This morning is the first time I’ve heard the birds singing their hearts out with Spring song. It was funny as we had a foggy morning that was 28 degrees F. The fog had frozen on all the trees and grass, making everything look beautifully fairy-like. I took a big bunch of seed orders to the post office early this morning and nearly hit an immature Bald Eagle that was flying up out of the ditch. I had to slam on my brakes and cringe as he nearly hit the windshield. Swooping up at the last second, I missed him. Whew! The funny thing is that when I drove home half an hour later, all the frost had melted off of everything as the sun was out. It went, just that fast!
On Saturday, our granddaughter, Delilah, took part in her ice-skating club’s spring show. At four years old she just started skating this year, taking lessons every week, right in Chisholm, their hometown. We got to see both beginners and expert skaters performing various performances to music and lights. It was beautiful! The only downside was sitting on bleachers for three hours. Both Will and I were sure sore the next day! But it was worth it. I’ll never forget the cute bow Delilah made after her group’s performance! Adorable!
I still have a few tomatoes to plant in their trays. But most of them are done and hanging out behind the wood stove, keeping toasty to germinate. Between a forecasted lack of commercial fertilizer and no migrants to pick tomatoes, they’re calling for a severe shortage, especially with Mexican tariffs on produce in effect. We’ll always have plenty. But I feel bad for folks who don’t garden.
Today, our friends, Mike, Dara, and Sherri, came to help pack up more seeds. They brought a belated birthday dinner for Will. Enchilada casserole, coleslaw, and Sherri’s carrot cake cupcakes. Everyone enjoyed the wonderful meal so much. Thanks Sherri and Dara!
Nearly all the snow has melted with warmer daytime temperatures, and I saw my first Pussy willows yesterday! I’ve been watching carefully for them and was rewarded by seeing several bushes while driving home from town. Yes, we’ll have more winter, snow, and cold. But it won’t be all that long before we’re getting out in the garden to clean up and prepare for spring planting. Yea! — Jackie
She is one blessed girl to have parents and grandparents who take the time to nurture her!
And we are all so lucky to have her!!
Northern MN too. Sandhill cranes and purple finches are back. Grouse are drumming in the woods. Must be spring. For the first time in 60 years of driving I finally hit a deer. Hope this doesn’t become a spring tradition.
I tried putting a heating mat under my tomato and pepper seed starting trays. Nothing was germinating. I got the bright idea to check the temperature with the thermometer used for checking your body temp. It was 105f. I reseeded. The temp in the oven with a pilot light is 90f. The seed trays spend the night in the oven. Some have hatched so they go under the grow lights during the day.
Wow, not the deer crash! I hope you weren’t hit nor your vehicle totaled. I only have hit 2 so far. No injuries. Even the deer ran off into the woods, so I don’t know about it. One time the vehicle was totaled though. I couldn’t even open the door. She ran out of the woods, crashed into my driver’s side fender, then door, bounced off and ran on into the woods on the other side. I really, really watch for deer but sometimes you don’t see them until…
Whew, 105 is pretty hot for seed starting. Lucky you found out! You were cooking seeds.
Happy belated birthday, Will; I have a March one too and enjoy the timing of it.
Garlic is up, fruit trees are beginning to have a few buds on them, robins and bluebirds and many others are back. We ae dry here so will hope for early April showers, not the late, heavy ones of last year that messed with gardening work!
Seeing your granddaughter skating is just wonderful. Something she can enjoy her entire life!
My peppers are up, and I just started onions, tomatoes and marigolds. It is later than last year, but they were too leggy, and onions had many haircuts. It is fun to have dirt in my nails again.
Spring is coming and we are all planning and planting!
Yes, I hope Delilah keeps skating. When I was young I skated a lot. We couldn’t afford lessons but I put miles on my skates, skating up and down the river that ran through our “up north” remote cabin. We’re dry here, as well and I, too, hope we don’t get the daily drenching we had last year, come real spring. It sure messes up planting for sure.
I’m dying to get in the garden. Tomorrow I’m going to mow the flower beds’ dead stalks before the spring bulbs come popping up. It seems I’m late every spring and I swear I’ll make it this year.
It has been so fun to watch Delilah grow up! She is so adorable!
Happy Birthday Will! Those cupcakes look beyond delicious! Wow!
She and Melanie are so darned cute. You should see them dance. They have all the moves! Yes, those cupcakes were awesome! I ate the last one for breakfast a couple days ago. Yep, I know sugar’s bad for you. But, hey…..
