Renewal Time/Cold Time 2022

 

Our creek on the Solstice

Snowy greetings at the end of Renewal/Cold Time. Our weather has been all over the place; unusually warm and unusually cold, rainy, foggy, icy and now snowy. Often an assortment of these conditions in the same week.

Taughannock Falls State Park

On the Solstice it was seasonably cold. We walked in our own woods, and then took a walk at Taughannock Falls. It was an enjoyable day.

Foggy Christmas day

Christmas here was green and foggy. A dreary day to relax indoors and read our holiday gift books.

The last couple of weeks we've had sleet and freezing rain periodically with cold wind chills.

Snowflakes under ice

I took this picture of the gate post in front of our house. These snowflakes are under the layer of ice! Some pretty unique circumstances would have to occur to bring that about. All of the woods around were filled with glittering ice covered trees, as if made of crystal. Lovely!

Snow this morning

Last night a strong storm came through and we went from 0 to 10" of snow overnight. It's still snowing late this afternoon. It does make everything look better. I always believe that if it's going to be winter, then there should be snow.

My garden tasks are all done for now.

Beans all done

I threshed out 11 bushel of bean pods and got 8.5 gallons of beans to put in the pantry.

Preparing the seed order

The garden plans for 2022 have all been finalized and the seeds have been ordered. Nothing more to do until I start seeds in March.

Bob's been working on the laundry room. He removed the paneling and found mold on the drywall underneath near the washing machine.

Mold on the drywall

Mold further down the wall

This didn't surprise us. When we moved in we could see that there was an untended, longstanding leak situation there. All of the drywall has been removed. The new drywall is up and Bob is now taping and mudding.

Getting a clean start

He has also done the electrical work: moved the wall switch, added a porch light and switch and pulled the wire for an electric dryer hook up.

We're making sure that we take time to rest and restore ourselves also at this time of year.

Sweater in the works

I've been knitting. I finished this sweater yesterday. Next I'll begin work on a vest for Bob. I've also been continuing to work on my harp music.

Reading has been a major activity for both of us. We've already finished a few books this season. There are many more waiting for us.

Books we're reading right now

Tomorrow perhaps we'll get out to enjoy some snowshoeing. Lots of fresh air and fresh chi await.

Oh! I forgot to mention anything about our new heat pumps. We've had them for a month and a half now and are very pleased! We are warmer than before and it's a constant temperature. We like that very much! Our first electric bill was what we consider reasonable and it saved us about $45 over what the old fuel oil boiler would have cost us. We did supplement with the wood stove on the two days that we had sub zero temperatures with 35 mph wind gusts. Not bad!

That's all of the news and views from here for now. We hope you are well and taking the time to rebuild yourselves.

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

Solstice walk

At Taughannock Falls State Park

Ice Time 2021

Ice on our creek

Tonight the moon is full and Ice Time 2021 becomes history. We've marked the Vernal Equinox and the Wheel of the Seasons is turning once more. 

Beautiful ice crystals

 

We began the month with ice edging the creeks and drainage swales.

Pussy willows

We end the month with pussy willows emerging in the meadow, spring bulbs blooming and birdsong and peeper calls beginning in earnest.

Nature ramps up her activity, and so too, do we. We have finished our time of rest and reflection, and spent time considering our next activities.

Hardanger snowflakes

 I finished my snowflake project. This is something I determined to complete in my sixth decade. (I don't have a "bucket list" so much as I have a "project pile" to realize.)

 I also got some cleaning done: kitchen drawers and cabinets, floors...

My seedlings in the cellar are coming along nicely...

Cabbage, tomatoes, asters

One down, one to go

... and we got our first dose of the COVID vaccine. Next dose is on April 8th.

Bob got the taxes done and framed the snowflake piece for me. His work at Cornell always picks up at this time of year, so he's putting in some overtime there for a while.

We decided that this summer our big project will be outside tasks. We have enough of these to last a couple of years. We'll concentrate on repairing the deck, repointing the stone foundation and painting the Bilco doors. This of course, is in addition to all of our regular summer tasks.

Daffodils from our garden

 The weather for much of the month has been much warmer than normal. Our garlic is up and the daffodils are blooming.

 I've been cleaning up the yard from winter and fixing up flower beds that Lunette had been "rearranging" before she left us.

 

Garden fix up in progress

Pruning the Nectarine

Bob's begun pruning the fruit trees...

Bob mending his fence. It's shocking!

 ...and mending the electric fence. When Lunette was on the job, Bob got lax about maintaining the fence. Now that she's gone, he'll need to keep it in good repair to keep the critters out.

Just to show that "nature abhors a vacuum", five local feral (?) cats have taken up patrolling inside our fenced area. (Lodi is the "wandering cat" capital of the county. Some are truly feral, others simply have irresponsible owners. Don't even get me started. We call them "coyote fodder".) Notice, it takes five cats to replace one Airedale. Also, cats do not hunt in the rain. Lunette would view this as very slip shod work. This must be where the term "wuss" originated.

It is strange to work in the yard without Lunette's presence.

Soon I'll be sowing lettuce, spinach and peas in the garden. Shallots have already been planted.

It's the season when things are stirring and emerging. Within us the desire to take things a little easier and enjoy nature more has been stirring. We hope to be free to stop work a little earlier each day and use the time to observe nature. Sometimes we'll go to a local park, other times we'll use our own property as an observation station. 

The difficult part will be to practice enough discipline to break away from work. Yesterday was our first attempt. It took me a while to reconcile myself to it. I know it's one of the things needed for health and wholeness, so I will dedicate myself to do this, just as I have done with a healthy diet and regular exercise. (I just realized that we've been eating healthfully for 24 years, and I've been doing a daily exercise program for 27 years. It certainly becomes a lifestyle! But it happens a day at a time.)

What's stirring in you, my friends? Now's the season of fresh growth. Something tiny perhaps? That's perfectly fine. Nourish and attend it.

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

Snowdrops in our ravine