Snow snow snow snow

It's wonderful to have the day off and be inside enjoying a snowfall. And today I got to do just that!

My DH took care of all of the details so the only thing I had to do was make a nice hot dinner (borek), knit as much as I wanted (socks) and look out the window at the snow.

It's so much prettier when you don't have to shovel it!

Returning Light

One of the hardest things about commuting from country to city each day is living in darkness for about 8 months out of the year. I leave for work in the dark and come home in the dark.

This is why I love the weekend! Well, that and the usual reasons for loving the weekend.

But today I noticed then beginning of lightness as I was boarding the train on my way home. I could see a little blue in the sky. There was definitely a bit of light remaining.

It wasn't much, but I'll take it! It's the start of what will eventually be Spring.

Weather Math

Here's the question.  What does 79 minus 42 equal?  Answer: 1 winter coat, 1 scarf, 1 sweater, 1 hat and a pair of mittens.  

On this last day of winter, I left for work bundled up from head to toe in warm winter garb.  But!  Since I work in Manhattan it was much warmer by the time I got down to the city, the temperature difference at this time of year is about 40-degrees.  Today it was a 37-degree difference.

So while I enjoyed walking around outside all day without a coat or even a sweater, I still had to lug my winter clothes back across town to the train and then layer them on to get to the truck once I got upstate.

I've been commuting a few years now, but this strange weather gap is something that I've never gotten used to.  I've been snowed in while my southern friends are picnicking at the park.  I've spent the day buried under blankets in front of a wood stove, they've spent it in shorts and T-shirts in front of a barbecue.  It is the time of year when I really feel as though I live on a different planet from where I work.

This year, again no complaints here as I am not still living in an arctic icebox, but still it seems strange to go to work wearing mittens and then walk around without even a jacket once I'm there.

I'm just sayin'.

Growing Traditions

Aside from a delicious dinner of corned beef and cabbage, there is one other tradition that I always observe on St. Patrick's Day and it starts by cleaning up the remains of the Winter in a section of the parterre vegetable garden.  And yes, I know Spring has not yet sprung, but I am ever hopeful.

This space works best for the St. Patrick's Day gardening because it is has a corner column and I've also added some bamboo stakes to help hold up the plants-to-be.

I'm talking about peas, of course.  I don't know why it is tradition to plant peas on St. Patrick's Day.  Could it be because they're green?  Maybe because they have to go in early enough to start fruiting before the summer heat hits - they stop fruiting when it gets to be about 75-degrees.  But it is the official start to my gardening season.  Of course, the ones I planted a few years ago in a foot of snow didn't even have the decency to sprout let alone fruit, but this year's warm winter gives me high hopes for some pea pods in a few months.

The pea seeds are...well...they're dried up peas.  They don't seem much different to me than the dried up peas you  buy for pea soup - except maybe they're a bit bigger.

I like to lay them out on top of the soil first, just to make sure they are spread out enough.  Usually you would plant these in rows about 8-inches apart.  I plant mine 2-inches apart in rows that are 4-inches apart.  I absolutely overplant the space.  This does two things: it gives the weeds less room to grow in and it gives me the chance to pull any little runts out of the rows without lowering my potential crop yield.  (Crop yield! Look at me sounding all fancy-farmer-like!!)  

I follow the arc of the space so the peas will (hopefully) fill in the area without spilling over into the parterre pathways.  The clear spacing between the rows is also going to let me get in there to weed as well as let air move around the plants.  This will keep them healthy as they grow.

I used one of the bamboo stakes to push the peas down into the soil 1/2 to 1-inch.  It gives them just enough contact to coax the roots to grow, but not too deep that the leaves get lost on their way up to the surface.  Peas are a pretty little delicate plant, tiny little tendrils and all, so I don't think they'd make it if I buried them down much further.

The little indentations made during the pea planting will smooth out over the next week or so as it rains and the wind moves the bark and leaf bits on the top of the garden bed around.  Since I planted in arcs about 4-inches from the pathway towards the column, I'll know what is a pea seedling and what is a weed when things start sprouting up.  According to the package, on May 23rd, there will be peas ready for harvest.

So the only question I have left to answer is: was I gardening?

Based on the Knee Theory of Gardening, yes.  I was definitely gardening - even if it wasn't that much.

