"G" - Ruby's Alphabet

Groundhogs

Groundhogs make me think of German tomatoes.

The heirloom tomatoes came to me (came to us!) after years of hearing about them. I watched them curiously as they grew and ripened, a mauve blush on one cheek spreading ripeness from side to side until the whole fruit glowed invitingly red.

I bit into the first one, devouring its firm flesh with delight, licking its sweet juices from my fingers, finding it more plum than tomato.

But a groundhog tried one, too, as enchanted as I was, fleeing, when I surprised him, with my tomato crammed in his mouth. Do we stick an apple in the mouth of a roast suckling pig in mocking revenge for similar depredations?

I watched my tomatoes, my anticipation growing from day to day as the sweet blush of ripeness spread.

The groundhogs beat me to every last one of them, eating the sweet part out and leaving the ruined fruit lying on the ground,

insult to injury.

Posted February 03, 2004

By Ruby Jung. All rights reserved to the piece and the groundhog graphic, which is copyright 2004 by Ruby Jung and licensors. I made the background and you're welcome to copy and use it.