I spent a lot of time this spring getting a nice vegetable and flower garden together. While there are frustrating things about living here in this neighborhood in a high-maintenance house, I was feeling pretty good about the coming season of fresh herbs, flowers, and organically grown vegetables. Sadly, I forgot that in Colorado 'gardening' is defined as 'putting out tender plants for the hail to pulverize'.

I go home from work yesterday and on turning down our street I kew right away what all the shredded leaves in the street from the trees overhead meant. A big cumulonimbus had parked overhead and dumped hail on us for a big Colorado "Fuck you, gardeners!". About half of what I had carefully nurtured was reduced to shredded stalks or unrecognizable green mush. I think that will be the last time I mess with gardening until we move to a more hospitable state.

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