Growing things

My blueberry bushes are establishing themselves nicely in their pots, and the straw bales do seem effective for growing things. (One source actually says that mushrooms in the bales are a good sign, as it demonstrates the straw is breaking down appropriately.) The corn is about as tall as that sprouting in nearby fields, so I seem to be on track with that. (I’ll post pics tomorrow — the iPad app that I use for posting won’t let me resize photos.)

On the other hand, two rounds of tomato seedlings died on me, so today I bought starter plants (two Roma, a Black Krim, and a cherry) and stuck them into the one bale. We’re having fairly steady rain this evening, so that should help them settle in nicely!

So today, I’m grateful that this year’s garden experiment seems to be going well. What are you grateful for today?

Spring is in bloom

I love spring, and April is lovely here in PA. (By the way, that’s how they talk here — they don’t say the name of the state. They say “P-A.” I must be going native.) The pollen utterly kills my allergies, of course, but on a day like this, where the rain has temporarily washed it all from the sky, I can enjoy the flowers. (And be very grateful for the rain!) And while it’s still gray, the forsythia in particular is very striking! Continue reading

Nothing says Valentine’s Day like more snow

If you’ve paid attention to the news this past week (or if you’re on the East Coast yourself), you know about the blizzard this week. I’m getting kind of tired of all the snow days the kids have had (two last week, two this week, more snow coming next week — I think we’re around twelve snow days for the year so far?). There’s no question that they’ve been warranted, though. A foot of snow and ice? Yeah, you don’t want kids walking to school in that, or school buses trying to drive in it. So, for your viewing pleasure, the latest shots of the yard. Continue reading

Today’s weather

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We’re on the lower band of the current storm, which means wintry mix instead of the snow people farther north are getting. We got snow early, followed by sleet and freezing rain. That pretty dogwood I posted yesterday? Snow’s gone, and it’s coated with ice.

Shoveling’s not going to be fun today, but the college my husband works at only has a two-hour delay, which means he does have to head out. This in turn means the driveway does need to be shoveled.

On the other hand, I’m not driving anywhere on the icy streets today, and our son has yet another snow day.

How’s your Wednesday shaping up?