It is late morning and the in-house chores are complete. It appears that the rains forecast for today will arrive before the lawn will be freed from last night's dew. This guesstimate rules out the task of mowing the lawn at least for today. With some free time on my hands and more out of a need for remembrance, I have decided to attempt a blog entry--the first in some time. But I don't have to tell you that.

Yesterday, I learned that Gene Logsdon passed away on May 31st. Gene has written a weekly blog under the title of "The Contrary Farmer" for several years with a new entry appearing on Wednesday of each week. I have followed this blog for a few years. It has been an entertaining, informative, and thought provoking read. I figured any author, who can convince a mainstream publisher to publish a book titled Holy Shit, is worth reading on that basis alone.

Gene's last blog entry was posted on May 25th and was on the topic of gardening in the nude and rhubarb. One or both of these subjects has to rank up there in the top ten of tombstone epitaphs. I am sure neither will appear on Mr. Logsdon's tombstone, but they can be marked as the man's last words in the e-edition.

Yesterday in Gene's memory, I cooked up a small batch of rhubarb sauce, transplanted Marigolds and a single parsley plant in the flower bed, and made up a few pots of Impatiens to add a bit of color to the deck. Let me assure you that I kept my clothes on while completing these tasks. Remembrance or not, the urge to disrobe was not a part of this ritual event. Just in case, there is a gardener or two out there, who reads this entry, the flower bed has full sun and the deck has full shade. This should explain my choice of cultivars.

I have a neighbor, who writes a weekly column for the local paper. His column appears on Thursday having been submitted to the editor early in the week. This week's topic was rhubarb. There was no mention of nudity or clothing, so I will assume that all the actors cited by Howard were fully clothed and not harmed in anyway in the making of this week's column.

I am looking forward to Michael Perry's column in next week's edition of the Wisconsin State Journal. I suspect that he will also have something to say on Gene Logsdon passing. His comments will be far better crafted than mine. I am sure he will fold a bit of wry or not so wry humor into a more serious note.