Straight From Spring to Summer

It's not really unusual for Gunflint Lake to go straight from winter/early spring into summer, when it comes to the weather. That has definitely been the case over the last week. Our daytime temps have been in the eighties, and it is cooling down to the sixties at night. For me, this is a real treat. I love the hot weather, and still have many memories of how cold it was last summer. I'm not complaining. Never mind that I haven't had time to find my lighter clothes....at least my Hawaii wardrobe is still nearby, so I can grab those things. Greg, on the other hand, is not pleased, and keeps reiterating the fact that it is soon to cool off. Five degree declines are predicted everyday, and for him, they can't come fast enough.

Because of the early onslaught of summer, the plant life has taken off at rapid speed. Suddenly, my lawn needs mowing. The weed whacker is in for a work out soon. The leaves are turning from the early chartreuse to a deeper summer green. The rhubarb has gone ballistic. I'm tempted to make only pie and sauce for every meal, just to use it. Putting it in the freezer generally doesn't work too well for me. I tend to forget about it until late winter, and by then it has totally shriveled up.

This would have been one of those years when I could take a chance on early planting in the garden. Had I done that, I would probably have loads of lettuce and peas, and be well on the way to some lovely tomatoes and beans. But the words of my grandmother, passed on by my father, are that wisdom in Duluth says not to plant before Memorial Day. This year, the holiday happens to fall on the traditional day, the 31st. I guess that means that I am shortening the season even more. That's okay. I'm at best a casual gardener. I sow the seeds, attempt to pull weeds, and generally expect the plants to survive without me. It seems to work well enough.

Today, however, I am going to cheat a little. When I am in town, I plan to pick up some flowers to spruce things up a bit. You can't beat that instant punch that some bright colors add to the landscape. Even on a bad day, the happy faces of pansies perks me right up.