Look at these tiny (2-3 inch) oblong cucumbers! I should have put a ruler here for comparison. It’s getting hotter! It was 103F (39.4C) today, but that’s only because the monsoon rains are cooling off the air. On a normal, dry, sunny day it gets up to 110F, (44.3C) or 100F (37.8C) in the shade, easily. I’m in zone 9, and the end of August is our second planting season for cucumber. The doctors may have to amputate my green thumb! These two cucumbers make only 7 total that I have harvested off of three vines though. I get out to pollinate as much as I can but I’m busy with work. Bees were all over cactus flowers a bit ago, except you can’t rely on them unless you have a ton of flowers in your yard for it. We’re in a drought so watering a ton of flowers is not at the top of my Favorite Things List unfortunately. Bees really are feeling the pinch nowadays.

There’s a natural market in town that I’ll make a trip to for Kirby cucumbers in the months where I’m not getting any off of a vine. Anyone notice that Kirby cucumbers are notoriously absent from your grocery store? -Brendan