Shoots Show/Growing Time 2023

Spitzenburg Apple Blossoms

BOING!!  Spring has sprung! Our full Flower Moon has technically brought an end to our month of Shoots Show/Growing Time. But the growth spurt continues.

We've had some cooler and wet weather, but it appears things are starting to turn around. The sunshine and warmth are welcome.

Here's what's up and what's in at Thistledown:

The mushroom garden is done. Now we tend it and wait.

The finished mushroom garden.

Bob seeding the Winecap bed

Our small fruits are coming along nicely.  Red and black currants are blooming. Blueberries have many buds. The strawberry plants are looking good and the rhubarb will soon be ready to harvest.

Rhubarb

   

Strawberries before blooming

In the vegetable garden, I've set out my cool weather plants, planted potatoes and sowed peas, early beets and early carrots.

Pea planting time

Setting out a cabbage plant

The garlic and shallots planted last autumn are up and looking fine.

Shallots and garlic

And I've made my first harvest from my perennial herbs. They really add zest to a sandwich.

Cress, Chervil and Chives

Today is the first day my warm weather plants are outside to begin hardening off. Just one hour of sunlight today, then one additional hour each day until planting time at the end of May.

Regarding other areas of the homefront:

The fuel oil tank from our old heating system is finally gone!

The oil tank, about 6'x4'x3'

We swapped it to an Amish roofer in exchange for some roof repair that we needed.

Tank gone and lots of nice space

 Now we have that out of the way, some nice new space in the cellar and no more leak in our porch roof.

Speaking of the porch, work has begun there.

Here's a photo of the site before work began.

Porch area before, with weird angled, high step 

Bob's cleared the area, removed one concrete step and also the old propane line. Now he's putting in the framing for the new porch.

Bob busy on the porch today

I've finally finished all of my spring cleaning, ending with the windows all washed, the final freezer cleaned and the refrigerator cleaned. 

Outside, I've gotten the rose bush pruned and the flower beds trimmed and ready for new growth. Things look so much better tidied up.

We're pleased that, even with all this work, we've been able to keep up with our goal of at least one outing a week.

We visited Fillmore Glen State Park and saw many hepatica in bloom.

Falls at Fillmore Glen State Park

Hepatica blooming at Fillmore

Next we revisited Teeter Pond in the Fingerlakes National Forest.

Teeter Pond

We made our first visit to Smith Woods in Trumansburg. There we saw many Trillium, both red and white. Also many trout lilies (past bloom) and mayapples (before bloom).

Smith Woods (big Beech trees)

Trillium at Smith Woods

Finally, we travelled to the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge. There we saw our first Glossy Ibis (sorry, no photos). It was quite a treat!

As you can see, we've been very busy, but our nice winter's rest has prepared us (mentally and physically) for our current tasks. It's good to have the energy we need for this new season.

Take care and my you grow along with the season.

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

My Bleeding Hearts are lovely this year

Red Trillium at Smith Woods

Blustery Winds/Awakening Time 2023

 

Coltsfoot, Spring's first flower

We've been through our time of Blustery Winds and Awakening Time. The winds blew in the change of season from winter into spring.

Our last measurable snowfall

On March 11, we received what I believe will be our last measurable snowfall of the winter season.

Our weather is now definitely springlike - warm and rainy.

Flowers are blooming.

Tiny Tete a tete daffodils only 2" tall

 

Faithful old Snowdrops

We've been able to get out for some nice walks, too.

April 1 at Taughannock Falls

We hope to make time to get away at least once a week through the spring, summer and autumn.

Here we have other ways to tell the season is changing:

We're down to nothing but beets in the root cellar.

One freezer is empty. It's been cleaned and is waiting to be refilled in the summer.

The second freezer has a few boxes of greens, cabbage and green beans left. And lots of fruit. It's going to be some mighty strange meals for a while. We're already tired of eating borscht. Tonight for supper we'll have waffles topped with fruit (of course).

Clean each and every jar!

