Icy Winds Time 2025

 

Birthday flowers

The winds that mark the transition of the seasons have begun. This past month we had very little snow but much icy wind.

We're also in the season of alternating cool and warm temperatures. We call this yo-yo weather. It's another characteristic of the changing seasons.

The month ahead will continue to be windy, but the temperatures will begin to moderate by the month's end.

Another sign of the season is the return of many birds. Our place has been the stop over for large migrating mixed flocks of Red Winged Blackbirds, Grackles and Starlings. The Robins have returned, and we had a Northern Mockingbird in our Yew for a couple of days. 

We saw our first Kildeers of the year while on our daily walk this week. I also saw two minks earlier in the month. They were scurrying in a ditch next to my walking path. One popped its head up and we spent about five minutes just staring at each other. Equal interest there, I think.

Another garden begins

You probably know that this past month was seed starting time for us.

I've started lettuces, celery, cabbages, kale, tat soi, pac choi, chard, tomatoes and eggplants. Sweet potatoes are tucked in too. It will be a while before those sprout.

Everything is coming up

Things are coming up and will be transplanted into growing pots soon.

I'm experimenting with my LED grow lights. Last year I wasn't entirely satisfied with them. My plants seemed to burn a bit. We found some more information this year with regards to distance and duration. I'm hoping for better outcomes.

I'm going to try two new types of seeds this year.

New dry bean

The first is a different dry pole bean. It's called 1500 Year Old Cave bean. It looks a bit like a Jacob's Cattle bean but is slightly smaller.

Bottle Gourd Seeds

The second is a Bottle Gourd. This is an edible squash used in Asian and Indian cooking. The seeds were given to me by a woman who has stewarded them (grown and saved seeds) for many years. She has retired and passed the torch on to me. I hope that our growing season is long enough for them to reach maturity. This will be an experiment.

Each of us has been busy with our own activities.

March 25 Ukraine Support

Bob continues to be involved with community activities: attending town board and other civic meetings and participating in rallies and protests.

Protest in Canandaigua

He's also begun work on my harp wheels. (That's the kit we bought three years ago. I did tell him at the time that I was in no big hurry for them. I guess that one's on me!)

Harp wheels

Yesterday he finished clearing the path to our meadow.

Pine blocking the path

Last winter a large pine tree was blown down over the path. With all of last year's hub bub (my broken shoulder, bathroom remodel ...) he never attended to it. 

Work in progress

Now it's been cut into sections and the portion blocking the path has been rolled away.

In addition to routine chores and starting seeds, I've been reading, practicing my harp and working on knitting and hardanger. I find that the hardanger work has been the most effective at absorbing my attention and relaxing me in this stressful time.

Yesterday was a walk in the park

Yesterday's weather was beautiful, so we walked for an hour at the Taughannock Falls State Park. Half of our walk was on a wooded trail new to us. We'll definitely walk that one again soon.

That seems to be all I have to share for now. We hope all of you are well and staying grounded in peace, kindness, truth and courage.

Till next time, 

Kathleen and Bob

Taughannock Falls 

 

Ice and Wind Time 2022

Daffodils are starting to peek out

This full moon has brought to a close our month of Ice and Wind Time. It's the month when the tug of war between winter and spring begins. One day, the temperature may work its way up into the 60s, the next, it may be 20 degrees colder. Then it climbs up again over the span of a few days, only to repeat the cycle. We've had both beautifully warm days, and days of wind, rain and heavy snow. As the month begins winter definitely has the upper hand. As it ends it is more of a even draw, with spring perhaps slightly ahead. By the end of the next cycle, spring will definitely be in the lead. 

The birds are returning; red winged blackbirds and kildeers are here, and today I saw my first Mourning Cloak (butterfly). I have not yet heard the peepers.

Taughannock Falls

Yesterday was one of those deliciously warm days, so we went for a walk along the North Rim Trail of the Taughannock Falls State Park. We're lucky to have so many beautiful waterways and falls in our immediate area.

The upper falls at Taughannock Park

 This is also the month that I begin to start my garden seeds in my cellar. 

All set to begin

I've started kale, chard, cabbages, celery, parsley, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. So far only the kale, and some chard and cabbages have come up. I'll begin some more things soon.

The laundry room is all done! Well, except for one door that I need to paint. It's a steel exterior door and I want to make sure the weather will stay warm enough for the paint to cure.

Here's a sort of panorama of the room:

Kitchen entry to laundry room

Here's the door into the laundry room from the kitchen. This is the "barn door" that I mentioned in the last update. If we slide this aside and step into the room...

Laundry side of "barn door"

and turn around, we see the opposite side of the "barn door". Turning to our right a bit, we see the rest of that wall.

Rest of the east wall

Now to our right again, we see the south and west walls with my storage shelves and "tool rack".

South and West walls

Turning to the right once more we can see the laundry sink, washer and door to the downstairs bath on the north wall.

Laundry sink and washer

The thing above the sink is a fold out drying rack (in use there). That's all there is to this little room. I'm very pleased with it. It's so much brighter and easier to work in now. You can check out the "before" pictures on our post "Long Nights Time 2021".

The last task

This door is the last one that I have to paint. It will match the trim color.

That's about all from here right now. This coming month we'll be getting busy with garden preparations, and I'll also be doing my spring cleaning. Bob will be planning out his next project, so stay tuned.

Enjoy the coming nice weather (and expect and tolerate some crumby weather, too).

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

At Taughannock on March 17