The Oregon weather gods sure are a cruel & perverse lot...Last
Saturday in the Eugene area it was an unseasonably balmy 84 degrees
here and this morning we awoke to 2 inches of snow. It only lasted
until noon...that was when the hail storms started. More nasty
weather predicted for the next few days with night time lows below
freezing.

So, the flats of seedlings I'd started to harden off on the deck have
been schlepped back into the garage, and are sharing space with nine
just sprouted trays of summer annuals (in 12 hour shifts under the
grow lights. Tote that barge, lift that bale). My little greenhouse is
filled to bursting and the rest of the tender outdoor plants have been
swathed in frost cloth.

I'm one of the lucky ones - the farmers here are really going to take
a bad hit. Fruit trees had just come into bloom when this hit and it
looks like some major crops like peaches and apples are going to be
badly impacted. Haven't spoken with friends with filbert orchards,
but if this bad patch of wintery weather hits them too, look for
hazelnut prices to climb - this area is one of the largest filbert
growing areas in the country.

Nancy T