That may not be grammatically correct but that's how we refer to key elements of something around here. When referring to those in modern English-ish language, at least.
And I think I just found what people found thousands of years ago.
A noob like me in modern times would still ask oneself if plants that we rely on should rely on us and our help. Would they survive without us messing with natural conditions?
Nope, not the plants we decided to plant where we decided to plant them so that we can have our preferred kind of crops and try to have a good yield as well. We were messing with them since the beginning so we must stick to supporting them until they are ready to be hunted down and eaten.
Today, I went with my grandfather to the garden where he and my grandmother still grow crops. It is not where they live, though. And this year, it has been extremely hard for them to visit and take care of the plants. They couldn't do it as regularly as before. And they are worried about that and I can see why.
The season is dry here most of the time. The wind is hot and dry. Wildfires are currently raging along the slopes of a mountain a hundred or so kilometers to the south-southwest.
Out mission was to take care of a few minor tasks, plus the minor task of irrigation. Which proved to me it's never minor at all.
And it's hard to do it with a camera in your other hand. But still, I did some shooting before I switched my focus entirely on the tasks at hand.
The water comes from a well. Underground water are generally rich around here. But after all, dry season is dry season. And the well replenishes its levels after some time. But were my grandparents able to be there daily, them plants would have been happier, believe me.
This kind of small cabbage for pickles looks relatively good, honestly...
The previous shots were taken during my attempts to shower it.
But one of my favorite cultures, the Carrot Civilization, seems to be in decline. Drought has gotten half of their realm.
Almost no survivors there with small exceptions such as this one above.
The rest is...
...sad. I managed to pick about a handful or two small-sized but preserved carrots and save them from decay. But there was no time for all. And it was too late for them anyway.
Before water in the well ran low (literally), we were able to water some fruit trees, the vine on the picture below, the surviving green-leafed carrots, tomatoes, eggplants...and that's about it.
Near the end of my visit, I tried liberating some potatoes from their dry doom and the weeds that strangled the place. Yesterday we had discussed the not-so successful potato crop and people older than me seemed to be disappointed by the size of what was left there and still not eaten by groundhogs, etc., anyway.
I said I actually respected baby potatoes a lot.
But...
...how about baby baby potatoes?
All right, I did find a few kilos of good production. But this above showed me why potatoes need water in the first place.
Water is life.
Cheers!
Peace!
Manol