I got about three-quarters of a day to work on quilting yesterday which wasn't as much as I would have liked but better than a boot in the butt just the same. Hubby has a fun day planned for this coming Sunday with a good guy friend so I think I'm going to squeak in some more quilting time that day.
Today I did a bit of heavy house cleaning which felt good. Now that it's done it feels good anyway. I'm still washing loads of throw rugs as we speak. We had a gorgeous weather day and had windows and doors opened up until a short time ago. This is the earliest spring weather we've experienced in the thirty-eight years we've lived in northern Minnesota. Should we tread carefully, do ya think?
The picture above was taken on April 1st of 2009. The shot is of our neighbor's house. The "lump" showing in the right foreground is the top of the post at the end of their deck railing. They had been gone for a couple of weeks and we were keeping an eye on their property for them. We had to hand shovel the deck so they could get in their door when they returned the next day, and plow their 1/2 mile driveway. (Ask us how many times we got the truck stuck in that heavy, wet snow.)
Then this was an April 20th snowstorm the same year. So you can readily see, normally we can get a lot of snow in March AND April.But this year it's been so darn warm, I have to wonder if I dare chance planting some things in one of my raised beds right now if I put a cold frame over it. I went out into the garden today to clean the debris off my two chive plants. I was surprised the chives (underneath all that mulch) weren't as far along as I suspected they might be because of the warm weather. The soil in the raised beds is still very wet, but I'll bet in a week it will be just fine for planting. So even though it's unheard of to plant this early up here in the Northwoods, I just may give it a go.
I'm hoping to get back on track of more regular posting again. As I say, this past week has been less than normal so my regular routine kinda went out the window.
I did just get a post up on my quilting blog showing what I did on Thursday. Click here if you want to zoom on over there for a quick peek.
P.S. I've got to change my blog header photo because nearly every speck of our snow is gone, gone, gone.
20 comments:
Are you sure you want to get rid of the snow blog header? Don't want to jinx the entire state of Minnesota you know!
I can't believe you uttered those last few words....now you're going to bring back winter for sure! lol I tried plowing my garden today with the 4-wheeler and plow. Got stuck. Just a little too wet yet. (I'm not taking my snow header down yet :-)
Been one of those weeks here too... and we have another winter storm blowing in, with snow predicted above 1000 feet (we are at about 400, so we won't see any).
We're just downwind from the southern tip of Lake Michigan--the area that the words "Lake Effect snow" talk about when they're describing unseasonal, unexpected weather. It's been so crazy warm here, that we've already prepped all the beds, added amenities, spread the compost and planted all the cold tolerant crops. We do have them covered with row cover and hoops, and figure if we get some cold, it's only the cost of the seeds, and we can always replant. If not, what a head start we've got!
CR - The sad thing is we can really use more snow . . . OR lots of rain in the next couple of months. We're really lacking moisture because of lack of snow over winter. The first couple of wild Mallard ducks arrived yesterday on our pond which is down about 3-4 feet from where it should be.
dr momi - It just seems so "not right" to have up that picture of so much snow when we are having temps in the 60s during the day and 40s at night. I'll keep mine up if you will. ;o}
Ruth - We've got heavy rains predicted for the first of the week but no snow. We SHOULD be expecting more snow this time of year, but I just don't think it's gonna happen this year.
Trailshome - That's exactly what I'm thinking . . . what will I lose but a few seeds and a little time outside enjoying the beautiful fresh air and sunshine! I'm going for it as soon as the beds are dry enough!
All the same, watch out for that lake effect snow!
Winter all over the country was weard this year! Day time temps here are in the high 70's and low 80's!
We planted one raised bed with onions and later this week we will be setting up ths tires and planting potatoes. We started 6 types of tomatoes, 3 types of sweet peppers and several types of flowers early this last week.
The fruit trees are starting to bloom and I even saw wood bees visiting the Tulips! Spring is really here when the Wisteria starts to bloom, And that will happen real soon!
Tom
We didn't have much snow this winter either and what we go seemed to melt as fast as we got it. That has me worried about the summer. We need that snow pack in the mountains to melt slowly so we have water all summer. If it melts too fast we get flooding and if there isn't enough we have drought.
