Garden full of surprises.

When I started my garden, I thought very little beyond the fact of getting everything set on time. Keeping the chickens and the goats out were next on my list. Keeping the chickens at bay was easy but the goats were another story entirely. Lets just say both of us are at a draw....
I had a cousin home from California recently and as with all family who visit, you take them around to visit others.... and to my surprise all my relations are gone into the gardening as well...so i am not alone in this.
While she was home i decided we would dig out some of our potatoes and get some of our cabbage. I thought i was ready for the outcome. God was i surprised. The first potato stalk produced the normal small to medium potato but when we started on the second plant, i was in for the surprise of my life. They were giants, huge things. There went my dreams.... i had pictured in my head a lovely tray of potatoes sitting in the centre of my table and piled high. What did i get instead. Eight huge potatoes, they were massive. I had to get out my big saucepan to cook them. My cabbages turned out to be the same, big bloody things, with leaves about 2ft wide. I honestly don't know where they are getting all this growth from. My cabbages lovely and all as they are some of them are hit with some kind of virus. They have spots.
I am at the stage where i am keeping a sharp eye on my beetroot. They will be going into jars shortly. I was told that they should be golf ball size if i want to preserve them.
My peas have taken on a life all of their own. I picked off every pea i could find. When what should i see yesterday... only more flowers which means more peas. The ones i picked i put into freezer bags and popped them into the deep freeze. We will be having them for Christmas... hopefully.
Only one head of our lettuce bolted, and that one got pulled and given to our rabbits. I'm afraid the rest got eaten by my family. We love our lettuce in nearly every sandwich you can make. I remember reading one time that lettuce is good for headaches. It must be right, no one in the family has had one for ages.
My Strawberries - alas the goat got to half of them. But I haven't given up yet. We still have a lot of them coming so hopefully I will be able to make some strawberry jam and keep it for Christmas. It will bring back some lovely memories of a wonderful Summer.