Caitlyn and I had our lunch outside in the garden today, all informal and picnicky, perched on the stepping stones eating our sandwiches while Wasabi took in the sun. She wanted to know if it was popsicle time yet.

We've planted the peas. Caitlyn has her own "garden", a large planter where she's put in peas and hopes for corn. She helped plant the first of the lettuce seeds, carefully sprinkling then covering and watering. I have to keep her from over-watering the beds or from digging where we've planted. Til the seeds come up, it's just so hard to remember where they are!

The narcissus are up, and I've spotted the swellings that will be flowers in another week or so, especially if this warm weather keeps up (54 and sunny today). There's a crocus blooming in the front yard, and the hellebores are in fine form. I fear I've lost the fuchsia to the several freezes we had over the winter, but I am wantonly hoping that it will leaf back out as it continues to warm up. Same case for the hyssop in the backyard. But there are buds swelling on the blueberries, new growth coming up on the chives and some of the strawberries I thought hadn't survived last summer, and an abundance of leaf buds on all three fruit trees.

Hooray for spring!

We caucused (is that a word?) today. Caitlyn thought "the tacos" was much fun. She got to sit on parental shoulders, and there was lots of applause, one of her favorite things judging from the enthusiasm with which she stopped whatever she was doing and joined in whenever she heard some.

I'd never been to a caucus before. Maybe it was the elementary school gym we were in, but it felt a bit like a pep rally: that old-gym smell, barely audible instructions, inaudible speeches, spontaneous chants. I missed the cheerleaders' dance number, which was always the best part of those rallies in high school. At least this was a more productive gathering than a pep rally. Not being a popular person or a football fan in high school, I couldn't say if all the pep generated by rival chants of "Freshmen!" and "Seniors!" had any influence on the final score of the football game that weekend. As for the caucus, I can only pray that this rally was another step toward Hope and Change for this country.