<p>Lots of yard work today: ferns to prune, blackberries and weeds to pull, naps under the midday sun. I recall making blackberry pies in Illinois and paying $15 for the primary ingredient – here the blackberry is an invasive weed.</p>

<p>We had some concerns about the health of some of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron">rhododendron</a> in the yard after this winter’s heavy <a href="/2008/12/21/snow-ski-lake/">snows</a>. Fear not, color have we!</p>