My garden seeds have all arrived. Some, like the tomatoes, I have already planted inside; they are about two inches tall and getting spindly.

We need some sun!

Unfortunately, the rain keeps coming, and there has been little break in the cloud cover.

I am considering buying one of the grow lights to help my indoor plantings.

With some help from a friend, my rototiller is ready to go. I had to get a new fuel pump, which was hard to find.

Then, it was not like the original, and we had to do some extra work to get it to fit and replace the parts around it. While we had it off, we noticed a small crack in the gas tank. Patched it. I purchased some new gas line to replace the old, which was starting to look bad. Of course, the battery was dead, and when I checked, it had one cell, which was corroded inside. So, I bought a new one. When I took the battery clamp off, it fell apart, so now the battery is held on by a bungee cord until I can get it fixed properly.

Fortunately, when I turned the key it started immediately.

Unfortunately, my garden is under standing water right now.

Of course, long before I was ready, the grass was ready to mow. I had to get the riding mower and the small self- propelled mower out of the shed.

But, first, everything I had stacked on top of them over the winter had to be removed. I changed the oil and put on a new pair of blades I had purchased last fall.

I hooked the battery charger up, and several hours later, I turned the key.

It started right up.

Next, I tried to start the little mower, which I use to trim. It had been six months, so I knew I would have trouble with it. It is a pull start.

I gassed it up, checked the oil, primed it and pulled the cord. It started on the first pull.

The next day, I went out to use it again to finish what I had missed earlier. The pull cord was chewed in half.

Apparently our new puppy likes to chew on ropes (and everything else)! Another repair job was added to my list.

The UPS man delivered a package to me recently. It was the two Dunstan Chestnut trees I ordered. They were supposed to arrive in late April, and I wasn’t expecting them two weeks early.

It finally stopped raining enough to dig a couple holes and get them into the ground. I staked them up and placed guards around them to discourage the rabbits and other critters from tasting them. They say in three to five years, I should be picking chestnuts.

I need to get my boots on and wade through the water in my garden to reach the bucket I have buried in the far corner. The water drains to this corner, and I drop a submersible pump in the bucket to pump the water out. I attach three lengths of hose and stretch it out to the field behind me, where there is a field drain. I dig a trench along the edge of the garden to help run the water to the low corner. Usually, I have my equipment all ready to go and I just plug in the pump, but this year I am behind, so there is two or three inches of water standing now.

While reading the newspaper recently, I saw an ad for an Earthway Garden Seeder. They are usually about $130, and these were on sale for $85. The closest store was in Marion, so I called to make sure they were in stock before driving up there. I was told they were on order but they didn’t have any in the store. They wouldn’t give me a rain check over the phone. So I called Wabash, where the next store was. They also had the item on order but none available at this time. They did say they would call me when they arrived. That was three weeks ago. No call.

A friend heard I was looking for one and told me he had an old one in his barn he would give me. I figured it would take major repair to get it working, but I said I would take it.

He delivered it the next day, and other than being dusty, it almost looked like new. Even the cardboard box the seed plates are in was in good shape.

Now, I can plant my bean, corn, pea and other seeds without bending over.

My garden is ready, except for Mother Nature’s help. I need some decent weather and sunshine to dry the ground. Then, get the garden tilled and start planting. Usually, I can’t start doing this until mid or sometimes late May.

Fortunately, I have two small gardens (one raised) and several planters where I start some early items. My large one (2,500 square feet) is fine for later plantings such as beans, gourds, pumpkins and a few other things.

My mother-in-law used to tell me I was wasting my time when I could buy all these vegetables in the store and wouldn’t have to do all the work. She was right, but it’s my time, and I can waste it however I want.