Welcome?
Winter is officially here and we are unprepared. Last time I checked the weather there was no longer snow and they were calling for rain. So when we heard that there was a noreaster forecasted to arrive on Saturday night we were a little nervous. We happened to be down in Rhode Island, Mr Chiots was speaking at a conference. Luckily, we made it home before the snow started. We woke up the next morning to an inch or so of snow and things deteriorated from there. It snowed…..and snowed….and continued to snow long after they had predicted that it would stop.
We ended up with 16-18 inches of snow – we were not ready for that. Our plow truck is down for the count, the tow truck is supposed to come and take it to the local repair shop. The pig fences were almost completely buried in the snow – not good. Then the power went out – YAY (the reason there was no blog post yesterday).
We went to bed early and got up really early on Monday morning to dig out. The first order of business was the pig fence. What a chore to dig 1-2 feet of snow from around 400 feet of fencing, on both sides. But we got it finished, then we hooked the plow truck battery up to the fence charger and got their fence going again. Though with the snow so deep they weren’t going anywhere very fast. I wish I had gotten some photos, but I was too busy digging. Thankfully the sun came out and helped things thaw a bit. Mr Chiots dug out the driveway with the tractor and we were able to get out.
I don’t actually mind when the power goes out, I find the respite to be nice. Sometimes in this day and age we need this kind of experience to remind us how much we rely on technology to entertain and distract us. I always enjoy an evening or two without electricity. Thankfully though ours came back on the following day, now I can get back to work. I’m still a few days behind from my week without internet a few weeks ago.
Do you enjoy a day or two without power or does it drive you crazy?
Share this:
I Spy……Noah?
It’s been raining, and raining, and raining, and then raining some more. It’s been pouring buckets and coming down in sheets, I’m fairly certain I saw some cats and dogs out there as well. This has been going on for days, what actually seems like an eternity. Everything is soggy, drenched, and soaked to the bone.
The mud in the pig paddock is about 8″ deep, I lost my boot a few times while giving them dry bedding yesterday. The chickens have been locked in their coop, partly because of the rain and partly because of that pesky weasel. I would have taken my camera out to get photos, but the rain never completely stopped so it wasn’t possible.
The only happy creatures around here a the ducks, who stand in penguin mode looking up at the sky letting the rain roll down their backs. They play in the puddles that are everywhere and generally are having a blast. Everyone else is completely miserable, including myself. I checked the rain gauge yesterday afternoon when the rain lightened a bit and it was overflowing at 6.5″, who knows how long it was like that, I’m guessing quite a while. I’m guessing we may end up with close to a foot of rain when it finally moves through.
This quote came to mind yesterday “Even darkness must pass, a new day will come, and when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer?” Samwise Gamgee. You can bet I’ll be standing outside letting it shine brightly on my face when it does. I’m also thinking of Karen Carpenter’s song “Rainy days & Mondays always get me down”. However the rain is good for the garden and rainy days make us appreciate the sunny days all the more.
What are you waiting patiently to pass so you can feel the sweetness of the opposing force?
Share this:
The Inevitable
Well it looks like we may have frost on Thursday night. The gardens here are south facing and we are on top of a hill, so we get frost much later in the fall than many of the gardens in the area. I have a few melons and butternut squashes that I will cover just in case, but most everything else will be allowed to live or die depending on what happens that night.
I used to cover tomatoes and peppers, trying to eek out a few more ripe fruits, but realized quickly that my efforts were in vain. Now I will only cover things like squash that will continue to ripen for winter storage.
In some ways frost in welcome this time of year, particularly right now. It’s been a busy summer for us and I welcome the sense of finality that frost brings to the garden year. There’s still a lot to do to get the garden ready for winter, mulching and seeding cover crops are two big chores that will take a lot of time. It is nice to see the finish line up ahead, I’m really looking forward to a little rest this coming winter!
When is your first frost, does it seem early/late this year?
Share this:
Rain, Sweet Rain
A smell of rain came on streaks of coolness through the hot wind.
“Oh, maybe it will get to us, Ma! Maybe it will!” Laura said. Inside themselves they were all saying, “Please, please, please!”
The wind blew cooler. slowly, slowly, the cloud shadow grew larger. Now the cloud spread wide in the sky. Suddenly a shadow rushed across the flat land and up the knoll, and fast after it came the marching rain. It came up the knoll like millions of tiny trampling feet, and rain poured down on the house and on Ma and Mary and Laura and Carrie.
…Just before sunset the rain went away. Down across Plum reek and away across the prairie to the east it went, leaving only a few sparkling drops falling in the sunshine. Then the cloud turned purple and red and curled gold edges against the clear sky. The sun sank and the starts came out. The air was cool and the earth was damp and grateful.
Laura Ingalls Wilder (On the Banks of Plum Creek)
It’s been dry here, for quite a while. Thankfully the weather has been cooler, but things were starting to get a little too dry in the garden. This summer our rain has come in big amounts, very quickly. We have had 5 inches overnight on several occasions. The result is that a lot runs off and not much soaks in.
I’ve had to water my newly planted shrubs quite often and I frequently find myself lugging watering cans around making sure potted plants are watered and prize plants have the water they need.
Last night we had a glorious soaking rain, it was perfect. Not too hard, not too soft, just right. I was worried with the hot days we’ve been having and a long trip on the horizon. Thankfully this rain will keep things in shape until I return, I can now travel without worry of trying to explain which plants might need a long drink while I am away.
How has the rainfall been in your garden this summer?
Share this:
Friday Favorite: The Sun in Winter
Yesterday I was talking with a friend about how much how wonderful the sun is in the middle of winter. When you live in a northern climate, seeing the sun on a short winter day is cause for a small celebration. I’ve noticed here in Maine, seeing the sun on a winter day is more common than in was in NE Ohio. Northern Ohio has the reputation for being very gray in the winter and it truly is. We’ve been enjoying beautiful clear sunny days and LOVING them.
I think the sun coupled with snow makes for a kind of brightness that you can’t achieve in the summer. There’s just something about the warmness of the sun and the coolness of the snow I find amazing!
What do you notice most during the winter in your area?
