Peppers in Vermont Shiver Tonight

 Sweet lord it is cold out here

why oh why did we move to Vermont

it was so nice and warm down on the farm out west

next to dear old dad Hot Pepper 

and uncle Lemon and aunt Cantaloupe

and cuzin' Orange and Tangerine.

It's a wonder the orioles who followed us here survive

perhaps not if not for the sweet seven fruit jelly over yonder.

They say spring arrived some weeks ago

and some days I dare say it felt like home

but last night so chilled me 

I was nearly bestrewn with crystal tears.

What is this magic line called Memorial day

where they remember and honor the war dead

and never plant before?

I shall wear this bag over my head

until the parade passes by

and ne'er again shall I rise up 

to this faux promise of sun, Vermont calls spring

but remain in a shroud 

until the bugle finishes the last round of taps.

We will remember this cold day

to honor those who did not make it

and for those who did

our roots, here in Vermont will grow strong

and we will flourish as a family once again. 

                                              HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

                                                              Bernie

Postscript from Maeve on May29, "Good morning, all – Another chilly morning! We started all of our garden (not just the early plants) before Memorial Day this year, for the first time ever, and now the whole yard looks like it’s full of some sort of weird Hallowe’en decorations, with white sheets and huge tan paper leaf bags and black garbage bags over every single tomato, pepper, squash, cuke, and melon plant. Everything seemed to make it well through yesterday morning’s 33 degrees though!

PPS Post Postscript: Sept 5 we now have harvested about 130 peppers with much more ripening up.  HOORAH! We determined that by raising the pots off the ground by placing them on concrete blocks or better yet, platforms made by placing pallets on top of concrete blocks, we had far fewer earwigs and slugs/snail fruit damage.