The First Tilling

Tonight, we were able to give the garden its first tilling of the year. Each year it is different experience. The last two years, it was actually dry enough that some dust flew in the air behind the tiller's blades. There was not any dust this year! It was dry enough to till, but the turned up soil was still damp. The air was filled with the unmistakable smell of wet soil. Per normal, the far end from the gate was the driest, and the opposite end was quite wet, but with no standing water. It's always interesting to compare over the years on what date we are able to do the first tilling. Last year it was May 6th. In 2012 it was May 14th, in 2011 June 15th and in 2010 May 14th. So, this year's date of May 15th seems to be right around the average. Thank goodness it isn't in mid-June again!