Spring cleaning is another of our seasonal hints of change. I have finished the major work. All that remains is to clean the refrigerator, defrost and clean the second freezer and wash all of the windows. I'm waiting for some really nice weather to do these last chores. It really worked out well for me to divide the house into five units and just do one unit over a Saturday and Sunday. In five weeks I got the whole house done without wearing myself out or neglecting regular chores.

Cabbage, Kale and friends

This morning I took my cool weather plant starts outside to begin hardening off. These generally go into the ground in a couple of weeks. Sometimes it takes that long to get them accustomed to a full day of sunlight.

The warm weather plants are still being pampered inside with heat and lights, but are growing nicely. Today I also sowed my flower seeds inside.

Feeders for ill Hummingbirds that can't hover

Bob has also been busy. He finished this round of perches for the Wildlife Hospital. He made 50 perches in all, and really enjoyed the project. He looks forward to making more next winter, should they need some.

His next project was the music stand for my harp. This was a kit that he purchased, so it made up quickly. Yesterday we put it to work.

The finished harp desk

It looks great and works very well. This clamps onto my harp's pillar.  It brings the music much closer than if I use a floor stand. This is very helpful because now my aging eyes can see all of those little notes. (The multiple ledger lines below the staff are particularly troublesome!)

Now that the stand is finished, he's turning his attention to his mushroom garden.

We moved a shade awning into the garden area and he's been inoculating his logs with shiitake spawn.

Driving the spawn into the log

 

The finished log

He has finished nine of the twenty logs that he plans to do. He will also build a woodchip bed and inoculate that with wine cap mushroom spawn.

Once this is all done, he turns his energy and attention to the construction of our final porch. Yesterday afternoon all of the necessary supplies were delivered. The weather ahead looks great for the work to be done.

Bob will be busy with these things. I'll be busy in the yard and garden. The seasons have definitely shifted!

Joyous spring to all of you! We'll see you again next month. Now, on to Shoots Show and Growing Time!

Kathleen and Bob

Sunrise on March 10th

Stay at Home/Cleansing Time 2023

Hopeful Daffodils

Greetings from the heart of the Finger Lakes. We're just ending the month of Stay at Home/Cleansing Time. 

Our weather has been odd. Winter has been rather like a guest that stays briefly, then travels to more "exotic" locales; only to return to us; then leave again right away.

We haven't even been able to take the snowshoes down from their wall hooks this year.

We have been able to enjoy more of a rest time this winter. Bob's retirement must have something to do with that. Now however, we feel spring coming and our activities have begun to ramp up a bit.

Time to get cleaning

I've begun my annual deep cleaning. This year I decided to break our 11 rooms into five units. I will thoroughly clean one unit each weekend for five weeks. With that schedule, I should be finished by the first weekend in April. Perhaps spreading the work out so much will make it less tiring.

Setting up the seed starting area

I've also begun some of my garden seeds. The ones that go out in April always take me by surprise, so I started them earlier than usual. I also started some that go out in May because I want nice, large plants to set out. Here's a gallery of what's growing in the cellar today:

Sweet potato slips

Tomatoes and eggplants

A nice tomato

Lettuce

There are also cabbages, kale, tat soi, spinach and peppers.

Bob's been busy building perches for the Wildlife hospital at Cornell. He's built 39 so far. It's very interesting and he's really enjoying the project. The perches are for sick and injured birds that are being treated at the facility. The design of each perch varies with both the species and the gender.  He's built for eagles, all the way down to his current project: hummingbirds. Here's a gallery of his work so far:

Back to front: Eagle, Eagle & Barred Owls

Red Tailed Hawks

Woodpeckers

Stump perches for Turkey Vultures & Screech Owls

This is a great time for Bob to do these perches because his outside work can't begin for a while yet.

Today Bob received a couple of new woodworking projects. My birthday is this week, and he ordered two accessory kits for my harp: a clamp on music holder and a dolly to put under the harp, making it easier to move.

Happy Birthday to me!

It was so nice of my luthiers to put these kits on sale just in time for my birthday! Bob says the kits are very well done and is looking forward to doing them. A gift for both of us, really.

