Music Monday - Wild Mountain Thyme

As I've mentioned, it's decided to be spring in February here in the Pacific Northwest... (pictures taken yesterday, while it was still was).

Last week, we listened to Heather, which put me in mind of the Scottish folksong Wild Mountain Thyme. (My favorite recording is by Full Moon Ensemble but I don't see theirs on youtube, so I give you The High Kings version:)

..."we'll pull wild mountain thyme from among the blooming heather".....

Thyme overwinters, but the bulk of the rest of the herbs in the yard are coming up already...

(From top to bottom, right to left: parsley, elephant garlic, bronze fennel, comfrey, french sorrel, tarragon, chives, rhubarb (ok, not technically an herb..), and chervil. Not shown: sweet cicely, meadow sweet, garlic chives, sage, horehound, rue, catamint, marjoram, oregano, lavender, rosemary, lemon balm - and a few others that have not started coming up yet..)

The chickens are thrilled with all the growing things and warming soil to root for bugs in. (I've hoed the winter cover-crop I planted a bit, hoping that they'll continue to turn it for me - since I haven't had time to do it properly due to deadlines. Here's crossing fingers for poultry-driven garden labor!)

Vicarious Spring...

Since it's not happening *here*.... I'm going to post a bunch of pictures that I took in Butchart Gardens last month. And possibly (probably) gripe a bit.

We are having the overall coldest spring in 30 years.. Average temps are around 54 degrees, where normally the average is 68 degrees.

Whereas parts of the country are having record heat waves (including Amherst, MA, where I am headed in a few days), we are having the coldest first week of June since 1894....

(I might melt when I get there.... The sudden contrast in heat and humidity might do me in...)

Although the sunshine may do me good. The ongoing drizzly grey here is starting to become completely depressing. (Which I've already griped about on the food/garden blog I contribute to.)

In the meantime, I still have *loads* of things to do to prepare for my impending venture...

Plus help plan my daughter's 'sweet sixteen' birthday party-

-and my son's graduation from High School on Friday...

At least I won't have to worry too much about the yard and gardens while I'm gone - it's been terribly wet, and nothing is growing (including the weeds).

The chicken coop is finished - pending painting, and the chooks* will come 'home' on my return.

Gripe over. Here's hoping for sunshine and a bit of spring, before it officially becomes summer....

(* Term, courtesy of dinahmow)