Do carrots have feelings?

Several weeks ago Leon told us we needed to thin out our carrots, and when I finally got around to doing it, I found it to be an unhappy task. Why do we (or maybe just me) project human feelings onto the plants growing in our gardens? I couldn't help but feel sorry for the little carrots as I yanked them prematurely from their warm earth. Ripped away from their carrot families. These are the sorts of ridiculous thoughts that ran through my head that day. Plus one more: the whole scene reminded me of Professor Sprout's class at Hogwart's, when Harry Potter and co. have to wear earmuffs as they handle young mandrake roots. (If you have a second, look into the ancient history of mandrakes. Quite interesting.)

The carrots that were spared my gloved grim reaper hands that day seem to be doing okay in our garden, and we'll harvest them soon. In case you're wondering, I'm pretty sure we planted our carrots at the wrong time of year, though they seem to have come through the summer just fine. FYI: LSU AgCenter's Vegetable Planting Guide says to plant them for a fall garden in September and October.