We gave up and watered our garden over the weekend

I hate watering in the spring – any time really, but more so during what is supposed to be a rainy season – but as we were clearing up the area for our peppers, tomatoes and vining crops, puffs of dust rose every time rake or foot touched the soil.

I could almost hear the onions and peas that we planted more than a month ago slurping up the water.

Portland has had less than an inch of rain in May, instead of about 3.3 inches which is normal by this time of the month. Your established trees, shrubs and perennials can stand this month of dry weather, but your vegetable crops suffer and need help. We gave it to them.

Nancy and I are hose draggers. We have no irrigation system, but we do have good sprinklers. We have to sprinkle from four spots to water our entire vegetable garden, including the raspberries, strawberries, peach trees and asparagus. The blueberries are in a separate area out back, which we also watered.

A lot of gardeners have delayed watering this year because they make the mistake of believing weather forecasters. We have had rain forecast dozens of days this month and had no significant rain. The storms strayed south, they say. Oh, the showers just broke up before they hit the coast.

I wish I had a job where I could be wrong as frequently as weather forecasters.

The next rain is forecast for Saturday, the day of granddaughter Maeve's first communion, with a party following.

Now, that day I expect rain.

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