It'll be a slow gardening day for us, here in Duncan. We were pretty much caught up on weeding the day before yesterday. There are still a few weeds, here and there, but nothing to worry about. (You always miss a few, no matter what) I'll get most of those when I walk around the garden.

The grass dried just enough to mow yesterday evening, so I got 'er done quick. If I hadn't mowed it then, we'd have needed a bailer to take care of the back yard. The back yard has a lot of fescue and rye, so we keep it a bit taller than the grass in the front garden. It just about got away from us, this time.

I need to weed and cultivate the beds along the fence in the back yard, but they need to dry out just a bit, first. We have some peat moss and compost in those beds, but they are still mostly clay. Heavy, damp soil when it's wet.

So, for today, it's about relaxing and enjoying the garden. In a day or so, the cycle of maintenance begins all over again, while we wait for the glads, blazing stars and hollyhocks to bloom.

In a couple of weeks, we'll add some mulch to a few of the beds, helping with the looks, and with weed control and holding moisture. I'm looking forward to that. A little work in order to save a lot of work, later on.

It is a beautiful day out there!! and my grass grew 3 inches overnight :) Two inches of rain is like instant fertilizer!

My flowers have been so beautiful this year. I need to get out and work more in the beds, but if I stand back, I can just stand for hours and admire them :)

This morning was so beautiful - a bit drier and clear and lovely. I'm excited for the sun today; my lawn will dry out so I can get it mowed tonight!

My roses are the best ever; I have a double red amaryllis that will open today, most likely; and...I noticed blooms on a couple of my tomato plants last night - big excitement! (yes, yes...I know some of you are already eating yours :-P )

I have already heard more stories today from some of our first-responder nurses and aides. I'm thankful for my gardens to give me moments of sanity when I go home - gardening is such good therapy. I just wish I could pass that along to those who have lost family, homes, and/or gardens this week.

Sharon

I am so thankful for sunshine today. Yesterday we had very light rain almost all day, the clouds were dark and still looked dangerous, the wind was whipping the tree tops and the air just didn't feel right.

This morning I talked to my daughter who had seen the destruction in Moore, and my husband called just after he had driven through the area in Ottawa County that also had a tornado, which has had very little news coverage because it was over-shadowed by the tremendous destruction in Moore. Even with the description of the bad news, I could look out at the world and feel like the storms had passed, and recovery could begin.

Like Larry said in another thread, I don't think we have been good to our environment and we are seeing erratic results in lots of ways.

One of my sons attended high school in Moore, and because of our NE Norman location we were in Moore a lot during our years there, still, I would not want to live there. Our weather channel said that only 2 percent of tornadoes reach EF-4 and EF-5 status, but of the 8 tornadoes that have hit Moore since May 1999, 4 of them have been EF-4 or EF-5 rated. After looking at the paths of those storms, I think Moore just needs a big wide greenbelt running through it instead of houses. That is just bizarre.

I am grateful for the spirit of Oklahoma that runs deep with resolve to re-build and make things work again. I watched it 'first-hand' when our neighborhood was hit by a storm. The neighbors just came together and tried to return the chaos to the norm as quickly as possible.

While we have had much destruction, and much loss, it is almost unbelievable to view the area and believe that the loss of life is as low as it is. We still have that to be thankful for.

First time I planted potatoes!!! They look so pretty.

Also had a beautiful day here. Our administration must have known we were all heartsick: today they brought cake to us and let us go home an hour early! Our yard is still soggy, but I was able to get in the garden to find a few new okra sprouts ( I was afraid they had all washed away), dozens of green Romas, and a handful of new pole bean sprouts. I pulled some weeds, got very muddy, and planted the last peppers (6 Tabasco and 6 Serrano). I may have even discovered the worm who has been eating my basil.
I am glad so many of you had lovely days. We have rain scheduled for the next several days, and I will remind myself to be thankful and will resist the urge to build an ark.
I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful upcoming holiday weekend!
Krista

I went out and took off the "hail hats" this morning to see my veggie garden for the first time since Saturday. Everything looked good, and I was happy about that! No flowers yet on the tomatoes, but I'm confident they will come (soon, soon, soon, please!). Things had grown in size a bit, it seems, since Sat. Even a few plants that I suspect had died due to the ravages of cutworms, now have replacements poking leaves out of the ground from seeds that I put in at the same time I seeded the garden with the toothpick defense system after I learned here that cutworms like cantaloupe and squash, too.

