4/30/26  Most gardeners grow plants.  The good ones learn to grow soil. Because when the soil is alive everything else takes care of itself.

Clouds and mist, 44 degrees.  The National Weather Service is forecasting a chilly May, the second coolest in 15 years.  A full moon on the first means another full moon at the end of the month.  We may see some late frosts.  Rain today, showers tonight.  A brisk ESE breeze with a high of 47.  Tonight's low 43 with fog.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a stiff NW breeze, high 57, low 43.  Mostly cloudy Saturday, a SW breeze, high 53, low 37.  Showers Sunday, a brisk north breeze, high 52, low 36.  Partly cloudy Monday and Tuesday.  strong SW breeze Monday, high 62, low 45.  A SW wind Tuesday, high 69, low 51.  Partly cloudy Wednesday morning, afternoon and overnight showers, strong south breezes, high 64, low 49.  Showers next Thursday and Friday, highs about56, lows 42 and 39. A stiff ESE breeze Thursday, a brisk WNW breeze Friday. Partly cloudy Saturday the 9th, a stiff SW breeze, high 56, low 42.  Mostly cloudy Mother's Day, a brisk WSW breeze, high 61, low 44. Showers Monday the 11th, a NW breeze, high 62, low 45.  Partly cloudy on the 12th, a brisk NW breeze, high 63, low 43. Partly cloudy the 13th and 14th, brisk NW breezes, highs 61, lows 42.

   Doug got all the seeding and packing done yesterday.  He would have liked to spread more fertilizer but ran out of daylight.  He was happy to get the seeding done.The forecast has changed from 3 inches of rain to an inch and a half.  Less rain means we can get in the gardens sooner but we needed that much rain.  We complain about our weather but we are  fortunate compared to others.  New Jersey lost its peach crop to that last cold snap.  Wildfires have burned the Nebraska grass lands and there's no healing rain forecast.  The fires didn't stop at the grassland, homes and ranches were burned too.  Now the area hit by Hurricane Helene is burning out of control because of the tinder dry trees that the hurricane uprooted.

    I put a light cover of mulch over our septic tank and set containers of purple and pink waves on it.  Hummingbirds like the waves and should we have to pump our tank it will be easy to open the lids.  Yesterday Annabelle bought me buckets of mulch for the tank top and to start renovating the kitchen garden paths.  We only got the tank top and a short path done before she ran into frozen mulch.  Rock hard frozen.

    May your day be blessed, Sally