Thankful for Green Shoots and Tart Rhubarb

I planted sugar snap peas today. Last year I planted them on April 4th, so I am not as late as I thought. Although my blog friend Ken at art, birds, nature has 2-3 inch snow peas. He is a little farther south in Philly. We both commented that taking pleasure in spring flowers and early migrants and green things in the garden feels that much more important and thankful today. I like to think that I planted 179 peas -- for the three people killed and the 176 injured in yesterday's bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon. Small, tender shoots will spout from these seeds and in time sweet peas will hang from the long tendrils. This is what I want to think about today, something tender and sweet.

The days are getting warmer, although a cold wind seems to blow through almost daily. The Reemay remains over the low hoops in the garden, protecting the spinach and Swiss chard and arugula. I'll take some pictures of their lush and leafy growth. We have harvested several batches of spinach. I'm sure I have already mentioned how stunningly delicious it is, just fresh in a salad. The arugula is next on the menu.

The rhubarb finally emerged. I thought I had lost some to winter. But there it is, the crinkled leaves nearly three inches high already. I will savor the taste when I bake my first fresh rhubarb pie of the year, one slightly sweet and slightly tart. Just right for spring.

Our stack of cord wood has dwindled, although we still have some left from the three cords of firewood that we bought in December. The wood stove kept us warm during the cold winter days and breaks the chill on these still cold spring mornings. But the fires are smaller and fewer and we are looking ahead to sunshine and barbecues and bike rides and long hikes with Kodi and Henna. For all that we are thankful.