After the harsh winter, it is wonderful to see the flowering trees and all the other flowers.
From the number of flowers on the apple trees, we will have a great crop. As the flowers fall off, the ground is white, as though with snow.
Lettuce and radishes are coming out in the garden and I have transplanted the tomatoes, peppers, basil, eggplant and so on, some into the garden and some into the earth boxes on the deck.
Well, there was no housework done in the Kuhns household this weekend. I left the house on Saturday at 7 am to attend the steering committee meeting for my sisters-in crime chapter. The regular meeting began at 10:30 and I left at 12:30, after a very fascinating talk by a Colonie policeman, for a talk at Cohoes Public library.
What a great talk it was too. And I met an old friend from my days working with the New York Library Association.
On Sunday I spoke at a meeting of the Arlington Women’s group to an assemblage of 78 people. Another great talk. And they fed me lunch.
Now I have to return to real life. Sigh.
I love the coming of spring but hate some of what I find. No, I don’t mean the sticks and all. I’m talking about all the plants that are winter killed.
Like my roses. I went into the winter with 11 bushes. I now have six and two of them do not look good.
I have two butterfly bushes. One is budding out very nicely. The other? Well, when the snow had melted I went out and found it lying flat on the ground. I replanted it but I doubt it will survive.
Thank goodness for the bulbs. Daffodils are blooming and now the tulips are coming up. I see the feathery spikes of the peonies and the first leaves of the daylilies. Did the azaleas survive? I don’t know. Stay tuned.
With the arrival of the first nice weekend in months, many many months, I began setting up my garden.
What is the hardware cloth doing around the base of the fence? Funny you should ask. Last year I got hardly any peas or broccoli because the baby rabbits got through the fence and ate the sprouts. Not this year they won’t. After this picture was taken, I put in radishes, carrots, beets and kale. All the cold hardy veggies. (I still have at least a month before tomatoes, cukes and peppers go in.) Next weekend, if it nice, I will start laying out the plastic mulch so I can get a jump on the weeds.
While I was working, my dog ran around looking for critters that might have gotten inside the fence without her knowing. She spent a lot of time inspecting the first and largest groundhog holes.
She goes all the way in, hoping, I think, that she will find another groundhog that moved in, and all we can see is her tail.
Although we have tried to fill in the hole, I think it goes to China. It is enormous, not just from the successive groundhogs but from Shelby digging.
Maybe I should plant a tree.
Usually I am very happy to get to St. Patty’s Day; I put in my peas. Not this year. Even with the warm up there is still too much snow on the ground. And more coming.
OK, I know that we sometimes get snow this late, sometimes into April. But after this year? Seriously?
What is wrong with this weather? I thought climate change meant we’d be more like Florida, not Alaska.
In fact, we have Alaska’s weather. The Iditirod had to be pushed way north. Hey, they could have had it in my yard.
Our short thaw was followed by more cold weather. Finally, I think (and hope) we are starting to have spring.
The Hudson River froze.
and the ice chopper had to make a channel through the center.
after two months of snow covered ground, the deer are starving. They have been coming up on the front porch to eat my shrubs. I have used deer repellent spray for years with good results, but not this year. Five days ago, when I went out to shovel, the rhododendron was covered with leaves. Now it is just sticks.
This winter has been more like living in the Arctic than the Northeast, and more like living in the Arctic than living in the Arctic. We’ve broken all kinds of records, both for cold and snow. This past week we had three storms, small ones in comparison to some of the ones we’ve had, but the snow still added up to a foot.
Even Shelby is beginning to get tired of it all. But it doesn’t stop her from going out on the trail and making sure no squirrel or rabbit has come on to her territory.
After a cold and snowy winter, I think everyone is the northeast is eager for spring. Well, as tiny a sign as it is, here is the first patch of snow free ground I’ve seen in months.
Here we are, almost two weeks before the official start of winter and I’m already sick of bad weather. Not only have we had a foot of snow, but this morning we had an ice storm.
Ice coats all the trees and branches.
With the extra weight, the branches are coming down in piles.
Here we are, almost two weeks before the official start of winter and I’m already sick of bad weather. Not only have we had a foot of snow, but this morning we had an ice storm.
Ice coats all the trees and branches.
With the extra weight, the branches are coming down in piles.