So Ready For Spring

Like everyone else here in Ontario, I'm so over winter, I can't even begin to tell you how frustrated we are.
It's been a season of inconsistent firewood, a smoky house, beyond bone-numbing cold temperatures, a chimney fire, and now a broken chimney tile.
Last year, we had more snow than this winter but this is absolutely the winter of cold.
An acquaintance shared a theory with me yesterday at breakfast that Northern Ontario is on it's way to becoming a miniature Arctic, and apparently there is historical evidence to back it up.
While you ponder that, I leave you with this shot after the road-grader went by our house yesterday.
Yeah, I'd say he pushed the snowbanks back fairly successfully.
Right up to our house.

In fact, if they go by again, that snowbank will end up on my side of the bed.

Spring is coming, right?

Caught By The Christmas Build-Up

Christmas is just around the corner, and of course I'm not ready.
Every year, I swear I'll be more organized next year...and the next Christmas season still sneaks up on me and catches me flatfooted.
Sigh.
We always hear that Christmas isn't about gifts, it's supposed to be about friends, family...those we hold dear to us.
After nearly losing Mom earlier this year...I can finally say I understand it better than ever.

This week, I'll be digging out the decorations, the miniature village, the wreath and all the stuff for the tree. And the snowshoes.
This year, we get to trek through the snowy woods for a real tree.
I better borrow the neighbour's saw.

Speaking of Christmas trees, here's a cool little article about a family owned and operated tree farm.
Gotta love when a family turns convention on it's head.

Spring's First Trimester

It surprises me how busy we can be here on the days we apply ourselves.
For example, the other day, I made myself a list of things I wanted to do, and instead of leaving the list on my desk in the basement, I left it on the table in the dining room. I walk by it a hundred times in a day, so I figured I'd get something done, right? I got the whole thing done, and then some.
Today, my plan was to finish vacuuming the craft room, which also serves as a basement sitting room. It gets used almost all the time, so it doesn't take long to need some attention. Today was the day to clean that up. I not only got it vacuumed, but I got the cobwebs that had been building up while the vacuum decided to be a P.I.T.A. So the upstairs front hall got cleaned up yesterday,  the board with nails that had served as a coat hanging place for years was taken off and proper coat hooks installed.  Then we swept and cleaned out the closet. Today the carpet in that space got vacuumed! Yesterday also saw the installation of a new set of metal shelves in the living room window for seedlings. So today, we were able to start 12 purple tomatillos, 6 'Alma Paprika' peppers, 9 'Clemson' okra, and approximately 15 carrots.
I'd like to claim more accomplishments, but with the dampness outside, my hands have been hurting a lot more. Of course, that would have nothing to do with the fact that I've been knitting as much as possible! On the needles this month is a panel of small squares, all knit in a row, for a 'Granny Square' style baby blanket. (That's a picture of one of the squares up and left. It's not a wonderful picture, but it's not completed, washed or blocked either.)

Mother Nature has finally relented and allowed us early spring. I don't mean it's come early, just that we're in the early stages of the season. Kind of like the first trimester of the season of green, you know? Everywhere the snow and ice is melting, everything is dripping, or puddled or muddy. I've never been so glad to see mud, it's crazy. Just when I thought we might go bonkers from being cooped up indoors, we have been able to walk comfortably a short ways into the woods, or goof off in the driveway and listen to the ice melt. Or stand outside in  a friend's driveway and talk about nothing while we soak up sunshine.

I know how much work I've signed up for, but I can't wait to have the yard back, no white stuff and days of sunshine ahead!

Why We Need Winter

The Never-Ending blanket

As I write this morning, there is a clear blue sky outside and as of five minutes ago a chickadee was singing happily not far away from my patio. There is barely any snow to speak of outside, only patches  in deep shade, really. It's not cold out, but there is a chill in the air, it is 39 degrees F or roughly 4 degrees Celsius. All in all it feels more like April than January in Ontario! But while part of me worries about the way our seasons are changing and what effect it will have on our grocery bill, I am grateful for a lack of bone-chilling cold. Despite the fact that I am Canadian and despite the fact we are moving further North; I hate being cold. Go figure.
Winter is important though. We need the snow for next summer's water tables, the plants need the rest and the animals need the season so that they can follow their annual internal clocks and migrate...those that do. Gardeners need winter to prepare for the next growing season. You know how much I enjoy the planning, the seed catalogues and the dreaming. As Jacqueline said in response to my last post, seed catalogues are like a little bit of summer in the grip of winter. Even though there is no bone-numbing grip to speak of yet, seed catalogues are nice to use as both entertainment and a gardening tool. (Which reminds me, I'm expecting another catalogue shortly)

Knitters need winter too I think. Winter is a good time to learn new techniques, new stitches and try out new patterns. It's also a good time to look through the knitting basket and asses hibernating projects. I did that recently and I ended up frogging five projects! (For those of you who might not know what frogging is, it's a knitters term for tearing back a finished or unfinished project) All three of our sons have ADD, and we've found that occasionally, knitting helps focus the middle child. He doesn't do more than a few rows of a strip he's working on for a dog blanket, but it helps slow him down and focus his energies; and in the end, some lucky dog will have a warm smooshy blanket. While going through the knitting-basket-from-Hell I also found my own blanket in the works! For a couple of decades I had wanted a multi-square, multi-colored blanket. There were a couple of strips done, a few squares, but nothing much had been sewn together. So, in spite of the hat I've got started and first ever baby sweater that intimidates the heck out of me, I picked up the blanket again. I need a project to work on while I watch television, and it's always been the perfect one. There's a picture of part of it above.

All of this keeps me active during the winter, not to mention those two mile walks I mentioned earlier. On nice days like yesterday (much like today), it's a simple but soul-satisfying joy to walk down to the library and come home with a  few books in the backpack. This weeks reading list includes;
"Accessible Gardening:Tips & Techniques For Seniors and The Disabled" by Joann Woy
"Four Season Harvest" by Elliot Coleman
"How To Grow More Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains And Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible On Less Land Than You Can Imagine"
by John Jeavons (This is nearly a gardening bible for those who have very little space. Although I hear guerilla gardening is all the rage)
"Tea Bliss" by Theresa Cheung
"The New Organic Gardener" by Elliot Coleman

All that and a few audible books to listen to while the t.v is taken over by cartoons or CNN!
Is there a craft or skill you develop in the winter? What is winter supposed to be like where you live? Is there something you want to work on this winter?

Stay sharp, stay watchful.