Fat rain

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIIS EVENING TO 1 PM AKDT SATURDAY...

.TODAY...RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN AND SNOW IN THE

AFTERNOON. NO SNOW ACCUMULATION. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 40S. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 25 MPH BECOMING LIGHT BY LATE MORNING.

.TONIGHT...SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATION UP TO 2 INCHES EXCEPT 2 TO 4 INCHES NEAR HATCHER PASS. LOWS AROUND 30. LIGHT WINDS.

That's the forecast Southcentral Alaska woke up to this morning.  It is MAY 17 for crying out loud and even here this is a late snow.

So of course it was a day errands had to be run, including irony of ironies, collected a snowmachine from the repair shop 20 miles away AND buy materials to put gutters along the eaves.  Seems like convoluted connections like that are going to lead to convoluted experiences.  The salesman at the hardware store thought it was great fun that I chose to put up gutters on the day we have had the first precipitation in some time. 

On the way home the signs hit the windshield.  I call it fat rain.  As raindrops approach a temperature that would support snow, they hit the windshield and cling to it maintaining their splattter shape for a moment, sort of halfway between rain and snow, wanting to freeze but it is just not quite cold enough yet.  So, the Jeep and I fought our way through the fat rain and reached home without encountering any snow. 

Two hours later the ground had a good dusting with a healthy snowfall adding to it.

Most of these plants are tomatoes, the tall narrow leaves are on plants I
grew from bulbs but I forgot what they are. Snow falling outside.

That would be all right if it weren't for the jungle I am supporting in my south-facing windows.  I have tomato plants more than two feet tall,  bean plants that will take hours of work to untangle them from each other and one bulb-based flower that has grown as high as the top of the window.  Its leaves are in the background to the left of center in the photograph.

It will have to be at least two more weeks before I can plant them outside so more repotting, adjusting, even experimenting to try to save the garden.  Today I even cut back one tomato plant to see if it might bush out, and slow down its growth.

Fortunate in one respect, for me anyway.  Last week scientists reported for the first time in human history the amount of CO2 in the air had risen past 400 parts per million.  Given all the plants in the house, I figure I have an oxygen-rich atmosphere while everyone else is breathing air with a combination of elements changed to their detriment.