And one more thing to cross off my "to do list"!!!!

Normally, at this time of year, I start planting my veggie garden.  I spend incredible amounts of time spraying myself with God alone knows what in an effort to keep my blood where it belongs.  I don mesh hat with mesh all the way round my head, long sleeves, long pants, socks, sneakers, the above mentioned soaking of "Eau du Off" and outside I go.

This year, I marched my rather large self outside about two weeks ago and planted almost 50 tomato plants.  I planted loads of lettuce, 1/2 a bed of Brussels Sprouts, bell peppers, and now, Memorial Day, I finished planting my carrots, beans, cukes, zucchini and peas.  Not to mention (but definitely to brag!) 2 peach trees, 2 concord grape bushes, and almost 100 strawberry plants.

For all the "nay sayers" out there, a rather large raspberry to you!  I was repeatedly told that my plants would drown, my plants would never survive as it was too cool (not cold mind you, just cool!) well, for all you out there, my plants are thriving!  This is not my doing mind you but 90% of the dirt in our raised beds is swamp dirt from our stream.  Gary tractored it up and filled my boxes with it.

First thing you should realize about swamp dirt is the smell.  It will hit you broadside.  Worse is while working in that chocolate cake, spongy mess, a bug decides to land on your face and you swipe at it, well, let's just say that if any of God's critters can stand that odor, there is nothing I can do to harm them.  It makes cow manure smell divine!  That is the most rancid, foul, noxious odor around.  My plants LOVE it. Like kids around forbidden food, my seedlings think they've hit the jackpot.

As you can see here, my rewards for my early effort extended to less bugs around when I planted but also to the appearance of "baby" bell peppers!  Early!  Almost all my plants have at least one of these wonders of nature, some sporting two or three. Now, if the rest of my garden grows as good as this, I will be one happy camper!!

I did notice a few things though, chiefly fewer bugs!  When I started planting, the black flies hadn't come out yet.  For the record, they love the swamp dirt even more than the plants.  We planted our seedlings much easier without the constant slap, scratch and under breath swearing that accompanies my later planting.  Today however, the bugs are out and out with a vengeance!   I have bug guts in my ears, my hair and in places down my shirt that I can't figure out how they got there. I hate bugs.  I shouldn't hate anything this much.

Well, now off to clean my kitchen.  Memorial Day brings with it a larger than life dinner and with such a dinner comes a larger than life dishwashing detail!  I can't believe that the 3 day weekend is over!  Summer is here (mostly) and all is right in my patch of  God's world.