Postcards from Quarantine
The storm will pass…
Winter weary
Here’s the story… It’s April 20th and it’s still snowing in my neck of the woods. Not flurries, but measurable S.N.O.W. Enough snow that school was delayed. Enough snow to cover the green spring grass. Enough snow that the animals said screw this sh*t and wouldn’t come out of the barn today. April has been a…
Planting shallots
Shallots can be planted in the spring or fall. They require a dormant period of about 4 weeks right after planting with temperatures between 32 – 50 degrees. The the cool ground helps the formation of good bulbs. Fall planting should be done 4-6 weeks before the first freeze of the season. Fall planting yields…
Legend of the onion snow
In the dark ages (before the internet), the old timers would use nature’s calendar to know when to plant and harvest. Since they had no such luxury as a seven day forecast, they took cues from their surroundings to predict the weather. If the cows laid down in the field during the day, it meant…
The sap is running
In my neck of the woods, February thru April is maple syrup time. During these months, the sap will start to flow only with the perfect mix of temperatures. Somewhere between the icy grip of winter and the warm breezes of early spring. A hundred years ago, the woods would be dotted with wooden or…
WPC: harmony (twitter)
Dozens of cedar waxwings made a playground in the ornamental crabapple tree outside my kitchen window. They twittered away in harmony, bouncing from branch to branch, stopping every so often to pick the small, dried fruit.
WPC: state of mind (hopeful)
Mother Nature continues to hem-and-haw about what season it should be – even though the calendar clearly states that is it February. The past few days, again, have been a mix of sleet, freezing rain, and snow followed by an un-seasonal warm-up. Every creature and plant in this area has been in a state of…
Spring refuses to arrive
Yesterday was officially the first day of spring. Instead of being heralded with the arrival of geese and a crocuses poking through the thawing snow, we patiently sat through another winter snow storm. Having contracted an EXTREME case of cabin fever, I felt the only cure to my ailment was to lace up my winter…
The Farmers in the Dell 