Springing In The Rain

Day 182: The garden is convinced it's spring, but I have some reservations. As I look out the window toward the Mountain (toward where the Mountain ought to be, anyway), I am seeing fresh snow on trees a mere thousand feet above. There is a decided nip in the air, one which keeps me from any thoughts of smoothing out the soil in the Currant Extension so that I can lay landscape fabric (weed barrier) and mulch. The spirit is willing, anxious in fact, but for all the good wishing will do, the rakes and shovels will just have to stay in the garage for another few days. The "dream books" are dangerous; I've ordered a dwarf mulberry, figuring that small harvests of gooseberries, mulberries and currants can all go in the same jam kettle for the first few years until the bushes bear enough to make individual batches. Nasty weather notwithstanding, the blueberries, kiwis and raspberries are starting to leaf out. Two tomato plants (Oregon Spring and Sungold) will be playing in-again-out-again-Finnegan from porch to kitchen until I'm sure Jack Frost is gone for good.