A Bad Year for Tomatoes

Anybody else think this has been a strange year? It's like that feeling when you don't get enough sleep, or you get too much sleep, and you don't quite wake up completely. The day drags on. Things aren't as clear or sharp as they should be. Like you're in a fog. And I read somewhere that tomatoes haven't reached their full potential this year. That's kind of what I feel like. I haven't reached my full potential. If I was a vegetable* in 2016 I would be a tomato.
*(I know. But I am using literary license here, not botanical correctness).
https://sciencebob.com/is-a-tomato-a-fruit-or-a-vegetable/

I'm not complaining. I have so much to be thankful for and there have been some great times and some good things have happened. For example, it's been a great year musically. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert was fantastic. Then there was Heart, Ringo, Doobie Brothers, Journey. I discovered Parker Millsap, and gained a deeper appreciation for some local area musicians - most notably the Jerdes / Zeona Road.

 

  

https://youtu.be/vK_x-CaIedk 

Plus, I've enjoyed some wonderful family outings and weekend trips. Backyard gatherings.and quiet times looking for movements in the night sky. Hanging out with old friends, and meeting new ones. Those are all wins, but there have been some losses too. The losses, combined with a too frequent general lack of enthusiasm, have made these first eight months of the year ... disappointing? Unsatisfying? Frustrating? Not sure exactly what the best word is to describe what I'm feeling. Maybe the best way to say it is that the year so far has fallen short of expectations. But I should also consider whether or not my expectations are too high. They usually are. Especially when it comes to my photography.

 What I thought my summer would be like.

 

What my summer was actually like. 

But it's not over. There's still time. Redemption may be just around the corner. I have more events to attend, more pictures to take, a trip is planned, and there's a little something up my sleeve for late in the year. I really hope that works out. It could be just what I need to turn things around and get the garden growing again. Things grow in winter too, you know. Maybe not tomatoes, but other things. Things that are just as good for you, or even better. I've never really liked tomatoes all that much anyway.

Roger O'Dea      9/10/2016