Spring is Coming

There's still 9 more days of winter left, but today it was all about Spring.  Everywhere I looked, there were the signs.

• The truck didn't have to be plugged in to keep it warm enough to start
• No mittens and scarf required this morning at the train platform
• Shocked looks on people's faces when they saw me in my winter coat (there's a 25-degree difference between where I live and where I work - and it's Spring, not Summer)
• Sparrows nesting and calling each other
• Daffodils in the park
• People strolling down the street and (get this!) smiling
• Stepping into the shade to cool down - on purpose
• Street vendors everywhere
• Sidewalk cafes were jam packed
• Rolled down windows on the drive home

It feels a lot like Spring and I'm going to enjoy it.  It's the best part too - no bugs!

(And no, I'm not planting anything yet.  Ever heard of an Easter snow?)

The (Hopefully) Last Snow of Winter

The pachysandra are harboring what is, hopefully, the last of the winter snow.  Those few little patches, more ice than snow now, are all that remain of last week's little surprise.

The snow does act as a reminder - stay off the lawn.  Until the ground firms up from all of the melting last week, walking on it feels like walking on a wet sponge - and every footstep just compresses the ground making it impossible for new grass to grow in the yard.

So if you aren't aware of this little 'stay off the grass until the ground firms up' rule, you'll end up with footprints of dead grass going right across your lawn.

Not that that ever happened to me.  Nope.  I deny it.  Never happened...

Bronze All Over

Just so you don't think I was seeing things with the arborvitae the other day, I thought I'd share this photo of our lavender azalea.  It's bronze.

It's actually more of a coppery bronze then the brassy arborvitae bronze.  But - it's bronze.

But see how the edges of the leaves look all full and shiny?  That is a sign that the bush is getting enough water and not wind burnt.  As long as there isn't any dull tannish dry brown, it's all good.

There were also a lot of buds on the azalea, so depending on how much wind we get, it should put on a nice show in a few weeks.

Azalea - turns bronze in the winter.  Who knew!?

Vitae Worries

Every year I worry about my little arborvitaes during the winter.  Okay, I obsess.  They turn bronze.

It gets dark, they get cold and they turn bronze.  And I panic.

Every year.

I ask my girlfriend gardening expert extraordinaire whatever shall I do!?!? My poor arborvitaes are turning bronze. I fear they won't last the winter!!!

And she goes through the same thing each and every time - which basically boils down to "they are what they are".

So today when I went out and looked at the arborvitae and saw just how bronze they were, I panicked.

I remembered that they are what they are. I took some deep breaths.  Then a few more.

Then I looked at how lovely the bronze looked as it contrasted with the bit of green in the center of the shrub.  And I noticed how it brought some life to the space especially when contrasted with the bit of snow on the ground.  Then I saw the contrast with the reddish bronze and the rhododendron's lime-green and I thought.

How lovely.

Then I came inside and googled why leaves turn bonze in winter.  But I didn't call my girlfriend this time!

Baby steps.

Evening Sky

Even though most of the day was spent indoors hiding from the bitterly cold winds, I made a quick trip over the mountain to the store.

The sun was just starting to think about setting.  The dark snow clouds were behind me.

It was just lovely to see the golds reflected in the fields and think about Spring.

Then a deer jumped out onto the road in front of me and I stopped taking pictures while driving.

No harm to the deer or me or the truck, but ... probably shouldn't take pictures when the sun is starting to think about setting.  That's the same time the deer are thinking about getting some dinner.

Snow Again

I learned something with this mornings not-so-little snowy surprise. Yes, the weatherman said there was no rain or snow by me, wrong again - thank you very much. But that wasn't what I learned.

I learned that when the schools are closed, they don't plow the roads.  It was a hard lesson!

I thought, maybe the plow would come any minute.  I saw headlights down the road "a piece". I waited, but no plow.  You couldn't see the surface of the road.  I just kind of guessed at where I thought a lane should go.  I figure I was only 10 or so feet off the mark!

Even with new tires and a heavy truck it was a slow and skidding drive to the train station.  

Only 2 of us made it there.  

Everyone else took the day off.

Yup.

Grey Day

It was a chilly grey day with winds whipping down the streets.  Mind you, I am so not complaining.  There were no snow storms, blizzards or ice storms.  So not complaining.

