I hear that about being too hot & sticky, OldDutch... but this is finally my chance to get something done, so I've got to put up with it. Fortunately the house has AC, so I can go in to cool down every hour or so (like I'm doing right now).

Just cut off my scapes today; they are much later than usual this year. Only the second time this year the ground in the rural plot has been dry enough to walk on without gathering mud. Still haven't been able to weed, I'm too far behind on the home gardens to get to it. Where did I put that "round tuit", I could use it right about now... :-) Wish I'd been able to lay down mulch, but I planted very late last year, and in a hurry.

Rain delayed planting for so long this year, that everything growing now started as transplants indoors, under lights. Squash, beans, okra - everything. Nothing planted in the rural garden yet other than the garlic. I'm still hoping it stays dry there long enough for me to turn the weeds over in time to plant something. I've got half a tray of gherkin plants ready to go, for making pickles... these are true gherkins, small egg-shaped things 2-3" long, crunchier than any cukes I've grown. They grow very quickly, so I've still got time to get a fairly good crop.

We started real late here in Mpls, too, but I was able to get my light started plants set out. I had a bunch of boards and plywood I walked on. My tomato plants are huge, easily 4 ', across and setting a whole lot of fruits, but it was just plain too wet to get in and stake them or do much weeding either. They are way bigger than normal but also later. Usually by this time I have some ripe fruits on 4th of July. This year I also planted out Glacier and both of them are heavy in green fruits, but still nothing ripe.

Needless to say I also have the heartiest crop of weeds this year that I have had for a long time.

I was up in your neck of the woods last week for the 4th holiday at my brother's cabin off of I-94 east of Eau Claire. My brother's garden is doing pretty well considering the cool, wet spring. He recently bought 53 more acres across the road from his cabin and planted his tomatoes, potatoes, and corn over there. His 30 tomato plants are setting fruit well and the 300 or so potato plants are blooming and looking good. Corn germination was pretty poor but he should get enough to keep the deer and raccoons happy.

His soil is very sandy being in the Buffalo River flood plain so mud isn't a problem. I helped him weed and fertilize the corn, tomatoes, and the rest of his garden over by in cabin.

I grew up on a clay loam that if handled wrong got hard as cement and waterproof as well. If you were gentle with it however, it was the best producing soil you could get. I got in the habit a long time ago of walking on planks instead of wading in the mud. I have to admit, however, that the heat got to me recently; so it wasn't just the rain, although I now carry an umbrella to and from work. ;-)