Gully Washers

In my lifetime, I can’t remember a spring this wet. On many gray May and June days, our tiny yard filled with huge gushing puddles, including today. It seems like it will never end and I worry sometimes whether the yard can absorb any more water. We’ve had monster thunderstorms, gully-washing downpours and hailstorm threats over and over ever since the “girls” came home with me.

Since I adopted them, I have been treating my two tomato queens royally. After all, the better I treat them, the better they will treat me with mouth-watering red and yellow bite-sized gems. It’s just like any other relationship: you get what you give.

So, when the clouds start gathering and the local weather forecast shows imminent danger from above, I go into action. When the “girls” were small, it was easy to bring them in the house when the sky looked ominous. I set up an emergency spot in the livingroom where they could ride out the storms, sometimes overnight. But they complained and pouted, almost asking to be put back out. My “girls” drooped after a few hours in the air conditioning, even with the nearby vent closed. So, now they stay outside all the time. Besides, they’ve gotten so big and laden with ripening fruit, all we can really do is slide them against the house for a little protection during a storm.

Such a nice problem to have!