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Friday, May 15, 2020

Poof!

And (seemingly) just like that, spring has sprung.  While I was inside, whining, nature just plodded on, doing her thing.
You can always count on forsythias
to boost your spirits.
I do feel, however, that I was justified in my endless whining..
Two days ago - my tender plants
bundled in towels and fleece
blankets.
Just when I was ready to sigh with relief that the worst of the roadblocks between me and getting out in my garden are finally past, I wake up to this on my weather app (I didn't even include the hail and tornado charts - too depressing)
Seriously?  We are pretty
much smack-dab in the center.
I guess spring can 'actually' start tomorrow.  I had made a very quick sortie into the office to make sure there were no burst pipes, piles of important mail, etc.  There was only one casualty, the office plant.
Poor thing.  I was only able to buy it a little bit of time, by moving it by the only window and heavily watering it before I had to decamp.  Who knew it would be months before I could return.  There was a delightful lack of traffic and no end to open parking spots.


I am hoping that things calm down so that I can start to harden off my seedlings.  Time stops for no seeds and my squash plants are busting out all over the little greenhouse.




I am hoping to get some things in the garden this weekend, and to finish prepping the remaining three raised beds.  I am itching to get things moving along.  I will feel so much better, knowing that I have my own food resources.  I had family and friends on the lookout for flour for my neighbors (she is 94 and still baking up a storm) before someone found one remaining bag of King Arthur flour an hour and a half south of us!  I had baked them some Anzac Biscuits - I am baking out of boredom -   which only take one cup of flour and are mighty tasty with a cup of coffee or tea.  She said her husband ate most of them - a compliment, since they contain no chocolate.  I used a KA recipe, but switched molasses for the dark Karo syrup, as I don't use it and was out of golden syrup.


Tomorrow I finish dismantling the old carport wreckage so that I can have the new one put up on Sunday.  I found two little elderberry starts in the front yard that I want to protect until they are large enough to transplant - I love free plants!


It's hard to believe that Memorial Day is looming on the horizon.  We are still pretty much in lockdown mode, as our area has not met the benchmarks set up by the governor.  Even when we start to loosen the restrictions, I will not be sallying forth with confidence.  There is too much that is unknown about this virus and I still have friends and loved ones who are vulnerable.  Meanwhile, I am digging this work-at-home thing!





13 comments:

jaz@octoberfarm said...

today we move to yellow and i've had some stories from friends who ventured out for the first time. not everyone is wearing masks and social distancing and it freaked the newly hatched mask wearers right out. i think we will see a lot of this as people come out from under their rocks.

Goatldi said...

Susan

Delighted that things are looking up even in the middle of that big red area. I was kind of wondering if you had missed with your dose of excessive giddyness look I made a word.

We are returning again to a small dip into the primal slug otherwise known as a brief trip back into winter. Sure puts a crimp in ones giddy up.

Press on nothing last forever especially in an election year.

Marcia LaRue said...

Too many people acting the fool out here in Colorado and going out and about with no masks on or gloves! I won't do that until our Governor gives us an "all clear" which I think will still justify wearing a mask when going to the store!
Take care and stay safe and well!

Sam I Am...... said...

It is sort of like the whole world has been turned upside down....weather-wise, COVID-wise and the environment and the animals are starting to return and take back their planet. I'm sorry about your plant and your garden...I hope the storm passes through with little effect. I love staying at home and being isolated and right now it seems like I was preparing for this for along time...who knew! thanks for the Anzac biscuit recipe from KA! I love their site and baking something to go with a cuppa was on my list today so I'll be giving them a go! Have a good day and stay safe and I will say a little prayer for your garden too!

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Farewell, brave office plant, we scarcely knew ye.

Steve Reed said...

Ugh! No more cold weather! Way too late for that!

I think your office plant might actually perk up given another watering. That kind of plant -- spathiphyllum -- bounces right back after it wilts. Or at least it has in my experience. The leaves are still green so that's a good sign.

Michelle said...

After an extremely dry 'winter,' we are now getting some of our 'usual' winter moisture, so my garden work has slowed, but at least the ground is prepared now. Getting some sun today but don't know if that will dry things out enough to plant the three more starts I picked up; I KNOW it will be too mucky to plant seeds....

Nancy In Boise said...

crazy weather here too! he was 87 last week then down into the 70s and now the 60s it was only 58 yesterday and rainy. we were planning on getting the rest of our tomatoes and peppers out but my May hold off on more week until Memorial Day weekend and hope that the weather will moderate. Or I'm a bite the bullet and stick them in the ground and hope for the best. Idaho is starting Phase 2 of reopening tomorrow. Basically social distancing and restaurants, salons and gyms reopening ditto. I won't be going into any restaurants anytime soon that's for sure! I want to wait and see if there is a rebound of cases here after this soft opening? I'm going to get my haircut soon but my stylist works from home so the only person I'd be exposed to his her and I may just just wear a mask. I'm still working from home and hope it continues since I love it! Quiet and my kitty keeps me company and my husband is in the other bedroom working away. there was a move in our company to have more people working from home anyway so I'm hoping that I will be continuing that but time will tell. Hope your weather stabilizes! Stay healthy my friend!

Elizabeth said...

Lock down here in MA. Over 5,000 dead here. Horrific number for such a small state.
Was able to get flour through WalMart pickup...never thought 5 pounds of flour would mean so much to us! It's not King Arthur, which is what I've always used. But it is flour and that will do for now.
I enjoy your blog, thank you for writing it,
Elizabeth

Mama Pea said...

Just came in from trying to do a little something outside, but it felt colder than a sonofagun even dressed in down jacket, gloves and stocking cap. The droplets of rain didn't help either although we still need rain. Why can't it be warm rain? Never satisfied, am I?

I am so far from even planting seeds in my garden. Way too cold yet.

Things are loosening up a bit here, but all businesses have to limit the number of people inside at once . . . which makes having a restaurant a losing proposition. I feel so bad for them. I am so very thankful our organic foods co-op has remained fully stocked even though it's an inconvenience to have to call or e-mail the order in and then go later in the day for curbside pick-up. I am appreciative (to the max) for the fresh food we can still get.

Susan said...

This whole C19 thing is starting to make me a bit teary. The answer is, as goatidi says, to press on, doing what we actually can do. For you and me, it seems, it is starting squash and watching as it takes over the house. I hardly dare tell you we are having a mini heatwave. I am into my summer routine of up and out before the heat descends and stagger back in around 11am. Hugs to you and the furry ones.

ellen abbott said...

I did not plant so much as a single tomato plant this year. I'm hoping that by fall things will have calmed down around here, and I don't mean virus related, so I can get the raised beds set up with new dirt (I'm just flat out abandoning the old spot that is a jungle of weeds and vines) for a fall garden. I'd like to get some new art work done too but so far am totally unmotivated in that regard as well.

Joanne Noragon said...

Elderberry plants. Take good care of those little pie boys.