in my little New Mexican town. That means the Plaza is crammed full. I'm not entirely sure what it's crammed full of, as I avoid crowds like the plague (which we also have out here - if you visit, please don't try to befriend the cute little prairie dogs and their potentially plague bearing fleas!)...


But anyway, it's Fiesta weekend, and mariachi music is in the air along with the scent of chile sauce. I went outside to take some photos for you, just as the parade was making its way down the Paseo del Pueblo, less than a mile away. There were non-stop sirens from police cars & fire trucks sounding the whole time I was outside. I'm pleased to announce they'd stopped by the time I was done editing these pictures.

I went out to photograph my garden. Now, I'll be the first to say I'm not much of a gardener. I think it is only out of great kindness towards me that my indoor plants stay alive year after year. Outside it's a different story. The weeds I just leave alone, and they do pretty darn well. A couple of months ago I decided I'd have a vegetable garden this year, and I was very sad when the frost came along and killed my entire garden pot of cherry tomatos before I even gotten them planted.

'Health Dish Delights',
not looking too healthy anymore.

After that sad experience, I'd given up on vegetable gardening for the summer. I'm sure vegetable plants in garden centers throughout northern New Mexico breathed a sigh of relief. BUT then, just three days ago, I was offered a couple of lovely cherry tomato plants. The threat of frost was well past, so I decided to give it a go, and brought them home and planted them in my vegetable garden pot. I've lived here about 5 years now, and the only vegetables I've managed to grow in this pot were a few green peppers about 3 years ago. They only grew to be miniature green peppers, about 2 inches long... each a little nibble of a pepper. I think the lady who sold me the artichoke plant last year was playing a joke on me, because it never even thought about making any artichokes. But take a look at what is growing there now- two big healthy cherry tomato plants!!

And a closer view, looking down on them:


And check out the flowers they already have:

After getting photographs of my new vegetable garden, I paused to admire the vines which have grown along the front portal, shading the house and providing some very nice privacy for my kitchen window.

I was about to walk under those very vines, and go inside, when LaLa came outside. So then, naturally, I had to follow her around the side of the house to try and get some photos. Here we see LaLa (and her shadow) walking away from me, totally NOT interested in posing for photographs.

Then she changes her mind,
and decides to come back towards me...

But then LaLa thinks she hears some other cats sneaking up on her. Or is she just hearng the Fiesta parade sirens? She is not very sociable, and doesn't approve of other cats sneaking up on her. And I don't think she would approve of the Fiestas either, if she knew about them.

She decides she will get up higher, off the ground, the better to see the Sneaky Cats. And she finally poses for a picture. Isn't she a Beauty Girl?

But she's still keeping a watch out
for those Sneaky Cats!