in mourning...

i am in mourning today.

a few weeks ago, i adopted over 130 herb and vegetable seeds. i bought them some high quality dirt and some peat pots for homes. i carefully planted basil, oregano, rosemary and cilantro, tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, and butternut squash, watermelons and peppers. i labeled them. i watered them and carried them out to the sunshine everyday and brought them into the warm house every night.

a few days ago, we saw our first sprout. then another and another. and soon, there was green everywhere. i was so excited. i couldn't resist checking for new life every time i passed by.

then, last night, i fell asleep on the couch. derek woke me up and i stumbled into bed, forgetting my adoptees on the back deck. i awakened and immediately realized my mistake. as i passed through the kitchen and saw the temperature on the weather station registered 31 outside, i braced myself for the worst.

i peered out and there was no frost, giving me a glimmer of hope. but, it was a different story when i pressed my finger against the little dirt homes. each one was frozen solid. all of my young sproutlings were frozen into little dirt popsicles last night.

when the dirt thaws, i'll replant. i know that's what my sproutlings would want.