Paul today. The hula-hoopist, drum corps, and french fries were highlights. The day was lovely. However, poor Ben got a sunburn*... after rightly suggesting that I wear both a sun hat and sunblock.
In other warm-weather business: I can tell it's [pretty much] summer because the uncertainty associated with backyard gardening is hanging over me once again. I love gardening, but I am by no means confident, ever, that I can grow anything. Yesterday morning I planted my vegetable seeds... carrots, zucchini, green beans (bush, not pole), and scallions. Ben had been sweet enough to turn the soil a few days earlier--a back-breaking job too hard for pussywillows like me. I did it once, at our old house, and it was quite a job. I performed it in a severely second-rate fashion, I assure you. But this year! This year, someone who isn't lazy did it for me! I love you, husband!
Within three hours of the seeds going in the ground, Minneapolis got hit with a big hail storm that blew my seeds all around. Today I went out and covered them back up with the requisite half-inch of dirt. But, this is exactly what I mean about the gigantic question mark that is back yard gardening. Not only do I not really know what I'm doing, but the whole venture just seems so precarious... an unexpected freeze, a crazy storm, a bad packet of carrot seeds. Many things can go wrong. But, I don't spend much money on my garden (four packs of seeds and some bamboo sticks, that's the extent of what I bought at the local hardware store), so no big. And it's fun. I plant seeds not half expecting anything to grow, and am pleased if we do end up with a few zukes, or enough green onions for a big pot of miso soup.
Here's a picture of my little plot. The rags are supposed to blow in the wind and scare away birds, although the fat robin who sat on the gate eyeballing my veggie patch didn't seem to be trembling. The other snapshot is one I took quickly during the hailstorm; the hail actually got fatter and faster after this, but I had already gotten my ass back inside.
* Even though he wore SPF 20!
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