The vegetable garden is now officially a disaster area.

Did I tell you earlier about the skunk that had been finding its way in under the fence? She tore a little hole in the plastic netting on the far north side of the garden. I tried to repair the hole, but it kept getting bigger.

I should have been more diligent in fixing the tear. Tricia kept saying she thought something bigger was getting in and munching on the tender leaves and flowers. A few days ago I surprised several grown deer in the garden. In their panic to escape they trampled down one whole side of the fence. Most of the garden was already gone, so I just left the fence down.

The real culprit is the drought. We have seen more animals around the house this summer than we ever have before. Neighbors say the same. Even the ones who manage to keep the animals out of their garden say they are not getting much produce.

I am chalking it up to a learning experience. Next year I will rethink the fence.