One thing I know for sure is that teeny tiny baby slugs are much harder to pick up than snails. Our lettuce patch is full of them and, boy are they hungry.  I've been picking lettuce every evening and becoming more and more frustrated at the damage being done to our beautiful lettuce leaves.  I really don't like sharing my dinner.

Our typical garden predator is the common snail, annoying, but fairly easy to deal with if you can catch them in the act. Easy to pick up and dispose of. We had very cold weather here for a couple of weeks in December, which seems to have significantly reduced the number of snails on the prowl.  One would think that was good news.  I was actually pretty excited about it.  Still, our lettuce is being reduced to lace.  Tonight I discovered that our garden is being attacked by a host of baby slugs, who unlike snails, are not so easy to pick up.  These guys range anywhere from 1/8th of an inch to about 1 1/2 inches long; they are sticky and slimy and don't give up their hold on the lettuce leaf with grace. I attacked them with a pair of tweezers and a container of salt water.  It takes a stiff upper lip to do this kind of work, but I prefer my lettuce unslimed and unblemished.

The garden is now all planted.  We were so hopeful for good weather after our beautiful early start, but, no, this is Oregon indeed. Don't be fooled by a little sunshine.  Luckily, vegetables are hearty little things.  Most are doing well, or at least holding on in anticipation of coming warmth.  Some things are even thriving in the cool moist (understatement) weather - the spinach, lettuce, beets, carrots, peas and potatoes seem very happy.  The tomatoes are even looking pretty good, at least they haven't rotted in the ground yet, but I'm sure they'll benefit from some warm weather.  Hmmm, maybe tomorrow. . . . . .

Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain!  "Does it always rain in Oregon?"  Well, actually, no, but sometimes it seems like it. This is one of those times.  It's our typical spring weather - sunshine, partial sun, chance of showers, showers likely, rain. . . . and, that's just one day.  Sometimes the rain is a soft gentle mist, others it is a downpour.  We've had enough to fill buckets lately.  Everyone is complaining.  We've been having discussions about attitude, but it doesn't seem to help. This kind of weather is hard on us all.

In between showers we have continued to work in the garden.  Some things are thriving with all this moisture, the potatoes, onions, and greens are all doing very well. Reyn's tomatoes, however, are another story. We removed the cover from the cold-frame a couple of weeks ago and has transplanted some of the tomatoes directly into the garden.  They look pretty sad.  We're thinking that next year we'll arrange to have more and larger cold-frames that can stay up longer.  For now, we're considering setting ours back up and covering it with a row-cover, like remay, to protect some of the tomatoes.  But, really, how long can this go on?  Whenever the rain stops and the clouds part, the sun is strong and warm.  Maybe tomorrow it will all change.

Yesterday I decided to change my attitude and just go with the flow.  Need I say that it rained all day?  Well, that didn't bother me because I was busy in my little kitchen chopping and stirring and making one of my favorite jams, Orange Rhubarb Marmalade.  It's a long process which begins with peeled, juiced, and chopped lemons and oranges.  After they cook for a while, the rhubarb is added and cooked to a pulp, followed by sugar and a long boil.  The result is a lovely sweet, slightly tart marmalade that is sure to perk up a winter breakfast.  That, and it helped me get through a very bleak spring day.  Hooray for Rhubarb!  I'll gladly share the recipe if anyone wants to try it.