In Which One of My Crops Actually Seems to Be a Success!

Back in early spring, before we left for Spain even, I bought two packets of okra seeds and planted them heavily in the plot adjacent to my square foot garden.  I was growing them in hopes of having enough okra for a gumbo, and also for the pleasure of watching them grow.  Occasionally I weed the plot, but the plants were very short and in the shade of the monster Rudbeckia that have taken over most of the garden and yard.  Today I risked being destroyed by mosquitoes and actually crouched down in the garden to draw the lovely deep red pods that are forming all over the place!

The odd stick-like insect on the left in three poses was parading around on the countertop near the kitchen sink this morning.  I drew him once, and then he flew at me like a New Orleans roach.  But by then I was too interested in the architecture of the thing to squash it, and I ended up letting him wander off into a pile of trivets and hot pads by the sink.  Hope he made it back outside.