If you don't like the weather in Seattle...

Wait ten minutes. What this morning looked like another day of torrential downpour and high speed winds transformed graciously into a partly sunny (but still windy) afternoon. After briefly tinkering with some pvc pipes and fittings (for the cloche), I ventured a look outside to find that it had stopped raining and that the sun was beginning to dry things up. Though it only ever got partly clear (clouds move quickly around here) I was able to get out to the garden to plant a row of carrots and quinoa. Quinoa is an ancient grain (though not a true cereal grain since is not a grass) originally domesticated by the Incans in the Andes Mountains of South America. They called it 'mother grain,' and for good reason. It contains a balance of essential amino acids and up to 18% protein, which for vegetarians like myself, is a godsend. Add to that the fact that it tastes great! The plant itself is an annual that grows about 4 feet high, the top of which sprouts a cluster of seed at the end of the growing season. Supposedly it grows well in much of the U.S., so I figured I might give it a try.

Tomatoes soaking up the late afternoon light