Strange days in April

April was a strange but beautiful month. The temperatures were way above normal, the winds dried up up the oceans of water left behind from the gigantic snow and the ground warmed up really fast. All the beds are cleaned and 'Preened', I've already mowed 3 times and the daylilies are over a foot tall. Usually at this time they are just barely out of the ground, so you can imagine my surprise when I was looking at my plants and there was 'Mal' throwing a scape already. Now Mal has given me problems in the past, I have had it for several years and it just kindof pouted and never did much, so 2 years ago I moved it, it came up last year as one spindly litttle fan. I threatend him last summer and told him if he didn't do better next year he was out of here. He must of heard me because this year he came up with 3 nice fans and a scape already...I guess he can stay.

I planted my tomatoes the third week in April...I know that is way to early but the ground temp was 55 degrees so I decided to get them in the ground. If they freeze I will just replant but if they don' t then I am a month ahead. I use concrete reenforcing wire for my cages and then use 1mil plastic bags over the whole cage so it is like it's own little greenhouse in there. The tomatoes love it. They are protected for the wind and it is nice and humid in there so they grow fast.

Most of you know I live in the country, last year there was corn planted all around us. A couple weeks ago they come in and fluffed the ground getting ready to plant. All that did was chop up the corn trash that was left from last year and get the ground loose. Well, last week we had horrible winds from the SE and I think every corn husk from the field to our south was in my yard. I'm not talking about a few husks, I'm talking drifts, in the beds, behind the trees along the fences and everywhere. Some of the drifts were over a foot deep with these stupid husks. I didn't know how in the world I would ever mow through that stuff, so Friday Igot on my mower and raised the deck as high as I could get it and shredded it all. It was a mess but now it is a little easier to pick up next time I mow. It's events like this that make me wish I had a corner lot in the city!