But it was a chilly November February day.  And what could be better on a day like today than...

A double-shot espresso and fresh biscotti.  Pretty much nothing.

Nice.

It's Coming!

Today I went searching for signs of Spring.  At first I was worried that it would go as well as my search for livestock last weekend, but I am happy to report that Spring is on its' way!  Even though the sedum is still hanging on to the rusty reds of Winter, there was a definite sighting of Spring here in the gardens.

The daffodils are starting to poke through the remains of the leaves from last Fall.  Their tips are a bit yellowed from the cold temps we've been having at night, but they are really doing well - don't you think?  Soon they'll be popping up all over the place.  Spring is coming!

And as if to prove that nice weather is planned for the weekend...

The cows are out in the fields today - just strolling around, munching on grass, enjoying the sun.

Daffodils.  Cows.  What more could a girl ask for?

Spruce

One of the best things about my office is that it looks out into one of the spruce trees in the yard.  These trees are huge.  Much taller than the house and if the pictures from the historical society are to be believed, much older than the house.

The thing I enjoy about these trees isn't the pinecones that fall like missiles from above (one managed to hit the ground and bury itself 1-foot down - glad it didn't hit anyone!).  It isn't the pollen that it sheds turning everything it touches yellow and dusty.

It's having that green during the winter - whenever I want it or just absolutely need a burst of deep evergreen green, I just look out the window and there it is.

It's like living in the tree canopy.  I like that - even though I frequently scare the heck out of the squirrels!

Where Is Everybody?

I haven't had a chance to just get outside and enjoy one of the best parts about living in the country for a week or so now, so today when the opportunity came knocking, I grabbed my truck keys and headed out the door.  I had a mission already in mind.  I was going to go see the cows.

I love watching the cows out in the fields grazing and resting.  Just hanging out with their friends, chewing cud.  Nothing much going on.  All calm and relaxed.  I know just the spot to get a good view.

No cows.  Well, it is snowing a little bit, maybe the geese will be in the field down the road.  I've been watching them come back from their winter vacation down south.

No geese. Okay.  How about those chickens that are always out next to the old barn?

No chickens.  The wild turkeys next to the tree line?

No turkeys.  Okay, I guess that is to be expected.  There doesn't look like there's much in the way of leftovers in this field.  There's another dairy farm down the road though.  Their cows might be out.

No even a crow.  Perhaps in the south pasture?

I know!  They are probably all down by the pond.  I see them there all the time when storms are coming through.  They must be there.

Alright.  No cows.  What about the sheep then?  They're always out.  They have built-in sweaters.  A little flurry or two isn't going to drive them inside.

Fine.  No sheep.  I'll just go see the horses.  They never go in before dark unless there's a lot of snow on the ground.

Maybe they went next door?

Am I the only one foolish enough to be outside today?

I guess so.  Time to go home for a nice cup of hot cocoa.  No cows, but the snow stopped and the sun is out.  Looks like it's going to be a good day to be outside after all - and they all missed it!

Sad Little Plow

So sad to see this little plow all alone in the rain.  He's just sitting there waiting for next winter.  Nothing to do now but sit there and rust.

I almost felt  sorry for this little guy when I spotted him hanging out at the edge of the parking lot.  Almost.

Then I remembered.  I remembered the years of snow.  The backbreaking shoveling.  Searching for cotter pins for the plow at 3a.m.  Freezing as pellets of ice swarmed around me, stinging every bare patch of skin.  And this little guy warmed up and zipping around the parking lot in all of his glory.  I remembered this.

So have no pity for the little plow at the edge of the parking lot.  His day will come again.  The Canadian winds will rip through my carefully constructed layers of warmth - chilling me to the bone.  Blizzards of snow will coat every surface, burying my truck and freezing the doors closed.

And this sad little plow will be happy again.

Footsteps in the Snow

This morning I was greeted by a carpet of snow.  Surprise!  Crunchy, slippery, heavy, wet snow.

It was great just hearing it crunch as I walked down the driveway to the truck.  Little footprints from nighttime visitors crisscrossed the patio explaining clearly why my puppy was so excited last night.  But now there was nothing but a still calm and the crunching snow underfoot.

