Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Weed Appreciation Day



March is going out like a lion, not a lamb. Colder than normal, wet and windy in the lowlands, with snow still piling up in the mountains.  They haven't even started clearing the North Cascades Highway, which usually takes about a month. 

Today looks dry, so I'm headed to Vashon for a last ride on Moe. His owner decided to move him to a kid's horse camp on the island where her daughter will be working this summer.  It's kind of a bummer losing his lease just when nice weather is finally coming.  But so it goes...I'm fond of the old guy, but there might be another trail horse available at the barn this summer. April is going to be a very busy month anyway, so I won't have much time for riding.



Despite the chill, the garden is bursting with bulbs and new growth (weeds.) The pink clematis looks beautiful from the kitchen window.  These vines are rampant, but for all I care it can go ahead and cover the entire shed. We had one right outside the back door for years but it finally died. It was always dripping on us and I didn't like climbing up the arbor to prune it.

Today is Weed Appreciation Day.  What is a weed, anyway?  Once upon a time, the first dandelion salad with hot bacon dressing was highly anticipated, a Pennsylvania Dutch classic. A great balance of bitter and sweet, salty and savory.  You can find all sorts of gussied up recipes on the Internet with egg and dried cranberries, but ours was simple. It was so special, I remember eating it as the main course.  And quite a bit of work for the cook, to dig, wash and cook the "weeds."


"Weeds are flowers, too. Once you get to know them."
A.A. Milne

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