And so it goes - the weather has been more intractable than it usually is - and I will spare you the rant about global warming (this time).

A very long very wet very cold spring kept me out of the fields for a very long time.  I had a brief respite and managed to get in the coles, potatoes, and corn. 

(Though earlier I had gotten in plantings of peas and spinach - but those were Hail Mary passes and Mary wasn't listening.  So much for peas and spinach from the farm this season.  Good thing I had small plantings of each in the back garden to snack on.)

Then the heat and dry came on - mid 90's in early June - so, because I have no irrigation I was unable to plant any more seedlings for fear they would die of dehydration.  Well, there is always work to be done on a farm so I mowed and scythed and scythed and mowed (and fed untold  mosquitoes and at least three ticks...ick...).  I am still not done with that but... the rain and the cold came back so still no planting - the soil at the farm is too clayey to allow for tilling or planting when it's wet.

In the meantime, however, I am rather sure the weeds are still growing.  Oh, well - at least the coles and potatoes and corn got a good drink.

Meanwhile - back at the ranch (or suburban two story) I have made some progress.  All but one fruit tree got planted and all seem to have survived though I still have my doubts about the pie cherry tree.

I transplanted all my lettuce seedlings and they are now happy that they've gotten the cooler wetter weather so all is good there.  Soon I'll be able to add  my own lettuces to the romaine I've been buying from my real farmer friends Sue and Gary.  I've also been eating spinach from the backyard (and bought 5 pounds from Sue and Gary to freeze for this winter's spinach pizza, spinach quiche, spinach pie, and spinach crepes).  The lemon sorrel totally got away from me so I guess I'll be waiting till the fall now to eat more (the leaves are huge and are best eaten when tiny).

Today, I transplanted my celery into the back garden, interplanted with lettuces, and some up front in between some strawberry plants in the front garden orchard.  I also interplanted a few eggplants and transplanted  several others into harvest lugs.  I also managed to interplant some onion seedlings in between lettuce plants that are also in harvest lugs.

And - ta da! - I up potted my mini orange, lime, and pomegranite trees as well as some parsley that overwintered beautifully indoors, and my rosemary and bay laurel plants.  I also potted some bunching onions.  Oops!  Just remembered!  I forgot to up pot my cranberry - must do that soon!

A real bright spot in all the cloudiness are the gorgeous ripe strawberries I 've been eating right out of the berry patch.  They are outstanding.  Plus, I've been eyeing my rhubarb thinking that soon I will cut it and make a pie (assuming my husband repairs my oven...).  The apple trees are bearing some fruits (and the sweet cherry may too though I found a cherry already on the ground - yikes - hey birds - at least wait until they're ripe will ya!), the raspberries and blueberries are beginning to flower, and I made some very good brownies last night and I've got 15 quarts of asparagus soup in the freezer for winter - so - all in all - things are very very good.

Yep - the growing life is the good life!