Plum Blossoms Persevere

Yesterday these were coated in ice.  Today they appear unscathed.  Perhaps we'll have plums. 

If we can keep the squirrels from eating them all.

Scum of the Earth, Artistically Speaking

 

Naturally occurring scum and foam form on the creek.  This one spot, above a big log jam of flotsam and jetsam, is a particular favorite.  It's constantly changing, sometimes a mat as above, of blobs and accordion folds of brown and white.  Other times like an elaborate tapestry woven of leaves and pine needles pressed between foamy warp and woof.  And then, after heavy rain breaks it apart and clears it out, more like a swirling galaxy as the raft forms again.  

I've been known to stand for extended periods meditating on this eddy of foam.  Observing the way the current moves the creamy froth, rafts crashing into other patches, gathering together like Pangaea, then breaking apart and floating out to form new continents.

The other day I spied this perfect tiny circle.  A pine needle pared the edge as the sphere of foam spun in its miniature universe. The creek is different every day and such a glorious distraction and entertainment.

This week I heard a kingfisher chatter as it flew down the corridor.  A great blue heron lumbered up out of the shallows where it was fishing, so much effort to raise that long-limbed form from a stand still, I felt bad about scaring it off.

No walk today - more crap weather. The dreaded "wintry mix" rain, snow, sleet, ick.  Cold.  It was 78 on Saturday, the plums and cherries are totally confused, beginning to open their flower buds.  Hopefully they won't get nipped.  Tomorrow more of the same.  Enough already.  I want spring!

The power was out for several hours this evening.  When it got dark we bailed and went out to supper, fortunately the juice was flowing again when we got home. We are SO dependent.

Must be March

  Trout lilies are open down along the creek

First Hepatica reveal their hairy buds

Signs of spring are all around; bulbs blooming, buds fattening, birds singing.

High water from heavy rains last week scoured the leaves from the creek trails and left a slake of mud.  Now when I walk I can see the tracks of all those who use these trails; deer, raccoon, human, dog.

I flushed four wood ducks on the creek this morning, they are skittish, hard to sneak up on. They remind me it's time to start taking my binoculars with me when I walk.

 

Spectacular drifts of daffodils in the Tilley's creek bottom. 

Remnants from an old farmstead or washed downstream ages ago

Allergies are killing me, not sure from what but guessing cedars that are orange with pollen from the early warmth.  Yesterday was 78, tomorrow will be 40's with a low of 22, these mercurial shifts are hard on things.

On Monday I worked all day to plant seeds of radish, lettuce, spinach, beets, carrots, kale, choi's, tatsoi, cress, arugula, cilantro.  In a few weeks the salad bowl with be overflowing! At the same time I am harvesting spinach, kale and lettuce planted in the fall still thriving.  Dug a huge bowl of carrots too.

I also set out broccoli and cabbage plants.  Just now I covered the tender little plants with hoops and remay to protect from tonight and tomorrows cold and heavy wind and rain.

In the bedroom grow lights above and warming mats below the flats of tiny tomatoes and yet to emerge peppers.  In the living room more flats of herbs and flowers.  On the kitchen table and scattered in my office, packets of seeds, planting charts, sacks of seed potatoes.

Must be March.

Lately

Snippets of spring appear here and there, a primrose, a crocus, the prunus mume in bloom and smelling like cinnamon.  Then it snows, or it sleets, or the temperature plunges back into the teens.  I have faith that spring will eventually arrive in earnest.  And so I get out there and face a scenario like this one:

 

A bit daunting but I got it done.  240 onion plants are now tucked into those long furrows.  It was timely that the plants arrived on the day we pulled the last of the onions out of storage.  They were looking a little worse for wear, the outside layer mushy, the center sprouting a green tip, but still edible and a good addition to that nights supper.

The days have included many walks along the streams and through the woods, taking in the clear skies and sunlight sparkling on babbling waters.   I love winter walking, no sweat, no bugs.  I vowed at the new year that I would attempt to make a daily pilgrimage to what I call the "Church of the Woods".  I've not been entirely successful but I have managed to get out most days, even if just to make the trek to the mailbox and take in the sky and pastures.  