There's no way I can possibly complain about 2 tiny little inches of snow in mid-January this year.  It was warmer than this weekend.  The snow slid off of the truck in big clumps.  No trees were falling.  No roofs needed shoveling off.  There's not enough to shovel - let alone plow.

There wasn't even enough to stick to the road for slush or ice.

I could get used to this.

Nature's Christmas Tree

The rain was coming down this morning.  By the time I got to the train station, it had let up and droplets were sparkling like diamonds on the branches of the trees and bushes - like nature's own Christmas tree lights.

You have to love Friday's, of course, because it means that tomorrow you can actually sleep until you want to get up.  Sometimes though, you only get to see beautiful things like this in the dark mornings of a cold and rainy winter day.

It reminds me to keep balance in my day and to cherish the little things.

Winter Flower Boxes

There are 20 flower boxes on the carriage house that need filling each season, so I'm always on the lookout for inspiration.  Luckily my walk to the office takes me past several apartment buildings where there are often great seasonal displays compliments of the great floral designers in Manhattan.

This particular building has both the large sidewalk planters as well as the smaller window boxes all decked out.  The thing I like about them is that they keep the year-round evergreen perennial bushes and just highlight the season's change with a simple addition of red berries, pinecones and a few fresh pine tree branches (to cover up where the pansies will go in spring).

The window box version doesn't have any bushes - it's way too small for that - so they add more pine branches and use bigger pinecones to tie the whole thing together.

We certainly have pine branches and pinecones growing on the property that we can use to decorate the window boxes, but we don't have any berry bushes that grow large enough berries to use in displays.  We have smaller red berries and holly bushes, but if I took those for decorating it would really cut down on the winter food supply for the birds.

Maybe this spring I'll find a pyracantha, callicarpa bodinieri or a nice viburnum that wants to come home with me.  I'll have to see which species fits with the history of the manor.  And we'll need to know if it would be a healthful additional to the food supply for all of the critters that eat everything we plant.

Plus, it will take a few years for it to get established enough to be able to harvest any berries for decoration.  And I'll have to learn how to prune it - which I always think of as amputating the limbs off of the plant.  I know, it's good for the plant and helps it grow strong.  But it still makes me cringe.  A lot.

At least if we grow the plants here, they won't be imprisoned...

I ask you - what could these plants have possibly done to deserve a life behind bars?

Warm Hearth, Warm Toes

We've been really lucky this winter because so far it hasn't been too cold.  That's changing now though - this week it was 2 overnight.  And no, I didn't miss a digit on that - it was 2 degrees.

Since we are still in the process of restoring our bucolic manor home, it still has the original insulation and an ancient heating system.  They both work equally well - on other words, they don't do much to keep out the cold.  One thing we do is close down most of the house so we only have to heat what is absolutely necessary.  But the rest of the place needs to at least be kept above freezing.

We do have a lot of trees here.  And some of them were downed during a summer storm a few years ago.  So we chopped them up into logs and let them "season" (dry out).  Now we have firewood!

Let me tell you, nothing beats a warm fire on a cold winter's night.  So for the next few weeks, we'll be heating the old fashioned way with wood stoves.

We start with a cleaned out stove.

Then add crumpled newspaper.

A layer of ripped up cardboard.

Some kindling - twigs and small branches and small bits of the logs that were pruned from the gardens.

And finally some split logs from our trees.

Close up the grate.

Light the newspaper layer.

Make sure it's going.

And close up the stove, just leaving the bottom cracked open for a good draught.

In about 5 minutes, the fire gets going and the cast iron wood stove heats up providing warmth that will last all night long.

Toasty warm!

We save the ashes and will use them instead of salt on the icy walkways this winter then whatever is left over we will take and work back into the soil in the gardens this spring.

Believe me when I tell you it is backbreaking labor to heat a house with wood.  If you have oil or electric  central heating, take a moment and rejoice!  

When we lived in Manhattan we had no control over the temperature in our apartment.  It isn't unusual to see windows open on the coldest bitter February days down in the city - some of the buildings are just that hot.

Up in the country, though, every window and door is shut tight, every gap filled in and layers of clothing go on before the fire is lit.  Heat is something we appreciate during the winter.  And we really appreciate those trees that came down and are keeping us warm this winter!

Wood stoves - they're a beautiful thing!