(Sorry, one video lost the audio in conversion. -Pete)

This afternoon I’m handling live tweets for @hitmensoftball. There may be a Game 3 yet. (You can follow along at hitmensoftball.org too.)

Update: It should be all better now. I’m going to straighten up our albums, and that might interfere with some of the links and images on the blog, but I’ll get it fixed shortly thereafter.

Before the storm temporarily disrupted cherry tomato production in our backyard tomato tangle, I was in the middle of an investigation into the unexpected consumption of several ripe specimens. Most of the evidence is presented after the jump.

Besides the photos, some other facts: The tomatoes were still on the vine. Several of the bitten* ones were well off the ground. Some were in the middle of the tangle. The tangle is bordered on one side by the fence. No green ones were touched. Some red ones were near-ripe or ripe, but were not touched. The damaged ones were not all in the same cluster.

What’s eating my tiny crops?

*I say “bitten,” but you may draw other conclusions about what exactly happened to the fruits.

(The audio was lost in conversion, but if you make a loud whooshing sound with your mouth while watching the clip, it’ll all make sense.)

Update: Here’s a gallery of images I took the evening of the storm. The image below is not of our backyard.

Images Melissa took moments after the gusts, which may have reached 70 mph:

Update: Though our power came back later that evening, some power to homes and businesses in the area has yet to be restored. The fallen trees in area roadways have now been cleared, though the neighborhood landscape looks decidedly different.

In the wee hours of the morn (10:20 AM) on July 6, Pete, Belby, and I lit out for Knoxville, TN, the first stop on our Summer Road Trip of Southerly Wonders. (I just made up that name for the trip because when I typed “first stop on our road trip” it looked kind of boring.)

So, KNOXVILLE:

We spent one night in Knoxville at Millie and JP’s. In addition to visiting with them, we also got to see our friends Kellye and BT and to FINALLY meet their baby girl. HOW CUTE IS SHE??

I don’t have any photos of Brian because he was the photographer. Sorry, BT!

After one night in Knoxville we drove onward to the second stop on the Summer Road Trip of Southerly Wonders:

HUNTSVILLE, AL

In Huntsville we had the privilege of visiting more great friends who not only fed us, housed us, and allowed us to play with their funtastic 2.5 year old, they also ensured that we did not miss a single MINUTE of So You Think You Can Dance. WHEW. (There is exactly one photo of this second stop, and in the photo my eyes are 100% closed. So I will not be posting it.)

In tomorrow’s dispatch: A dog rolls in the dirt in BIRMINGHAM, AL.

We’ll give the dog a break, finally. There’s been some growth in the garden, and now I’m spending a little time each Saturday making peace between the impatiens, hydrangeas and tomato plants. It was so easy when they were all 8 inches tall.

Parents: In the updated garden / back yard album, you’ll see photos of my curious hydrangea suspension system. Perhaps you can comment or advise.

Also, for more raw backyard excitement, check out photos of our plants.