The skunk cabbage provided the first clue with all its leaves in tatters. I looked to comfrey and saw the same. Tulips had been clipped from the stem. Hail had come to the farm in our absence and literally beat up my fruit trees. Some buds lie on the ground but mostly it was a bruise and batter job on the emerging leaf tissues and tender flower buds at the pink stage. We will see bloom this week and all will be fine... this hail was early enough to be acceptable. A neighbor reported that marbel-size ice balls fell for about 15 minutes as part of a huge thunderstorm on Saturday, literally covering the ground before melting in the heavy rains that followed.

Last night the temps got down to 28 F at the bottom of the orchard hill. No worries as those precious buds are tucked away for a day or two yet and thus safe from a touch of frost.

I'm guessing the next thing on the horizon will be a herd of stampeding moose... and somehow my orchard will get by yet agian!

The skunk cabbage provided the first clue with all its leaves in tatters. I looked to comfrey and saw the same. Tulips had been clipped from the stem. Hail had come to the farm in our absence and literally beat up my fruit trees. Some buds lie on the ground but mostly it was a bruise and batter job on the emerging leaf tissues and tender flower buds at the pink stage. We will see bloom this week and all will be fine... this hail was early enough to be acceptable. A neighbor reported that marbel-size ice balls fell for about 15 minutes as part of a huge thunderstorm on Saturday, literally covering the ground before melting in the heavy rains that followed.

Last night the temps got down to 28 F at the bottom of the orchard hill. No worries as those precious buds are tucked away for a day or two yet and thus safe from a touch of frost.

I'm guessing the next thing on the horizon will be a herd of stampeding moose... and somehow my orchard will get by yet agian!