Happily Squishing Through The Garden

We had more heavy rain last night. There's a dense fog warning for our area this morning, and it's dreary and super-damp out there . . . and wonderful!

Our fire danger has been downgraded from EXTREME to MODERATE which is the best news we've had in a long time.

I couldn't resist pulling on boots and taking a short walk around the garden area first thing this morning.

We seeded our pumpkin patch (which I've decided not to plant in this year) with a green manure crop of barley and wheat earlier this week. Now it's totally soaked and those little seeds should start sprouting like gang busters.

I may be hallucinating, but it looks to me like my rhubarb grew about 6" overnight. I can hardly wait to pick and use those first luscious ruby red stalks.

This rain-drenched bleeding heart plant is now well on its way to putting out lovely blossoms.

Before the rains arrived, I had about half the strawberry patch cleaned of winter debris and early weeds. Gotta admit it was like shoving my trowel into cement trying to get out the weeds. Now finishing the last half should be so, so easy working in the moist earth.

I realize these pictures probably aren't all that interesting, but I am just so thrilled to see the ground absolutely soaked with the oh-so-welcome rain that everything looks beautiful to me. Rain is being called for all through the coming week, and we'll be happy to take whatever else comes our way in spring showers.

For the time being at least (and hopefully all the way through until snow blankets the ground this winter), we can stop checking the fire maps and anxiously sniffing the air because our over-active imaginations have been rampant with the fear of smoke and uncontrollable forest fire.

Whew! We are SO thankful the rains finally came!