We were just gone 5 days, but being away from our garden for 5 days is like 5 weeks in California gardener's time.  Everything around here grows so fast when Mother Nature adds just a little bit of rain and some sunny days!  In just 5 days, the sweet peas and nasturtiums bloomed, the apple and pear trees exploded, the orange buds are showing their white and about to pop, a hollyhock appeared in the middle of a violet patch and a begonia appeared in the middle of the marjoram.   The peony buds are getting fat. The herb bed is bright green.  Today for lunch I think we'll have a baked potato with butter and lots of fresh chopped herbs.  I love herbs when they are young.  The daffodils, blooming magnolia and camellias are just past their prime and will very soon be replaced by the roses, wisteria and hydrangea.  And the weeds, there are a ton of those.  I see weeding in my future.  Lots and lots of weeding.  In the veggie patch the fennel, onions and garlic are doing so well.  In a few weeks or so we'll be planting our tomatoes!  Most likely we will plant a small garden.  With our drought and water shortage, they haven't exactly said we will have mandatory rationing but we try to do our bit anyway and will cut back.  So who knows if I'll be sharing many gardening posts this year?