wet

We have had nearly constant rain this spring, standing water everywhere.

The crops are enjoying it, but with our super cold winter we had so much winter damage that I lost a gob of fruit and shade trees. Even the hardiest trees have suffered with leaf and bud losses...like cherry, apple, pear, peach, grapes, etc. The nut trees are barely putting out leaves and some low down on the trees where they were below the snow.

I had to cut one large pear tree way back as it had frost cracks all over the bark which killed those areas, but there is a sprout below where I cut it off..hopefully a good fruit sprout. Other pears seem to be fine but there are some frost cracks in their trunks as well, but are healing.

catalpa has no leaves, grapes are growing new leaves but the 100 year old vines show very little growth, will possibly cut to the ground and maybe replace the old damaged arbor.

Have decided I will plant no more zone 5 trees or plants here, sticking to zone 4 or less as we have hit these cold temps for 3 years now.

Even evergreen trees have died, like most of the alberta spruce (isn't alberta in Canada!!)

I will have a few more protected areas next spring with our new deck/ramp bringing in more heat and wind/sun traps...oh the ramp is done all but rail paint, some are painted..but rain rain rain..

Had a small doe out in the yard this morning and she was mostly blackish on her fur..wierd..she has  been enjoying my cabbages and tree leaves.

Well I've got lots of sprouted things with all the rain this year, flowers and vegetables ..and many berry blossoms coming on..so we'll be eating more than just asparagus and onions and rhubarb soon