Bob's other activity has been to prepare for his enlarged mushroom garden. 

Cutting logs for Shiitake mushrooms

He has readied 20 logs for shiitake mushrooms. The spawn and tools have arrived. The spawn is resting in my refrigerator.

Mushroom spawn and tools

In addition to his 20 shiitake logs, he will start a bed of winecap mushrooms. The shiitakes should start to produce in the spring of 2024. The winecaps should start to produce in late summer this year.

Well, that's what's been going on here. Just like things outside, things within are beginning to stir, readying for the season ahead. 

What's germinating in your life?

 

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

Spring is coming!

Cold Time/Renewal Time 2023

 

January in our woods

Warm greetings from the cold Finger Lakes. Actually, today we're beginning a warming trend. In general, we've had a warmer winter with relatively less snow than normal. Cold Time however, decided to go out true to its name.

Feb 2 Moondog-harbinger of storms

From February 2nd through the morning of the 4th, we had cold temperatures and very high, gusty winds. The old house was continually buffeted by the winds. Thankfully, this particular 170+ year old house was built to stand for generations. Short of a tornado, it's not going anywhere.

We hunkered down by the stove, reading and playing cards.

Cozy in the storm

We just enjoyed the time in quiet ways.

Earlier in the month, we finished our threshing chores.

Bob helps with his first threshing

We now have our annual stock of beans (aka protein) all ready for use.

Sieving lettuce seeds 

We cleaned the lettuce seeds that we saved.

Howling Mob sweet corn

And cleaned the sweet corn seeds. We like to grow this variety and it is very hard to find. There is only one source that I know of that still sells it. Since no one knows when they may decide to drop it from their listings, it makes a great deal of sense to save our own seeds.

Besides working on our chores, we've been pursuing the Renewal Time part of the month. In addition to reading and resting,

A new piece for spring

I've been working on a new hardanger project and practicing my harp. I'm a SLOW learner, but I am persistent, at any rate.

 We've also been busy with medical appointments. Due to the pandemic and Bob's subsequent increased work schedule, we fell behind in our Well Adult checks. Now we're trying to catch up. Gone are the days when this could be done in one, or even two visits. At our age, it involves many tests and each one needs a separate appointment somewhere else. Additionally, scheduling these appointments can literally take months. By the time you finish one round, it's time to start all over again!! All that being said, so far, so good for both of us.

Bob is enjoying his retirement. He likes the change. The first change we made was to move our morning alarm from 4:30 am to 5:00 am. That's very nice. We also can eat supper a little earlier. We like that because we have more time to digest it before bed, and we get a bit more evening to enjoy.

He's been relaxing, reading, and helping me more with the routine household chores.

One of his goals is to become more consistent in his exercise routine. Since I've a longstanding (29 year!) practice of daily (weekday) walking and afternoon yoga, he has decided to latch onto this structure. He joins me on the daily walk. For now he has to walk at a slower pace and for less distance, but hopes to build up on both counts over time. In the afternoon, while I'm doing my yoga practice, he does a tai chi practice, which he prefers. Again, it's a dedicated time and is honored as important.

Other things that he's done, are to finalize the porch plans, prepare the tax returns as much as possible at this time and is planning out new mushrooms that he wants to grow. He's expanding his mushroom garden. Just a fun-guy, after all.

Winter tree Identification walk

Another thing he wants to do is to be better acquainted with our winter trees. He's been reading up on this and his first Cornell Retiree newsletter told about a local Winter Tree ID Walk. So, we went on that at the end of January. It was very basic, but a nice day to get out.

Within the next moon cycle, I'll begin some of my seeds and we will begin turning toward spring.

To prepare for spring, we'll spend some of our time examining our lives to see what needs to be cleared away to allow for new growth. Everything is on the table; possessions, habits, beliefs, and thought patterns. It's an annual "housecleaning" of sorts. Sometimes the "delete" list is long, sometimes short. It's the examining and acting that makes the difference. It helps us live consciously and purposefully. It helps us remain centered and at peace.

It's a very worthwhile discipline that I highly recommend. 

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

Flowers to brighten January