It’s that time of year again!

The days are getting longer.

Everything is blooming.

Pollen is coating the cars.

And the blackberry vines are growing like mad.

I spent all day working in the garden this past Sunday.

After my fall in February that injured my back, I am in quite a bit of pain because of it.

I did my best to bend and lift properly.

It was just one of those days when I knew I needed to get as much done as I could. After all, the blackberry vines were trying to take over the strawberries.

And even though I wore gloves, I still ended up digging thorns out of my hands.

Was it worth it?

Ask me when I’ve made the first strawberry rhubarb crisp of the summer.

In the meantime, the blackberries are threatening the blueberries and need to be trimmed back, weeds are crowding the marionberries and black raspberries and lingonberries, and grass is outgrowing the tulips and roses.

And the hummingbirds are draining the feeders faster than I can fill them.

And the chicks are almost ready to go into the coop with the big chickens.

It’s going to be a busy summer.

But I don’t mind so much. I get to play in the dirt and help things grow.