Screw the weather, I'm starting early

Beginning in January, I check our PO box religiously, every morning, hoping to find my mail order seed packets. Today I totally scored - my one-ton pumpkin and 15-lb radish seeds came! I won't be able to start the pumpkin seeds until closer to May, since they love heat, but I'm going to throw a couple radish seeds in the greenhouse and see what happens. I'm secretly hoping it will get so big I'll have to ask Gene to take the greenhouse doors off just to get it outside. I also started my first round of seedlings two days ago, so now at night it looks like we have a grow op in our driveway. I love this time of year.

I'm ridiculously excited at the prospect of growing car-sized pumpkins this season. The seed packet (containing a scant five seeds, because what could a mere mortal do with 5,000 pounds of pumpkin?) came with - no exaggeration - a full two pages worth of growing instructions. The flyer was packed full of practical advice, including the admonishment to not grow your pumpkin within sight of the street, for fear somebody might steal it from you. To quote the company, "Unless you are prepared to sit and guard your pumpkin all night, it might be advisable to not have your plant visible from the street." They also suggested growing the pumpkin in a location that's accessible by pickup truck, so you can move it later. How cool is that? Between the pumpkin, the huge radishes, and the grow-your-own-sponges, this is shaping up to be the best year ever.

I was a little bit nervous going into the greenhouse to put the seed tray underneath the grow light, because I haven't seen Gertrude for a few days. Abigail's theory is she's lurking in the corner somewhere, sitting on a gigantic, pulsating egg sac. I'm hoping she's just taking advantage of the nice weather and hunting outside. It's also possible that my resident greenhouse frog ate her for dinner. It seems like she left in a hurry, since there's a wrapped up cricket still stuck in her web. Now I'm wondering if I should be worried about finding other spiders to bring into the greenhouse so that the frog doesn't starve. I think I've created a never-ending loop of catered snacks.