I agree with others re the bleacher cushions..Your back will thank you! Also re the electric canner…my instant pot has a pressure canning cycle, fits 5 pints. No where near what you can but I can do multiple small amounts and it meets what my small garden produces. My presto pressure cooker has become too hard to lock and unlock.
presto pressure canner
Hi Jackie. I was going to plant my peas tomorrow but snow this morning. It’ll melt quickly but I’ll wait another week to plant the peas. From experience, seeds will grow more quickly if it’s warmer and there is always the chance of seeds rotting if planted too soon here in the rain forest. Im anxious to get planting but patience is a virtue! Delilah – so cute and it’s hard to believe she’s 4!
Yep, you’re wise to wait a bit to plant your peas. Not only in the “rain forest” do seeds rot in the ground when it’s wet and too cool. We have that here too. And with potatoes too. We learned a long time ago that it’s best to wait until the soil has warmed up enough to suit the crop we’re planting!!
Actually, Delilah is now 5! She started skating lessons at 4, before her birthday in January.
Delilah four! Time goes so fast She sure looks talented! Saw first pussy willow two weeks ago. Bluebirds, flycatchers all sign of spring. Today is27 though March is certainly being fickle with everyone this year Good friends to share birthday celebrations are a blessing. Bleacher cushions are a must grandparents!
Delilah is actually now 5. I guess that was confusing as she started skating before her birthday in January. Isn’t seeing those first birds great?? I’m still looking for our first robin. A friend saw one three days ago, but I still haven’t. Boo hoo.
Love those pictures of sweet Delilah! Such a little beauty and what a talent to skate at 4. Grandchildren are such a joy! Happy belated birthday to Will. That dinner menu sure sounds delicious. How nice of your neighbors to treat you with a meal. We are still on a roller coaster here. It has been in the 80s yesterday and will be today, but tomorrow night it will drop to 25. It is just spring and winter fighting it out. It sure does make things interesting, lol. My lilacs are starting to leaf out and the peony’s are peeking up. The birds have been singing their hearts out here. I love hearing them. We have had flocks of Robins and the Turkey Buzzards are back. Dad and I watched on of them floating on the air currents yesterday. They can float for ages without flapping their wings. So fun to watch! Sending prayers for a blessed week.
Thank you so much! Delilah enjoys skating so much. She’s really 5 now, as she had a birthday. I sure wasn’t skating at 5!! Maybe 7 or 8, on a river at our cabin. I love it though and hope Delilah skates for years to come. All of our flowers are still dormant and today, the high is 26 after having 61 degrees F, yesterday. Yep a big rollercoaster for sure!!
Delilah skating – at 4! Wow that’s awesome. Beautiful little girl, and so good you are close with them. Jackie, you are truly blessed. Whether it’s family being together, birds singing, eagles flying, friends bringing Will a birthday meal or noticing the first flowers of spring, you are blessed to be able to appreciate the simple things in life. These are the gifts God gives us that really matter! Thank you for sharing your life with us and reminding us to appreciate these things too. Good weather and Peace to all.
We are sure blessed with so many things from a wonderful family and friends to the gratefulness for all the simple things that make our life so fulfilling. I think a lot of people forget to be grateful in their quest for “more” of stuff that really doesn’t matter.
I still have a bleacher cushion from my high school years. Y’all need to find yourselves a seat cushion – bleachers have not changed in a century plus!
I thought about planting one less paste tomato plant this year but quickly changed my mind. Daffodils, hostas, and resurrection lilies soldiered through the snow we had and continue to grow. I need to check for crocus and the one spring wildflower whose name eludes me. The wildflower patch was almost lost to garlic mustard so I’ve been vigilant about carefully digging the GM out of the patches.
Nice the show was on Saturday and Sherri’s carrot cake cupcakes look quite tasty.
Ish, I hate garlic mustard. It’s so invasive and hard to get rid of completely. Yep, I’m seriously thinking a bleacher cushion would be a good idea. Our butts didn’t suffer as much as our backs. It’s hard to plant less. I am doing that, but still have three full flats of tomatoes. Oh well, we can find homes for the excess tomatoes via the food shelf and senior center, not to mention friends.
What a Beautul Grand Daughter.
Obviously, we think so too : ) : )
Delilah is so cute on the ice rink. Love her outfit.
Have you ever used an electric pressure canner? I am thinking about buying one to use for small batches of vegetables and meat. My American made canner is to big for some things I want to can. Like left over carrots or potatoes in pint jars.
We thought she was so cute too!
No, I am not a fan of electric pressure canners. First off, we live off grid and any heat-producing gadget sucks the life out of our batteries. Then there is the possibility that if your power goes off, you wouldn’t be able to can foods like those thawing out in your freezer. I do know some folks like them though, so don’t let me talk you out of one.
