Another rainy morning

Here I am again, and oddly, ahead of schedule. I even laid in bed an extra 15 minutes, listening to the rain and wishing I could stay snuggled under the covers till the sun came out.

The weather has been really strange this spring. We're sort of backward from last spring, when we had a very wet April but a nice May. This year we had a wonderful early April, with warm sunny days, and now here we are with a drab, cold, wet May. I really hope this doesn't mean another cool summer.

A lot of people are already putting out their gardens. Me, I'm waiting till the official last frost date at the end of the month. I never used to pay any attention to that date, but last year we had a major frost just before Memorial Day weekend. I was just lucky I'd been running behind getting stuff out. When I had a smaller garden, it was no big deal to run out and cover things, but now that we're talking nearly 400 tomato plants and a couple hundred peppers, not to mention squash, beans, melons, etc, there's no way all that's going to get covered. So waiting is the best option. The plants are still growing, and are actually hardening off as we speak, but can easily be carried back inside in case of colder nights.

Of course the cold hardy stuff is going out as time allows. I did manage to get a pound and a half of onions planted over the weekend, but I still have more to plant.

I'm still planting seeds like a mad woman, getting the squash, melons, etc all ready to go out. I usually direct seed that stuff, but thought it may be nice to to get a head start on the last frost.

Not much else happening. The most exciting thing lately was this guy showing up in our live trap.

For those of you not from the states, that's a Virginia Opossum, commonly known as a 'possum. This one is huge, probably the size of a cocker spaniel. We let him go, since we're not much for 'possum pot pie.

Seedlings galore

As promised, a few pics of the den floor. It's like hopscotch or twister trying to walk from one side to the other. You can't even see all of the seedlings in the pics, but you get the idea. There are another 18 flats of seedlings in the living room.

And now, I'm off to start some more seeds. **maniacal laugh**

A few spare minutes

Wow...haven't seen any of those in a while. But, here I am, with a few moments to spare, thanks to the rain. I'll be waking Eöl shortly for a ride to work, after unloading his fishing gear and tossing my bike into the back of the SUV. It's not that I mind riding in the rain. In fact, I'll most likely be coming home that way. However, soaking wet just isn't a fun way to start the day...unless you happen to be a duck.

So...what's been going on around here lately? Well, let's see...I'm over a week behind on planting corn, the onions and peas should've been in the ground a month ago, but the potatoes are planted and already a few inches above the ground.

As for blogging, you're looking at the extent of it for the time being. I've got posts bouncing around in my head for the past few weeks, which will most likely never get beyond the mention they get here:

• The birthday post: Yes, it's that time again. Happy Birthday to me!! The post I had intended to write included such gems as, "I never thought I'd say this: I wish I had the thighs I had when I was 30!" and " I am NOT too old for a string bikini!!"
• The Mother's Day post where I talk about all the great things my mom has done for me, and how a wise friend of mine once pointed out that our children humble us. Happy Mother's Day, anyway!
• Pics of the den floor, which is wall to wall seedlings. Eh, I may get around to that one sooner than expected. 

There are probably more, but that's just off the top of my head, while I enjoy the oh-so-rare second cup of coffee this morning. Most mornings find me sitting here at the pc, juggling hair dryer (do you have ANY idea what it's like to ride a bike in 35 degree weather with wet hair?? Forget frizzies, I'll wear a hat when I get to work!!), coffee, bagel, bills and the occasional email. By the way, apologies to those of you that have emailed me and are still waiting for a response. Please stay on the line, and our operator will be with you shortly. Your message will not necessarily be answered in the order it was received, but more likely in the order in which I like you or can at least tolerate your continued existence in my realm of greenery.
As for afternoons, by the time I finish work and bike home, eat, and get back outside, the day is pretty much done for. I spend time with Little Sis while she tells me all about the fish that took her bait but didn't bother to get caught on the hook, or about the kittens learning to walk, or some tidbit on ancient Greece (thank you, Percy Jackson, for stimulating that interest) and how I could be the daughter of Demeter. Once the critters are put away for the night, it's time to fall into bed. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Until next time it rains and I have an extra 15 minutes, be good, stay sane, and look both ways before you cross the street. Oh, yeah, and if you are biking, remember to dry your hair and wear your orange vest. :)