May Day

It's the first of May, terribly windy and may reach 90 degrees today. Welcome to Kansas.

This is me in my gardening regalia, straw hat, long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans and gloves. Wise farmers, too, wear long-sleeved shirts to work outside in this state. The cloth shades your arms, protects from mosquitoes, prevents sun burn, and is cooling when the wind evaporates your sweat. It's all about the wind. ...all about the wind here.

I own no less than 5 straw hats, each suited for different functions. This is my windy day hat because it fits tight to my head.

And blue jeans...the ones in this picture are my favorite pair, faded blue, button-downs, a bit too large which lets me bend and work.

Gloves. I'm wearing a blue cloth pair here because I was doing light work, but I usually wear a green and black pair at $22 each + shipping from Smith & Hawken. Gloves are my primary tool in the garden. I weed, dig, scoop, haul and basically DO everything with my gloves. The Smith & Hawken pair I've discovered have all the features I find so essential. There's a soft patch of fabric along the thumb with which I can wipe sweat from my face, reinforced fingertips (very important) and ventilation across the back. They also have a velcro closure to fit snugly around my wrists so soil and insects don't slip down into the gloves (which is awfully annoying). I buy two each season.