Delilah sure is a cutie. I know you are proud. I went to a college graduation for a granddaughter and could hardly walk for a week. It is tough on us old gals. LOL Well, it is extremely warm for a day or two here and then we have a “winter”. The Red Buds, the Bradford Pears, and now Dogwood winter have come and gone. So, we will have several more cold snaps for sure before it turns to a real spring and summer. I normally have so much to do in the summer so I freeze my berries that I don’t have time to can. I got the last of them out this week and made blueberry preserves. Yesterday, I made blueberry/blackberry pie filling. I am looking forward to fresh strawberries soon. And yes, most of all, good ole home grown tomatoes. I have some left over ProMix from last year (thank goodness) so I will be planting my flower seeds soon. I too old to garden anymore and I sure miss it; but I have lots of planters and boxes for flowers. I still can up fresh foods; but I buy from local farms, and it is wonderful to live in a place where you can still see acres of corn, soybeans and sugarcane. Most folks here in rural Lawrence County, TN still have a garden, cows, chickens, etc. It is a wonderful place for sure. Looking to the future with joy! Happy Birthday Will. Hope you have many,many more.
Yep, freezing those extra berries sure helps when you’re busy with other things in the summer. I’m looking for the first peony “noses” to come up out of the ground but it’s still early here. But it’s exciting to know that it’s coming!! Happy Spring!!
Jackie, Your list of birthday dinner items made me hungry! Husband wants me to grow a garden this year: green beans, tomatoes, red bell pepper, yellow squash, and jalapenos. Your blog occasionally gives me a deliberate heads-up about how important it is to grow our own. So thank you for that reminder in this blog entry, because I call this my hobby, but there will be a time, perhaps, that we rely on this “hobby’s” provision! Our ninety degrees is finally settling back into normal 70s and 80s for March. I continue to use a lot of my already home-canned goods, much of it 4 and 5 years old. My grocery bill is tiny for the few fresh things my husband wants. I’ve learned a lot through canning and eating it. Regards from far north California
It is so easy to kind of ease up on gardening. Yes, it is a lot of work. But so fulfilling too. And, with the state of the world right now, economically and war-wise, I feel so much better having control of our food source, not depending on corporations and corporate farms to feed us. I’ve always been a “I’ll do it myself!” kind of gal anyway. : )
Oh how proud you must have been of Delilah!
Heard our first Robin yesterday at the farm in Pike. Such a wonderful treat for the ears.
Happy Birthday Will! Those cupcakes look amazing!
Those cupcakes ARE amazing. I ate one of the last ones this morning for breakfast. (Okay, so it’s not “health food”. It’s pretty darned tasty though!)
I keep listening for a robin but no dice, yet. Will did hear our pair of scout Canada Geese yesterday, flying up the creek. They come first every year, before the big flocks arrive. I’m wondering if it’s the pair that nests on our beaver pond?
Finished the maple sap boil-15 pints. The syrup looks great and tastes great. Today I’m repotting peppers. Tomato seedlings are all up. Temp 60-wow. Cool nights so wood stove still going. Soon the calves will come. I think (cross my fingers) the snow is done. We do need rain. I’m glad I have no reason to be in an airport. I have a granddaughter who is in skating. It is hard on my old keister and ice rings are cold. It’s nice to get outside without a heavy coat.
Wow, 15 pints of maple syrup. That’s fantastic!! My tomato seedings are just coming up. Two more flats to go. I’ve got to transplant my peppers but I’m holding off as long as possible, until the nights warm up enough that our propane heater in the greenhouse can keep it warm enough for them to survive in.
Our first calves should be arriving in late April so we, too, are hoping we’ll be done with bad snowstorms.
Both Will and my butts can survive sitting that long (barely), but both of us have compressed vertebrae and sitting that long hurts the backs for days. We did love watching the skating though!!
I started working in the tomato fields when I was 14. Sucker,tie,pick and pack. Boy was I green. I’d just moved from Florida and knew nothing about farming. But I worked every summer during my high school years. Then as an adult I worked several summers planting cabbage on a planter. Talk about fun. I lived every minute of it. During my high school years, 1972-1977, there were 3 farms in the little town. Each farm employed 30-40 teenaged with a waiting list with as many names. The last several years the farms were still being run the teenagers of that generation were not interested in working. Now all the farmers have passed and land sold to gravel pit. I’ve said it many times we can’t eat gravel. I thank the Lord my husband and I grow and can every year. Thank you, Jackie for the knowledge you’ve passed on to people like me.
You’re very welcome Robin! We’re so grateful to be in a position to help others become more independent and self-reliant. You’re right. You can’t eat gravel. Nor money. When I was young, I worked with migrant workers after putting in 8 hours as a veterinary technician. I blocked sugar beets on fields you couldn’t see the far end, picked cucumbers (back-breaking work) and red raspberries. The pay wasn’t much but sure helped. And I enjoyed it too! It sure boosted my Spanish language skills, but I did learn a few un-lady-like phrases too.
Such a lil cutie!!!
Yes, we think so too. And her “baby” sister, Melanie, too!