And for you bird watchers out there.  I did make the trip with brother Chris to see the snowy owls at Ocracoke.   And we did, despite high winds, rain, cold and other impediments, finally get to the island.  And yes, we did get a very nice, if fleeting look at a real, live, big white and brown snowy owl.  Before over eager others scared it to flight.  Darn them.  And a second look, before it was scared again.  Oh well. Everyone wanted to see it. For a full trip report hop on over to Slow Birding for Chris's version and a couple of good photos.  This little Casper above is a stone I found in the Current river last summer that spoke "owl" to me, so I carried it home for the collection.

Here's hoping March will get more hospitable soon.

PS- I just searched for onions on the blog to include a link above and realized I am officially an onion geek, there are about 10 or 12 posts related to onions on this blog!  So I'll spare you. Search for yourself if you are an onion geek too.

Snow Day, Snow Play

Ice coating the coral bark maple and ample wood still piled high to keep us warm.  This was yesterday before the second round of snow passed by.

It's been lovely.  All whiteness and glitter.  

I know there were many that got caught out in their cars or lost power and I feel sorry for them. I was happy to get back home just as the flakes started to fly on Wednesday afternoon. We filled lots of water jugs and the bathtub too, but thankfully never lost our power.   We just hunkered down and did not go out again until this morning.   

Today the sun was bright and it was warmer and I said to David "we gotta get out there before it melts"  So we pulled on our long johns and coats, grabbed the sled and went out to explore and play. 

It was a happy valentines day to laugh and play in the snow together.  Here we are having just made several successful sled runs, the best of the day.  Nothing like rolling off the sled and sprawling in the snow to take you back to your childhood.  

The bare branches reached up above us into the clear blue sky.

I did have a close call on this too steep hill when I crashed face first into the brambles.  Fortunately, other than a few thorns in my forehead and ears, ouch, I was unscathed.  We're both complaining of a bit of soreness under the ribs from riding double decker.  Not as flexible as we were in our youth, but still determined to get out there and have some fun!

Its been a treat to be able to just be home, working on this and that, plenty of food in the house and not worry about having to go anywhere.

Tomorrow I am heading to the coast with my brother Chris to try and see the snowy owls on Ocracoke, hopefully the weather will cooperate.  It will be an adventure no matter what, always is with him.

Lucky New Year

Lucky New Years Day Dinner

This is the classic meal for New Years Day.  The collards represent paper money, the black-eyed peas the coins. We rounded it out with a sweet potato and a beautiful corn pone baked in the cast-iron skillet.  Tasty and healthy.  Plus, the peas, collards, onions and sweet potatoes all came from our garden.

2013 was a very good year. I hope that 2014 will be even better.

Looking back at my goals for 2013, I actually managed to achieve the big things I had set out to do.  I completed my certificate in Environmental Education. I completed the Playful Pedagogy training at the NC Zoo.  I kept working with community gardens and rounded out a good year at the Growing Healthy Kids garden in Carrboro.

My favorite work was with several child care centers doing outdoor learning and nature education.  I expanded my skills in that area of work and continued a solid relationship with Spanish for Fun.  In 2014, I will be launching my new business; Playful Nature Consulting.  I'm excited and already have classes and workshops lined up over the next few months.  Be watching here for more on the new business, I'm working on the website now and hope to have it launched sometime in January.

That is one of the reasons I've been absent from this page.  Very busy lining up new work and getting things rolling.  But also I've been trying to get my life re-organized and ready to go for the new year.

David built this carefully crafted, beautiful and very functional library style ladder for my birthday.  It has been awesome and helped me use the space on top of my closet for storage of things I don't need to get to that often.  Once I got things up top (like 15 boxes of photographs, the family memorabilia) I was able to rearrange the inside of the closet for things I use a lot like office supplies and my EE materials.

I spent Thanksgiving changing my office from this:

 

Into a space I can actually work in again!  So progress is happening and I'm looking forward to the future.

And here's hoping our lucky dinner tonight will keep some green rolling into the coffers in 2014!

I wish you all a very happy new year, thanks for reading.

Foxey Persuasion

It's taken him a year, but I think she's slowly succumbing to his charms.