As of late, my garden is in tender care of no lesser authority than the Mother of God. I am not kidding. A sizeable and most pretty plastic statue of Mary is perched among the lavish weeds between the two large rainwater barrels, without which the potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and peppers could not survive the scorching sun. And why did I go for such a prodigious guardian of vegetables so humble? Someone from the neighborhood has been stealing water from the barrels. Someone I know more than well, of course. Given all the signs of witchcraft under my terrace and garden walls, this seems to be an expedient well worth the trouble. Amazingly, the Mother of God has been rather effective, as no water has been missing from the two barrels ever since the statue was placed between them weeks ago. Does this mean I am a staunch believer? All I can say at this juncture is that my dear neighbors undoubtedly are. Witchcraft is a subtle business, no doubt.