Coffee, dog, greens, greenhouse and snow on an overcast Wednesday morning
What a winter! Even though I love this season, this particular one has knocked me off my orbit a bit…and I have been bobbling on, more eccentric than ever.
Time to get my bearings. I think what was hardest for me this winter was the even more pronounced lack of sun. Because we’re so close to the lake, we’re usually fairly shrouded in clouds between November and February. A good and bad thing (good: it’s so much warmer, bad: clouds mean precipitation), those clouds.
But the earth is tilting, and as it tilts the clouds retreat. To help my cloud-induced fugue state I have decided to spend part of my morning the way I spend it in the warm months of the year: I take my 2nd cup of coffee outside with me to the garden.
Granted, at this time of the year, the snow-covered garden is not terribly interesting. But the old greenhouse? It’s a light box, even when cloudy. Wear the sunglasses, take off your outerwear, grasp that mug in your hands and take a seat. If only for 10-15 minutes, it really does a body good.
Closeup of that bed: self-sown mache, Brune d’Hiver lettuce, and curly endive (frisee)
Glad you came to visit!
Got something to say? Email me at fastweedpuller at gmail dot com.
fast grow the weeds 
We’ve had a week of spring-like weather in Tennessee. Highs in the upper fifties and low sixties for the past 6 days…deceives me into thinking Spring has sprung.
Heading outside to get some sun myself, definitely need it this week.
D. said last week “when the hoop’s up, you can go work out there when it’s raining”. I hadn’t thought of that! Not only a cure for winter, but for mud season 🙂
I’m hoping to get some mache seeds in the ground soon. I tried to grow it a couple years ago and waited too long (absolutely nothing germinated)
When we were considering moving to Oregon (still a possibility), we’d decided we’d have to have a greenhouse just so I could do what you are doing. Our previous year in OR showed that I get SAD (seasonal affective disorder) pretty bad so I’d have to do something. Living on a pot of coffee a day (or espresso) was not good for me.
Enjoy your brightness out there!
The way you wrote, I can really feel the warm humid soil! What a wonderful time! Sitting there, with the coffee cup, and, of course, some lemon for the lettuce!! YUM!
Can’t wait to get me one of those greenhouses. I did see dirt today for the first time in months and it was lovely. Of course, the fact that we had the warmest February day ever, as much as I enjoyed it, is a bit disturbing. But the sun was shining and well, it’s hard to stay disturbed when you are outside without mittens for the first time since I can’t remember when. Of course, tomorrow when it’s freakin’ cold again, you’ll be in your greenhouse and I’ll be taking my light therapy outside and wearing a parka.
We’ve had a bit of a weather teaser this week- even reaching 72* one day. Next week when we’re back to winter I’ll start my seeds; this week was for outside projects. Ah, sunshine.
So you get that thing called “lake effect” snow and rain…I keep forgetting you live close to that big lake, that must make for some crazy weather at times. Enjoy those greens and the greenhouse, sounds like quite the winter oasis.:)
lizzlee, doesn’t it fool you? I mean, I am all for a bit of a thaw (you know, when the temperatures hit maybe 40 for a day or two) but this instaspring is no fun at all.
Sara, indeed!! I spend MANY rain-drenched hours in there. It’s great for drying things too. Every Mother’s Day for example I get the whole day to myself, and often enough, it’s a rainy day…but believe me, I can putter quite well in there in the rain. You’ll love it.
Daedre, well, once you have it, you always will. This is an okay thing, it’s not like they’re weeds. But yeah, they grow all winter in the greenhouse and are starting to sprout into seed now so it’s kind of like playing catch-up, and most of our salads are mache!
Chile, yeah, the one thing I can definitely say is “know thyself!” If I feel a bit down I realize it’s not just circumstances, it’s that I need a bit of vitamin D. I hope you do get one if you move; they’re magical, even if people think they’re ugly.
Sissy, it’s fun! I am not a good “sitter” so forcing myself to sit on my heinie and just relax is a bit of work 🙂 I do love the smell, the dampness…it’s a good time in there.
Bev, well, yeah, I spoke a bit soon. Like you, winter’s come back, this time as an ice-storm nightmare. And today lots more snow. Sigh. I did see my garden for the first time since the first week of December, though! I wish you a regular spring.
It got nice and hot here too, Pamela. The chickens were so happy! I granted them their freedom and they ran around eating grass. Now, well, it’s all gone but the teaser was kind of fun.
Mike, indeed. I walk outdoors and smell the lake, and if it’s windy I hear it! That’s pretty close in my book! It does make for some craziness. It usually misses us, ironically, because we are so close to the lake. 1o miles inland, no dice, you’re doomed. So for example all the schools east of us are closed, and we have nearly no snow, lots of ice, and school’s open. It’s fun in the greenhouse whatever it’s doing outside though.
If I hadn’t blown up my knee, I’d be outside pacing back and forth waiting for the snow to melt. Glad your kitchen is done. How’d it come out?
I meant to ask what the heck you did to your knee, Peter. The kitchen reno was simple and half-assed. To be serious I need to put in a foundation and knock out a wall, this was a band-aid. I built about 42 lineal feet of shelving. That helps, believe me. Now I can see all my bowls, plates, and pots that I have made.