Battle Melons

After losing three entire 72-cell flats of seedlings this spring to the resident kitties (apparently seedlings make a luxurious bed upon which to nap), I had all but given up on starting any more seeds this year. I went out and bought tomato and pepper transplants. I bought a couple of cantaloupe plants. And then I realized that I had forgotten to start the Boule D'Or melon seeds I'd ordered from Baker Creek . I've really been looking forward to growing these melons. If you follow the link and scroll down the Baker Creek homepage, you'll see the photo of them that lured me in the catalog. Is that a gorgeous melon or what?

Surely, a melon such as that is worth hauling my disspirited seed starting self out of self-pity and into the seed room. Unfortunately, I don't have a seed room. So I shoved some stuff off the kitchen table (note to self: pick up stuff on floor), and planted exactly four seeds in two pots. But how to protect them from the kitties? Set them in a tank and give them helmets, of course. Four seedlings popped up within a couple days, and are going strong. Yesterday they were booted outside to harden off. Only the strong survive around here.