It seems spring has actually sprung. It’s remarkable how much growth has happened in plant world in just a week’s time.

Daffodils have opened up everywhere. A trip up North Road is enjoyable. The antique gas pump is once again photo-worthy.

The buds on spirea have the beginnings of tiny leaves. My peonies have broken ground and the Virginia bluebells are up more than two inches.

The hellebores are making an effort to recover from their near-demise during the below-zero cold snap a while back.

The hyacinths are just about to bloom. This is the third or fourth year since I planted them and already the flower stem is much smaller. I don’t know if they make it more than 10 years. Like all tulips, with the exception of Darwins, they could be treated as annuals.

I am increasingly fond of witch hazels. They have been in full bloom for more than a month. Not many spring bloomers can top that.

One year during the peak tulip bloom, we had a 90-degree day. They lasted all of three days. Like me, they hate 90s.

The greenhouse is bursting its seams. I put the flats of onions and spinach outside in a protected location but without cover. I hope to move them into a couple of beds this week. They have lived through a couple of freezes in the greenhouse and should be sufficiently hardy. Plus, I need to reuse the flats.

I started peas in plug trays but not on the propagating mats. They took three weeks to come up. I have the best results when peas are started like this: open ground just begs crows, rabbits and who knows what all to munch the just-emerging shoots.

It’s a running conversation and point of pride to be the first to plant peas. In my experience, no matter when it happens, you still have them table-ready by the Fourth of July.

Fall-planted garlic is up about four inches even though buried under a thick layer of hay.

Winter rye is coming right along. I experimented this past fall and planted it on top of a thick hay mulch. I’m going to flip the flakes of hay over soon as the lazy woman’s method of tilling it in. We’ll keep you posted.

I noticed that both Ghost Island and Beetlebung farms have nice greens for sale at down-Island Cronig’s.

The hens are doing their best work. The advancing light has egg production at an all-time high. Guess I should get busy and pop some quiches in the fridge. There are lots of “I oughta” lately.

Trump’s so-called “coincidental” rally held on the 30th anniversary of the FBI raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Tex. reveals once again the treasonous white supremacist he really is. The retaliation for that event culminated in the Oklahoma City bombing. His victimhood and cowardice is going to end badly for the rest of us.

I was going to continue this commentary until the breaking news of yet another school shooting. I’m so sick of thoughts and prayers instead of any sort of action besides more “good” guys with guns. The state of Tennessee allows open-carry permitless gun toting. Imagine standing in line at Cronig’s behind people slinging shotguns.

I’m not against guns. I have them. Come on, Congress: do something that makes some sense. Maybe some background checks nationwide — or even basic training like for — oh you know — driving a car.

Back to thoughts and prayers. I’m reminded of the old woodcut of two men in a boat with the caption “Pray to God, but row towards shore.”