Cold Crops

5/6/98
Brrrr, it's almost seventy degrees outdoors but I had 
to put on my flannel shirt to take the chill off.

While carrying a tray of Iceberg lettuce from the 
greenhouse to the garden for transplanting, the air 
filled with white dots. It was snowing! But it was a 
dandy snow, Dandelion seeds by the millions were 
floating through the sky on their tiny parachutes 
from the field across the road to wherever the breeze 
carried them. Thousands dropped into the garden, 
turning the black soil white as I dug holes for my 
Icebergs then set them in the ground gently but 
firmly. I swear that the temperature at the bottom of 
them holes was freezing!

Cabbages, Broccoli, and Cauliflower, which Gin 
refers to as cold-crops were to follow the lettuce in 
the next bed. I came inside to get a jacket before 
continuing my gardening chores.

The rest of the morning was spent in the greenhouse, 
transplanting Cantaloupe and Sweet Williams', still 
wearing the flannel shirt. If anyone would have come 
to visit they would have thought I was strange, or 
maybe they would have asked for a sweater. It's 
funny how the mind can trick us.

All of which reminds me of the farmer who was 
walking down the road on a hot summer day. A city 
man driving a Cadillac came by and stopped to offer 
him a ride. The city man had the air conditioner 
going full blast. The farmer accepted and after a 
while, the man asked the farmer what he was up to. 
"Well...I was planning to plow my corn," the farmer 
said. "But since it's turned so cold, I believe I'll go 
kill the hogs."