Today was a very warm day for October, reaching 80 degrees. It may be the last really warm day this season, so I decided to clean up my vegetable raised beds, harvesting all the green tomatoes and pulling up the plants.

For the entire season, I harvested 887 cherry tomatoes and 43 plum tomatoes, which got a very late start. I think that beats last year, though I did not check my post here a year ago. Most of the 300 or so cherry tomatoes I picked today were green, and I did not bother saving the green ones last year, but after realizing they will ripen on the counter, I won't waste them

All that remains is the kale, which likes cooler temps and should last into November. I've been eating it regulary in my salads with bok choy, my tomatoes and a simple olive oil and balsamic vinegarette I make. I finished up the cucumbers a week ago. They will be missed, as store-bought can't match them.

I also went to the gym for the first time since my trip, so about a 2 week absence. Boy, they were harder to do!

Tomorrow there's a beach cleanup at a really nice state park over an hour's drive away. Now that it's past Labor Day, maybe it will be less crowded. I'd like to go and hope my initiative remains high to get myself over there. I signed up for 4 such cleanups more or less in my area, and I did not go to the first two, so I would like to go to this one and another one that is the closest to me in another 2 weeks. They do this every year for International Coastal Cleanup Day.