Gardening in 90 degree weather

Yesterday I worked in the garden 4 hours - most of that in 90 degree weather, so I'm making it a shorter day today. I'm on a cool off break before heading back out to hand water newly planted seeds. Between yesterday and I today I've planted carrots, beets, broccoli raab, three types of beans, some turnips and parsley, and harvested, some more beans, cucumbers, currants (which I left on the bush too long),and most of the onions which are now drying on the front porch.

I also had to put down some blood meal, which will hopefully keep the critters away from my corn. One interloper already pulled down one the stalks and and took a test bite out of the tip. I guess he or she is waiting for them to get bigger and sweeter. I'm just hoping that the blood meal will work. Being surrounded by forest land makes growing corn a difficult thing to do without fencing or huge dogs to ward off bunnies, deer and raccoons.

Last nights dinner was veggies from the garden - sauteed summer squash, potato pancakes and green beans. Jim added some leftover steak to his plate; but I just wanted veggies.

After watering, I'll get those pickles started which I didn't have time or energy for yesterday. I want to make the Jewish barrel pickles that I used to buy from street vendors in lower Manhattan. They're the same type you get in Jewish delis, which are just barely pickled. I found two recipes on line, so I may just try both. One is done in a crock with whole cucumbers and the other uses just two wide mouth jars, using cucumbers sliced vertically. Those are ready to eat in 3 days, or so says the author. So it will be interesting to do a side by side test.

Time to don my old straw hat and do that hand watering.