There’s a seemingly endless supply of life’s novel events. Our latest “first” occurred this past week when Ashland experienced a severe tempest that resulted in minor flooding around town. Winds, rainfall, hail, and associated flooding were of a magnitude that few had any recollections of in recent history. At least those we’ve met during our 18+ years in Ashland. What is particularly interesting is how the most damage occurred in our immediate neighborhood; other parts of Ashland reported minor showers and ho-hum winds. Ah, the wrath of nature.
The hail that covered our yard were the size of small marbles, and the huge raindrops that preceded the hail should have triggered diversionary behavior in our garden. Had I covered the melon plant the leaves would have been spared the shredding caused by the hail. Whether the 15 cantaloupes ripening on the vine were permanently damaged is yet to be determined. It’s particularly interesting how certain leaves were more susceptible to the ripping hail than others; the squashes and melons really took a beating. So did the ornamental cherry out front, but nothing serious. The persimmon, on the other hand, has a far denser leaf and suffered no ill-consequences. Ditto the nashi, apples, peppers, and eggplant.