I must admit, ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper, I have loved home grown tomatoes! This time of year, I crave 'em. As a child I used to climb from the floor to the kitchen counter, using the cupboard drawers for a ladder, reaching beyond my reach for the salt shaker! I'd grab it, sit it down, climb down from where I was, and put the shaker in my hand and off I'd run to the tomato patch. Now, it wasn't a tomato 'patch'...the area my father had was probably more than an acre. All covered with tomatoes. My mom and dad would pick the ripened tomatoes daily from about July 1st through until it froze for the winter. But, I...I didn't really like the really ripe, red ones. My preference as a kid, and still as an adult, were the kind of tomatoes ripening to a crimson red on the bottom and still a tinge of green at the top where the stem came. 
They're much more flavorful for me. A bit on the sweet, but yet not overbearingly sweet. A bit of crispness. And the juices would flow from my nose over my chin and onto my dress....from the first bite to the last dollop I tossed in my awaiting mouth. And then, I would pick another. Never washing them off...just right directly from the plant. If someone in the house was wanting me, they'd always know where to look. Yep, I was out there in my tomato haven. Sitting on the dirt, savoring every bite. I've probably consumed more fresh tomatoes in my life than Del Monte could shake a stick at.
When my father got an offer because of his occupation's expertise [yes, he was known across the state and into neighboring states because he was that good at his work]...in Colorado. At the age of not quite 6 for me, we relocated to Northern Colorado. And of course, my parents needed lots of land...for gardening. As always, we had tomato plants in by June 1st each and every year...sometimes only to have them freeze in a late Spring frost. But the man prevailed...he'd replant. The growing season isn't as long in Colorado as it was in Nebraska. But during the summer we had fresh, the most luscious, tomatoes each and every meal. I never tired of them. We even carried a salt shaker for me in the car and took a bag of them up in the mountains when we'd go hiking or picnicking...so when I got bored, I'd open the zip lock bag and munch away. You could always tell where I sat in the car or truck...tomato seeds on the backs of the front seats on the floor mats, or up on the dash board if I were sitting up front. That was me. I am still the subject of family get togethers when the talk is home grown tomatoes.
This past week, I read that a young guy was fired from his stint as a mascot for an MLB franchise because he wrote something derogatory [really, it wasn't] on his Facebook page. What gives? Are we not supposed to have Freedom of Speech these days now? It's against the laws of huge franchises to take word of mouth [in this case Facebook] that shows discontent with something within the establishment, and layoff that person, isn't it unlawful? I don't get it, I just don't get it!! To answer my own question, no it isn't unlawful. But these days, it seems that a right is taken away from us. Too many. I'm sure in the laws standard that something so very vile [of which I don't think this guy's statement was even close!] could be construed as slander in any courtroom, but this firing is going a bit too far if you ask me.
The reason I chose these six words is for the fact I read one of Rudyard Kipling's short stories last night. You see, while Bud and I were out walking, I said to him, what we need is a rickshaw and runner to get us back to the car where we would have the open air and a bit of breeze on us created by the rickshaw gentle movement along the street...it was so humid to walk. Anyway, that, in turn, got Bud'a talkin'!! About Junior High School believe it or not...many moons ago for the both of us. It's funny how a certain word or subject stirs up a memory. Well, to continue with my thought...in Jr. High Bud told me they had to read Kipling's story. The short story is entitled "The Phantom Rickshaw". I wanted to read it...all the books by him that I have didn't have this in it. We drove to the used book store in town, and I searched the hardback books...nothing. In desperation, I went over to the fiction paperbacks. Now, I'd prefer hardback books only 'cause the print is so small in the teeny tiny paperback books. Lo and behold I found one....Got it home and read it last night. Thing is, during reading it in its entirety before shutting the light off for some sleep...I kept noticing that Kipling continued throughout the story having the word rickshaw with an apostrophe in front of the 'r'.....'rickshaw. I always assumed that the word itself was actually a word. But, in doing some research this morning...the word is derived from the Orient, contaminated by the English language. It's actually JINRIKISHA....a Japanese word for the same as what we Americans would say it was. So, goes to show you, sometimes, what we see [and speak] is not always true!!! By the way, the story is pretty good. Less than an hour's read. Typical Kipling's work. Oh, and on another thought, my favorite Kipling work is Riki Tiki Tavi. Love that story!!!!
Onlookers at one side of the release. Volunteer 'flaggers' to ward off seagull invasion
Rangers releasing the hatchlings. The warm sea awaits the new arrivals...
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