Both my father and brother are retired firemen. I chose a life in the music business. I don't talk about it much with them. My lifestyle doesn't make much sense to them. If you're reading this now, you probably know more about me than my family does. :) That's okay. I love them anyway. But we do share a couple of things in common... watching the San Francisco Giants play baseball and growing tomatoes.
Who would have thought tomato growing was competitive? It's a very subtle thing.
Once a week for more than 20 years now, my father and I meet at a local coffee shop for (as you might guess) -- coffee. A bit of chit chat and my bro shows up (always late). Inevitably, the conversation turns to tomatoes. "Not a good year" or "I just bought 4 plants" or "I've got 5 tomatoes on one plant". Over the years, I've noticed the weather having a profound effect on the plants and we all experience the same issues even though miles apart and growing in containers.
With the pandemic in our midst, my brother has taken up residence in Santa Barbara and no coffee shops open. As the rules for distancing start to lift, my dad and I decide to start up the coffee routine again. He's coming to my house this morning and I'm buying the coffee. I'm certain his reasons are to examine how my tomato plants are doing compared to his. Mine are doing really well this year. :)
