Living through only our third “spring” in Washington has convinced us that weather here is certifiably insane. Snow in mid April, followed by rain, more rain, some cold, and more rain throughout May. Pay no mind to my salivation and crazy eyes, I’m just chomping at the bit to nestle plants safely into the ground.

See, the thing is — we drew the short straw with our clay soil. Lots of rain makes it impossible to work with, as it transforms into big, wet clods. After a mere drizzle, walking through the yard will soak your shoes, squishing your way through puddles, streams, and lakes. Don’t even think about tilling or prepping the ground when it’s just gonna rain tomorrow and get all lumpy again. On the other hand, the poor drainage helps retain moisture some in the heat of summer…but that seems so far away right now.

But finally, we had more than a couple days without rain. So instead of carting my trays of seedlings out of the grow tents and into the brief moments of sunshine, I was able to actually plant some in the ground. First up was the open area of the garden which we had covered with tarps after Bryon tilled it. It did seem to be in much better condition than the last time I planted there two years ago, likely due to grazing time by the pigs and chickens. Now I have a few dozen tomatoes, along with peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, and onions there, with beans and corn to follow soon.

Additionally, we are planting in a section of the northern pasture for the second time. This plot is still cloddy and sticky and much harder to work than the garden area. But I’m hoping the cover crops, bird rotation this past fall, and increased irrigation and fertilizer will lead to better results than last year’s. So far I’ve planted some squash, peppers, beans, eggplants, and brassicas, with more tomatoes going in once Bryon shows me how to use the auger.

With crazy, unpredictable weather, you never know when you’ll have a good day. One really nice day, Bryon and I were working the Grange fundraiser, manning the kitchen for the bulk of a Saturday. Another clear day, we were driving to the Portland airport to pick up my mom* and brother. So you do the best you can. That means sometimes you suck it up and plant in the rain, covered in mud, while listening to true crime podcasts and dreaming about tomato sandwiches.

*Shout out to my sweet mom for helping me transplant veggies to bigger pots and plant flower seeds while she was here.