Salad Days

When the mud dries (no dust to settle here) and the NOAA tabulates the amount of rain we've had the last several months, I have to believe it will set some sort of record. July, typically a very dry month in Maine, has had rain and thunderstorms for more than half the time since the month began.
This may be bad for sales at concession stands near beaches, for ticket sales to whale watching cruises, and for canoe rentals, but it's been just great for the lettuce.
We have about eight varieties of lettuce in the garden, which this time of year might be expected to be wilting under the glare of relentless summer sun and heat. Instead, the lettuces are running rampant, turning into Salad Jungle, even in some cases choking out the weeds. Red Oak, Green Oak, leafy, speckled, broad leafed, curly-- all the varieties are doing well, and it's a matter of moments to step out and pick a salad bowl full every night right before dinner.
The lettuce has to be washed pretty well, lest grit form too great a percentage of the meal, but that's a small price to pay for such beautiful, fresh salad.
This is our first foray into serious salad raising, and it's gone so well, that we're planning to expand the salad section of the garden by 100% next year.