An adventure that includes: tomato gardening, a mama Quail and an unsuspecting gardener!!!

THE SECRET HIDAWAY

OH Wow! Finally, the tomatoes are ready to pick. I planted those little tiny seedlings and then I waited, and waited, and the day finally arrived when I saw blossoms appear on the vines.

And then, I waited some more. A week or two later an itty-bitty, round, green thing appeared. And then, one morning I walked out into the garden amid the vines and discovered the tiny, green , round balls have become cherry tomatoes!! Ready to Harvest!

I ran back into the house and grabbed a basket and was ready to taste the bounty. As I reached under the bush to pick a tomato I suddenly felt a sharp peck on my finger.

OUCH! Next I heard a strange, familiar chirping sound coming from beneath the bush. As I looked closer between the vines I saw a Puffed up Mama quail ready to pounce on me again.

As I stood my ground, staring her in the eye, I realized she was sitting on a pile of eggs-babies waiting to be born.

Each day I carefully pulled aside the vine to check the eggs and finally one day I heard the chirping sound again on the pathway behind my garden. There, in a straight little line were about a dozen baby quail following their mama and learning to walk along searching for food as they wondered off into their future.