It's been over a month since I posted - but then, that's May. That's just the way it goes. I just spent a bit of time backtracking to see where I was a month ago and wow, that was a pretty big shock. A month ago, we were slogging through a snowy, ice-covered mud pit. Now, it's a lush, vibrant greenhouse with so much life growing in it, it boggles the mind. There was a LOT of work that went into the transition from then to now, but when I walked into the tunnel yesterday after being gone for 8 days, it was a shock to see how much growth can happen in a week and a day. A complete shock. Perhaps that's a metaphor for life, too. Growth is possible on levels you never thought could be reached. So what has happened since last I wrote? Well, it thawed, we planted, and planted, and planted starts. We built a door (a nice door). It dried out. We built beds, digging long paths out of the dirt and putting a wooden box onto the ground to serve as a form for the beds. We added stuff to the soil - blood meal and bone meal and green sand. We mixed. I built a tunnel inside the tunnel to hold in heat for the tomatoes and basil plants. And finally, around May 15, we planted. Tomatoes first - because they were crazy big in their pots all over my house, flowering. I read that they might not thrive if transplanted so large. I worried. Next, the squash and zucchini and cucumbers and pumpkins, which were so big in their pots that they became one disorganized snarl of greenery under the lights. Then we moved on - basil and lettuce went in, both looking like they had been socked in the gut. Then I decided to go visit Craig in Washington while he was seeing his father. I would be leaving for eight days in the heart of the planting season. That pushed the fast-forward button seriously. So there was a huge push to get all the seeds planted - especially the carrots, which I wanted to seed using a template which makes holes in the ground with even spacing and hopefully eliminates the need for thinning later. Then beans and peas and corn. Spinach went in, and all the lettuce starts and basil starts. Then, the final days before I left were all about making the tunnel easier to manage - a watering system went in, followed by two windows with special hinges that open on their own when it's too warm (you set the temp). Fantastic. I left, with some concern, but a general sense that whatever would be would be. And what would be was pretty cool. On my return, everything was up, amazingly. So far, the only plant that looks less than happy is the basil. But perhaps we can help it, too. Elsewhere in the world - Liam was in his first full-fledged production this month - he was an orphan in "little orphan andy. It was amazing to see him up there with no fear and total comfort in what he was doing. He did a lot of shows, and was consistently funny and energetic. what a kid. I'm glad May is over. I'm ready for the easier pace of June. I spent all day shoveling up dog shit and cleaning up the yard. It's so tough to stay awake right now, I'd better go and let this blog run. Would love to see you all!