To the North

I love watching the change of seasons as I pass through the Skagit Valley.  Fields that are flooded this week will give way to thousands of snow geese and then to daffodils in a month and potatoes in five months.

I'm still unearthing bulbs that have been smothered by mulch and fallen leaves. I am hesitant to remove all the protection that the leaves provide, but it really does feel we've turned a corner.  President's Day is the start of the seed planting at Casa Ernest.  Sweet peas and lettuce will be sown next week followed by other cool weather crops.  I'll put in seedlings as well. I know that is cheating to some, but I'll take anything that looks like it is living.

It makes me hopeful.

boom

There is something about the first day you realize that 5 pm has passed and it is still light out.  That day where you decide at 4 pm that you'll go outside and rake and weed for a bit before you start making dinner.

Then there comes a time when you can barely stand being inside to make dinner let alone eat it. It is that time when all you do is look around the garden and see a hundred things that need to be taken care of NOW.

Today was one of those days.  The bulbs are going crazy in the lawn, perennials all need be cut back and every leaf needs to be carefully removed from the beds.  It is a slow process bringing the garden back to life in the Spring.

There are a lot of big projects that need tending to in the garden, just like with life, but I'm taking it slowly and savoring the stolen moments with my secateurs, the trowel and the millions of dog tooth violets emerging from the ground.

Happy Sunday.

Wishing and Plotting

Apes - go away, but come back for my lunch and biscuit walkabout #dailyernest

A photo posted by Nazila (@nazilam) on Nov 2, 2015 at 12:40pm PST

There is something about the first Monday of the month that fills you with such excitement for the rest of the month, even if is the beginning of the Holiday rush.

The calendar is fairly empty, the new month beckons and I'm already whooped.

I looked out the windows at work and saw the dusk at 440 pm and by the time I left it was pitch black. I broke out my new long down jacket to walk the dog and I'm wearing slippers in the house.  After our hot and relentless summer, you would think I would rejoice in this weather, but honestly - I can do without Winter this year.  Let's skip it and go right to Spring.

My dream in life is to chase Spring around the world - go from zone to zone and let bring me hope and joy - new life and all the opportunities that come with sowing seeds, cleaning house and the lightness of April mornings and May dusks.

I was lucky enough to hit Spring in four different locations in 2015. I'm going for five in 2016.

I hope Tuesday goes better than Monday.

earth day redux

So, it is earth day.

What did you do?

I composted, didn't really drive anywhere (no where in fact), cleaned out my fridge, ran four loads of laundry, walked my dog four times, had a good conversation with my dear Pat and took a nap for my own conservation.

Hey, for us, every day is earth day. We compost, we minimize what goes into landfills, we think before we buy, we recycle, we minimize our use of electricity and we do it without any hoopla, any color adverts in the papers and without a big media flurry.

It just happens.

Other than that, we're enjoying ourselves here.

Ernest has been very busy (read his blog). I am killing snails left and right (have shoes, will travel). TH managed to get some work done today (yeah). We spent about thirty minutes today cleaning out the freezer and by god, we'll be done with the salmon, halibut, berries and lamb before the next batches come in! Well, at least closer than we have before.

I am so ready for the week to begin and be over.

Does that make sense?

It does to me.

Buhbye historical data in seventeen different formats! I am so done with you.

nm, exceling, zoning and interoperating in April 2007