a favorite place

I have returned from my trip to the city, and one of the first things I did was to go to one of my favorite sitting spots along the riverrim. This time of year it is mossy and clean of all tall grass and leaves etc., as the high waters of spring have cleared most of the debri and deposited it elsewhere. I like to sit and think and pray at this spot, and sometimes I just like to listen to the water and wonder where it is going.

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things to celebrate

I am going away for a little while, so I shall leave you with a few things to celebrate while I am gone.
March 20 is the first day of spring! The vernal equinox will arrive at precisely 1:49 a.m. EST so you can celebrate by standing some eggs on end, or not!
March 21 is the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach. If you like classical music, you can most likely tune in to a local NPR radio station that may be playing his music. You can also check out this link
For a list of other things you can celebrate during the Month of March go here.

See you soon!

getting all mushy about mud

With spring only a few days away, I awoke to a fresh blanket of snow on the ground this morning. I know that fresh snow in March will not be around for very long, which is why I do not reach for the snow shovel. March snow is always heavy and wet and slushy...and turns the ground to MUD.


I used hate mud season around here. It means extra mopping in the mud room. The streaking of brown smears on the bluestone floor would make me feel like the house was just plain dirty. Muddy boots, muddy cars, muddy chickens..mud mud mud. But I have grown to really like mud season. It means that spring is coming. When the Phoebe arrives, she will use the mud to build her nest...so it IS good for something. And so I have resolved to be glad during mud season- and to celebrate I went out an brought myself a new MOP! For more musings about mud click here

The rhomney bag I am working on is about the same color of mud. I am almost finished with the construction of it. I still have to add the straps and flap before I full it. I was hoping to have it ready for a trip I am taking, but that was not to be, so I will finish it when I return. I will be making the straps on the double lucet. I find that working on the lucet is a nice change of pace. It also provides a very strong cord which should lend itself nicely to a shoulder bag.

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.

morning coffee

There is a busy day waiting, followed by a busy week of chores to accomplish before I go away....but these girls wanted to share a cup of coffee with me this morning.
Everyone is talking about the snow that is coming our way later this week. I wish it would not come. I have been carting seedlings out to the greenhouse (during the day), and into the house (for the night). They are getting too leggy, but the temps at night are still to low to risk loosing them. I am going to hook up a heater out there for a few nights this week.
Tried to spin yesterday, but the guys tore me away from the wheel to go to a St. Patricks Parade in the City. I was glad they did because I heard two different pipe bands, and one traditional- also saw some great step dancing and beautiful costumes with Celtic Knot embroidery.

The added daylight is giving me more than the daily dozen!

spinning group

Yesterday we had a nice meeting with the spinning group. I was working on putting together tri's that I had woven from the Rhomney that I had been spinning. I have been weaving on the small lap size tri, and assembling them in a fashion that will eventually become a bag. I am using the double lucet to make cording for the straps. I also purchased a lovely spinning wheel threadhook from a friend whose husband is making them to sell on ebay. I brought one that is made out of cocobloa wood. It is very beautiful, and Fred is a very talented master carpenter. Still no luck on the brioche stitch, as Freda was not able to attend.

seeding

I worked on finishing up a cap I have been making out of my handspun angora from my grey doe. It is currently filled with those blue walmart bags while it is drying by the woodstove. It seems a bit large to me, even though I swatched the gauge before I started.

I started flats of broccoli at the end of last week, and today I started peppers, and lavender and mesculan lettuce. The remainder of my afternoon disappeared into my seed basket, shuffling through old packs of this and that. Most of them are saved from years goneby, in little brown paper envelopes with dates scribbled on them. Some are from my garden, some from family and friends... I was reminded of a poem that a friend had given me. It is a useful poem written by Lawrence D. Hills ...

You have in your drawer since Christmas Day,
All the seed packets you daren't throw away.
Seed Catalogues cometh as year it doth end.
But look in ye drawer before money you spend,
Throw out ye Parsnip, 'tis no good next year.
And Scorzonera if there's any there,
For these have a life that is gone with ye wynde.
Unlike all seeds of ye cabbagy kinde,
Broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, cabbage and kale,
Live long like a farmer who knoweth good ale.
Three years for certain maybe five or four.
To sow in their seasons they stay in ye drawer.
Kohl-Rabi lasts with them and so does Pei-Tsai.
The winter "cos-lettuce' to sow in July.
But short is the life of ye Turnips and Swedes,
Sow next year only, enough for your needs.
Mustard and Cress for when salads come round.
Sows for three seasons so buy half a pound.
Radish lasts four years, both round ones and long.
Sow thinly and often, they're never too strong.
Last year's left lettuce sows three summers more.
And beetroot and spinach beet easily four.
But ordinary Spinach both prickly and round,
Hath one summer left before gaps in the ground.
Leeks sow three Aprils and one soon will pass.
And this is as long as a carrot will last.
Onion seed keeps till three years have flown by,
But sets are so easy and dodge onion-fly.
Store Marrows and Cucumbers, best when they're old.
Full seven summers' sowings a packet can hold.
Six hath ye Celery that needs a frost to taste.
So hath Celeriac before it goes to waste.
Broad Beans, French ones, Runners, sown in May.
Each hath a sowing left before you throw away.
And store Peas, tall Peas, fast ones and slow,
Parsley and Salsify have one more spring to sow.
Then fillen ye form that your seedsmen doth send.
For novelties plentie, there's money to spend.
Good seed and good horses are worth the expense,
So pay them your dollars as I paid my cents.

wood thrush

the wood thrush arrived this morning. I always mark the calendar when the wood thrush arrives, and this year, the wood thrush is about 2 weeks early. I have been keeping track since 1997, so this is a new record. I love to hear his song. It will be at least 2 weeks before he will show himself under the forsythia bush, digging around in the leaves. Right now he is busy deep in the forest, but I know he has arrived nevertheless, because of the song he sings. Welcome back, wood thrush.