I kinda like winter when we get tons of snow.
hey ,did you notice it got a little warm yesterday.I was also cleaning ,windows and such,but I refused to pack my boots. I don't even have superstitions but just in case ,I knew if I packed my boots away,we would get a snow storm( bite my tongue)
It looks like you got alot done. I know how you feel though about the gardens. I put up one greenhouse and am thinking I'm going to do a little raised bed planting. Then I remind myself was day it is and I look at all that cleared garden space and sigh. I should hold back a bit longer, My birthday is May 7th and I had one year where it snowed on my birthday! Winter isn't quite over yet...but it is raining right now! :-)
I need to do a deep clean of our house too. Between going away for a week, and dad's surgery, it looks like a bomb went off in it lol. So glad you are getting some much needed quilting time in.
We hit 80 here the last 2 days and it is forecast to continue. I've got spinach up in the garden- unheard of! And yes, I replaced my header photo with one of the crocus in the yard so I've probably doomed us to snow. But I worry about the trees. Everything is leafing out and it is only mid March. I see trouble ahead if we do get more snow.
Judy
The first year we moved here to the Northland from Michigan I had to replant my garden 3 times due to frost, I'm not buying an early Spring just yet.
Tom - Boy, you are in full-blown spring time! Our weather is unseasonably warm, too, but we're only getting up into the 60s during the day. But when you consider in a normal year we could be well below freezing, that seems very warm.
Did your Pay It Forward package arrive to you yet? I mailed it last Monday . . . hope it didn't get "lost!"
Sparkless - I like winters with lots of snow, too. Our little pond fills from the snow melt (which is just about done already) and it's at least 2-3' down from what it should be.
judy - I went as far as to put our Sorels that sit out on a rug in the entryroom into the bottom of our outdoors clothes closet . . . but didn't pack them away yet!
Rea - I think after the warm weather we've all had, we don't really want to see any more snow now. But up here in northern Minnesota we're gonna need a LOT of spring rain to keep us from going into summer in a severe drought situation!
Stephanie - I was a little embarrassed when I was cleaning yesterday to notice just how dirty everything was. (Where's an efficient maid when you need her?) At least you have a good excuse for a less than pristine house!
Judy - Yikes, with your temperatures your little spinach is gonna shrivel up and expire from the heat! I think everyone is worried about a frost yet that will nip blossoms and buds. But what can we do? Mother Nature seems to be fooling with us, but good!
Chai Chai - And you are no doubt one very smart person!!
I have already seen more sunshine this morning (it's 9 am) than the previous 10 days!! The temp is around 20, but the sun is marvelous. Now maybe the time change gloom will lift and I can get back to a normal life.
I'm not counting "Spring here" just yet. We out here in S. Oregon have not had a normal winter either, but we have not had any super above normal temperatures either. I, too, worry about a dry and hot summer - I hate forest fires.
Good luck to everyone and their gardens.
Yvette
Well, you know what John Denver said .... "Some days (me: weeks) are diamonds; Some days (me: weeks) are stone". Life is ever changing but I am not liking the change in the weather this year either. I am a bit west of Tom and we are in the high 70's now for a couple of days. Yep, our wood boring bees are already eying our deck. I think I actually got dehydrated the other day while hand trimming some bushes. The worse part is that we cannot open our windows due to the pollen!!! I know: complain, complain, complain. Sorry! Off to check on the quilt blog. That should make me smile!
We are having a wonderful June down here. But it is not going to fool me. I know that April will probably have a couple snows, so no planting for me. Even though it was in the seventies for a week and predicted for another. What a tease.
Mama Pea,
The package arrived in todays mail. I was like a kid on Christmas Morning!
It is so cool and the colors are great (I really like the little touch of Blue!)!!
I will post about it tomorrow.
Tom
Incredible photo of your neighbor's house! Now THAT image evokes thoughts of spending the day inside quilting away :)
Yvette - All of us who live in/near forested areas are worried about a too dry spring and summer. Let's hope for lots of spring rains!
Karen L. - Happily none of us in our family are affected by pollen or allergies because we even have that problem up here. (Probably not as much as you do though.) All of us across the country are going to be fighting bad bugs/insects this year because of no really cold weather this winter. Rats.
Jane - I giggled at your line about having a wonderful June! So true. Heck, our temps are more like July or August! Ummm, so what will they be in July or August??
Tom - Hooray! Glad to hear the package arrived. Enjoy!
Erin - Can you imagine the havoc that would create up here (and totally mess up our fragile psyches) if we got a snow like that THIS year on April 1st??
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