As I wondered the garden this morning, I wished I could bring someone to my plot who might now be missing their garden... their home... their regular life. Just pull a few pieces of grass, pull a weed, smooth the mulch back in place... That's therapy to me. Wish I could bottle it and drop it at a donation site.

Thanks for reminding us to see the beauty today, Dawn. And happy birthday. (Hugs.)

It sounds like we had some widespread lovely weather---perhaps the calm after the storm.

wbonesteel, It was a slow and quiet work day here. I just weeded and then planted a few herbs. Tomorrow will be more of a harvest day because I have a lot of cauliflower that is ready to be harvested, and some of the early cabbage as well.

There were tons of butterflies fluttering around but lots of annoying flies and mosquitoes too.

Lisa, Our grass did the same thing. Tim had a training class today so worked the day shift instead of his usual evening shift and as soon as he got home he started mowing. I knew he would so hadn't even started dinner yet (and it was a good thing too because he was determined to mow). I would have mowed tomorrow, but now I won't have to. Yay!

Carol, It is unbelievable that the loss of life is so low when the physical damage to the structures is so great. I think the NWS gets some of the credit for that for getting the warnings out so fast and the residents get a lot of credit for heeding the warnings and doing all they could to shelter not only themselves but other folks too. I read lots of stories of people sharing their shelters with others and am sure that made a positive difference.

And, while watching The Weather Channel today, I heard some of their reporters remark several times on how fast the search and rescue, recovery, and cleanup was moving, as well as by the way that everyone was helping---from the clean up to the meals, the water, other supplies, the animal rescue groups, etc. They actually said the other cities needed to watch how Moore was doing things because they could learn from them. That was a lovely compliment. It is unfortunate that much of the efficiency likely comes from Moore's city administration and residents having so much past experience with tornadoes. It seems incomprehensible to me that one city would be hit by an EF-5 twice period, much less twice in less than two decades. Statistically that just seems impossible.

Krista, If there's one worm, there's more so keep your eyes open.

That was nice of them to let y'all leave an hour early. I imagine everyone's nerves still are just about shot, and I bet the time you were able to spend in the garden was relaxing, happy time.

Maybe the rain in your forecast will miss you and the garden will get to dry out a little, and you can cancel the urge to build an ark. In case no one has told you this yet (and I bet you figured it out for yourself but I'll say it anyway), rain in Oklahoma tends to come in two different amounts: too much and too little. I feel like Goldilocks always wanting things to be just right, and it rarely happens.

All the time I spent outside today was lovely, and I'll be out early again tomorrow. I love being out early when all the bunnies and birds are just waking up and starting to move around. Today there was a turtle in the garden with me and he didn't seem to mind me being there, but the two cats that were with me made the poor little thing really nervous. I don't have turtles in the garden all the time, but when it is Colorado Potato Beetle time they show up and walk up and down the rows of potatoes, presumably eating the beetles. I always wonder how they know when to show up. I guess that is one of the mysteries of nature. My fence is turtle-proof too, being buried slightly below grade so that nothing can squeeze under it, so they have to find the gate. Sometimes in the mornings, they are waiting at the gate for me to open it up. I think maybe those turtles are smarter than we think they are.

Dawn

I wandered around the garden several times, today... with either a smile or a big grin on my face. After two years of work, it's finally beginning to look the way it had always appeared in my mind's eye.

In the front garden, all the plants are healthy.The colors and textures are just the way I had imagined...and watching the seedlings and sprouts come up is always a magical experience, imo. The only place we were 'short-changed' were with the collard greens and the thyme, but more than enough of both have sprouted that we really have nothing to complain about.

I pulled a few weeds, took more than a few pics of the garden, and otherwise enjoyed the day. We drank iced tea under the cedar tree. Watched the world go by...

Just a beautiful day, here, in Duncan..

I spent yesterday with my almost 3 year old granddaughter. There is nothing like submitting yourself to exploring the world from a child's viewpoint to just immersing oneself in the moment. We explored the backyard where her curiosity still takes her to places that I have taken for granted for too many years.....a roly poly, a tiny, insignificant (to me) flower on a weedy geranium (to me), a strip of bark from the pecan tree, the sound of a dove cooing, the interesting shape, color, and texture of a rock, the feel of the wet, slippery grass beneath our feet, and the discovery of a pretty, striped caterpillar on rue.

