Yesterday was the last warm day before the impending storm. John changed the burned out light bulbs in the patio garden area. We have pretty lanterns lining a pathway that loops around from the garage to the patio, and several bulbs needed to be replaced. Shadow was “helping” him when suddenly he disturbed some mice that were wintering over behind the heating unit. There’s a bit of tall grass there, and the warmth from the fans must be very enticing to the mice. I looked out the window to see Shadow zig zagging around and around the heating unit, her tail held high like a plume, as she barked excitedly and chased the mice hither and yon. John was yelling at her to stop (he was afraid she’d hit some of the big electrical wires connecting the unit to the house) and laughing all at the same time.
We then went to the vegetable garden to see what survived the last snow, so we could monitor what survived THIS snowstorm expected tomorrow. My spinach is the only green showing in the vegetable garden. I planted seeds in the fall, and the spinach was about an inch high when the December snowstorm came. The snow has melted, and the spinach was thriving…it’s now about 2 inches tall…but tomorrow we are expecting another foot of snow, and the temperatures will plunge. So I bid my little patch of green farewell until the next thaw.
We did something unusual yesterday. It was 55 and sunny. Around 3pm, we put our work aside, leashed up Shadow, and took a long walk along the country roads. We needed to feel the sun on our faces and smell the rich earth from the pastures to fortify ourselves against yet another winter storm.
Wish us luck…the Richmond, Virginia weatherman said yesterday “Snow will fall like lard.” Which is really a strong, albeit disgusting, visual image.
When is spring, exactly?
(photos today are of the vegetable garden, but taken in October…and Shadow racing through the orchard while the first snowflakes fall, but picture was taken last March)
