If this isn't enough to tick off the Pope,

I don't know what is.

I highly recommend using straw as a mulch in the vegetable garden. Straw

• retains moisture
• modulates soil temperature
• decomposes, adding organic matter to the veggie plot
• inhibits weed growth
• allows for walking through a wet garden
• keeps fruit such as melon and squash "cleaner" 
• looks nice.

This is #2 Bermuda grass-- what's available in my area. It goes for $7-8/bale. 

That's about 1/3 of a bale that got blowed away.

And the thing that really ticks me off is that the wind storm didn't carry with it much rain here. If it had rained a good inch or two, I would have done a cost/benefit analysis and convinced myself I was in the black. But no. Tomorrow I'll have to rake up that slightly wet straw and put it back where it belongs.

Oh well. It's not like I have anything else to do tomorrow.