I was tired, but ever so relaxed by the time I got home, and with a renewed hope for the future of our marvelous planet that lies within the deep pools of a child's wide eyes.

Susan

The 'ole moderate bubble is already back! If anyone is down around Altus, be aware today.

Here is a link that might be useful: SPC Day 1 Outlook

Susan, Thanks for sharing your experience with us. It sounds like such a perfect day. I always try to remind myself to slow down and enjoy the little things, but there's nothing like a young child to make you do it. They are filled with wonder over so many things (and questions too!!!) and take joy in simple things that we older folks sometimes take for cranted.

Dulahey, Thanks for posting that. When we got a severe thunderstorm warning here, I was out in the garden. ...

I groaned, moaned, drug myself and my bucket of tools, and one whiny cat, back to the house just before the rain hit. I logged on and saw the Convective Outlook and said "Really? Is this necessary?" The last thing anyone in OK needs today is severe weather, but we're having it anyhow.

Our thunderstorm now has moved into Texas, so I am about to go back outside to a now-even-wetter-than-before garden.

Dawm

I got a wonderful surprise yesterday when I covered my plants from their hail protectors..I had 5 little green tomatoes! I am tickled! And I ate my 1st salad from my garden last night and it was delicious! SO it was a beautiful new day! Now I am off to pull weeds..Ugh!

Thanks for reminding us all to think happy thoughts, Dawn. And a happy belated birthday to you! In the days after such tragedies, sometimes it's hard to remember to find the small things to appreciate, but if we look hard enough, there is always something to be grateful for & happy about. :)

It made me happy to see that young teacher walking. When they interviewed her from her bed they said she had spine and sternum fractures. I thought she has been crushed and would be paralyzed. That bothered me all day. To see her trying to walk made my day.

My garden is beautiful today if you can ignore the tall grass and weeds. I have new things blooming every day. I have ignored my flowers trying to get the vegetable garden planted. It is cool and green this morning with fragrant roses and sweet shrub smelling like ripe fruit.

Bre, Yay for the little green tomatoes! They'll be big and red before you know it.

Faerybutterflye, You're welcome. I just wanted all of us to try to shake off the gloom and doom of the past week and find one little beautiful thing to focus on to start our day.....not that we are not constantly thinking of the folks in Moore and Shawnee as well as other areas recently affected by severe weather, but just that we all know the sun comes up and the sun goes down and life goes on. Thank you for the birthday wishes.

Helen, That is such wonderful news indeed.

I have had Joplin on my mind so much this week, with it being the anniversary of the Joplin tornado and with there being similarities between the EF-5s that hit both Joplin and Moore. I hope that people in Moore can look at Joplin as a reminder that after the heartache occurs and the cleanup is over, then the rebuilding begins.

I am a master at ignoring tall grass and weeds. I kind of ignore my flowers too while getting the veggies in, and this week I have been trying to make up for it by catching up on weeding and deadheading. Your garden sounds so beautiful this morning.

I am loving the normal May weather. Here where I live, our forecast highs and forecast lows are exactly what they ought to be in May, which is great. Before all the storms hit, we were having 2 or 3 days a week in the mid-90s, and it is just too early for that. Of course, those temperatures made some cool-season veggies start bolting, and there is nothing I can do about that, but now that it is cooler, at least the weather is more pleasant as I remove them and then plant hot-season melons and southern peas in the newly available space in the veggie garden.

With the way the cold weather held on so long, I keep wondering how it can be almost Memorial Day already when we just had our last frost 3 weeks ago. Maybe we'll get lucky and have a cool week or 2 or 3 before the June heat sets in.

Dawn

heh. I still need to deadhead our irises, but...the glads are blooming. They are such a bright, deep red, they almost look fake.

"Kiss of the sun for pardon. Song of the birds for mirth.
You're closer to God's heart in a garden than any place else on earth." -- Dorothy Frances Gurney

Keith

wbonesteel, what a gorgeous glad in the photo! Thanks for sharing.

Keith, I love that....and I share the sentiment.

Dawn