If ever there was an in-your-face reminder that we’re all connected through the world around us, I only need to look up to see it. Gray skies—and not the “it’s going to rain” kind—lend an eerie feel to the day. The sun is up there somewhere, oddly illuminating the haze. And there are clouds moving … Continue reading Gray Skies
Just Outside My Window
I really do love the Internet and Google. Last night, the peepers and other night critters were being especially vocal. I could hear them quite clearly through the open window upstairs while I was downstairs watching television and playing on the computer with all the downstairs windows closed. One sound - a repeated trilling - … Continue reading Just Outside My Window
On Your Mark, Get Ready …
Memorial Day weekend is almost here, but not quite. There’s a frost warning for tonight, so I’ve moved my hanging baskets and other annuals into the garage for protection against the (hopefully) last freezing temperatures of the season. While perennials tend to weather a frost with no permanent damage, the last one put an end … Continue reading On Your Mark, Get Ready …
This Is Why We Wait
The general consensus around these parts is that planting in the garden is done after Memorial Day. It’s a “just in case” kind of thing most years, but in springtime in the Berkshires, you never know what weather Mother Nature is going to toss in the mix next.Case in point: this spring. We enjoyed an … Continue reading This Is Why We Wait
This Is It
I walked out the back door this morning and all I had to do was breathe to know that the lilacs have begun to bloom. It’s a fragrance I wait for each spring, one I wish stayed around longer. Cut branches will fill the house with their scent. I’ll enjoy each and every breath, indoors … Continue reading This Is It
Maybe I Should Build an Ark
It’s been raining now for days on end. While the sun does peek through on occasion, the ground is too wet to dig in. I know this because in the past I’ve given in to the urge to work in the garden beds too soon after a heavy or extended rain. While it is possible … Continue reading Maybe I Should Build an Ark
April Showers
It’s raining. Again. As I look out the window, there’s so much green, thanks to all that rain. The trees and shrubs are leafing out and spring favorites like bleeding hearts have emerged. It’s amazing how much it’s all changed in just a couple of weeks. Of course, the green in my garden isn’t just from … Continue reading April Showers
All the Little Changes
It’s so easy to count the reasons spring is my favorite season. Contrary weather is not one of them. After blissful days of sunshine, warm (as in “is it summer already?”) temperatures, open windows, and working in the garden, clouds descended, the temperature dropped, and rain arrived. Of course, the sun came out again, but … Continue reading All the Little Changes
Oh, My Aching . . . Everything
I put it off, knowing a day or two (or three) delay wouldn’t change what needed to be done. Finally, today, I grabbed loppers and pruners and doused myself with bug repellant and headed out into the garden to tackle the row of lilacs and the branches damaged by winter’s last hurrah. By the end … Continue reading Oh, My Aching . . . Everything
In the Aftermath
The snow from our March blizzard has nearly all melted, but inevitably there’s that stubborn section on the north side of the garage that takes forever to melt. Between its position and the accumulation of snow from the garage roof, there’s always a large pile of compacted snow there. What I’ve discovered as the mounds … Continue reading In the Aftermath
Pen, Paper, Plant 