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getting through winter


As classes of all sorts get scheduled, rescheduled and postponed due to weather, and with the short days with less light, I often find January and February to be a forced pause.  Years like this convince me that I should get good at reading rain gauges and keeping track of the temperature.  It seems like we've had an usual amount of snow.  That should be good for our snow pack and seasonal runoff to fill creeks, lakes, basins, but we'll see what the spring brings.  In the meantime, I have been trying to tick off indoor chores and projects, and working on garden things.  

We have started a handful of seedlings:  basil, foxgloves, verbascum, lavender, rosemary, onions and something new to us, naranjilla.  We have varying levels of success.  The naranjilla did take a long time to germinate; I think we used 11 seeds, and we currently have five seedlings, some a couple weeks older than others!  We're still 12-14 weeks out from planting and I really had my hands full last year - although had plenty of great plants.  I'm working on getting some lettuce started now-ish since a lot of it is frost hardy; hoping to do better this year with layering planting, early crops in and then out and then late crops.  There's always learning.  

late May, 2022

I also started ranunculus corms!  Probably earlier than I should have; I watched this video from Garden Answer on starting ranunculus and now I have little pots of leaves sprouting all around the house.  Not sure when those will or can go out just yet, but since it's 10° F today, it won't be this week!  Hopefully I end up with something as lovely as the one pictured below, which I bought at the grocer's last year.  If so, I hope to keep track of the colors and dig them up for next year - I got a literal mixed bag!  


I've been trying to knit, trying to get to knitting; some days I love it and some days I wonder where all my knitting affinity has gone.  I don't know.  

I'm also reading - daily from the Bible, and otherwise, have given up on non-fiction for the moment but currently reading my third fiction book of the year.  Recommended by my nephew, it is Out From the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis.  I'm enjoying it more than I expected.  It's pretty far out, no pun intended, from what I usually read!  

What are you doing to get through the winter? 


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Comments

  1. GretchenJoannaFebruary 24, 2023 at 10:00 PM

    I'm reading the Space Trilogy, or Cosmic Trilogy, or Ransom Trilogy :-) also! It's very wintry here this week and I'm grateful to have a house and a woodstove and lots of good books for those days when I can stay home.

    That lettuce from last May is inspiring. I have lettuce seeds I failed to plant this week, but I'm sure they wouldn't have "done anything" until it warms up a bit anyway. February is very unpredictable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KarenFebruary 25, 2023 at 10:46 PM

      GretchenJoanna, thanks for your comment. I'll look forward to comparing notes with you about the Space Trilogy in future!
      Here in Colorado, now's the perfect time to get lettuce started. By the time it warms up a bit, they'll be ready to go out before most other things, will do better than in the warmer months when they bolt. I am hoping to start some every other week and this will allow for several kinds, also.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousMarch 26, 2023 at 3:13 PM

    Your photos are beautiful, once again! It sounds like you’re having a good spring. If your snowfall has been anything like Utah’s, you’ve had a great year. I’m hoping it will bring big relief for the drought!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 26, 2023 at 3:15 PM

    Not sure why I can’t enter who I am, but that last comment was from me. Thimbleanna. LOL

    ReplyDelete

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