February Farm Diary: Transitions are Tough

Over the weekend, my crocuses put on a show.  They were bright as the sunshine.  

Saturday was cooler, but the sky cleared and it was a beautiful spring-like day. 

Transitions are tough.  Just ask Mother Nature! 

Last week, we went from 70 and thundershowers on Thursday, to 60 and blustery (a taste of March) on Friday, to cool and pleasant on Saturday, to snow showers on Sunday!  

Spring is on the way, but winter isn't giving up easy.  It happens every year about this time, but I'm always amazed at the variety of weather we can have.  Thank goodness, we haven't had much flooding.  Last year, it was one round after another.  

Also noted during the warm days: a first lunch on the porch, a first morning coffee on the porch, a first bouquet of daffodils picked, and the first sounds of spring peepers!  All are some of my favorite things, but they are not happening right now, as I type at my desk and glance out on occasion to watch the snow fly.  

We made good use of the warm days though.  I cleaned up the Blackstone, and I'm looking forward to the first cookout of the year, which might happen the next time it warms up! 

I continued with my flower bed clean-ups and in the process came away with a few mosquito/bug bites, a seasonal first that I'm not a fan of. 

On Saturday, the first my hubby had been off work for weeks, we were very productive around the farm.  We took down and rolled up fence wire in preparation for a new fence, which is easier said than done. Untangling fencing is a chore! Then we moved a stack of lumber in the barn lot, cleared off a section of the lot to park other equipment, hauled loads of stuff to the burn pile, and generally tidied up over there.  

I cut vines and briars off the bank where I have daffodils coming up by the branch, and I raked all the mess up. I'm excited to see my flowers blooming beside the water.  

I know I'm a little weird, but it's the simple things that excite me.  

On Sunday, we went out for lunch, picked up a few groceries, and visited with Robin's mom.  Winter is especially tough on older folks who don't get out much when it's cold and icy.  They have to be so careful about falls--it causes a lot of anxiety and isolation.  

Despite the cold, it was a pretty day, watching snow showers play peek-a-boo with blue skies and sunshine, which created interesting light and shadows on our beautiful Kentucky hills.  

I'll be glad for the next warm-up though! 

Red Lick Valley is beautiful any time of year, even on a wintry day. 

February Farm Diary: Spring Preview

Spotted: Pretty Daffodil Bloom!

What a treat these past few warm days have been.  Warm-er days, I mean.  Warm enough to be outdoors yardening! 

I've continued on my mission to clean up flower beds and freshen up the porches a bit.  

I've weed-whacked, raked, and dragged off debris, then burned it, which I find very satisfying.  

Out with the old, in with the new.  (The New Year really should start in spring, if you ask me.) 

I have a few crocuses blooming; daffodils are up and developing buds too.  That's why I want to make sure all the dead vegetation is gone so they can really show off in a couple more weeks! 

I almost always have companions watching me work when I'm outside... 

We still have not planted peas...the weather forecast is calling for cold and possibly some snow this weekend, so we figure they wouldn't grow much yet anyway.  

The grandkids (kids too) are enjoying the nicer weather.  They've been here in the afternoons a couple of days this week, and we've been playing basketball and wiffle ball.  My knees protest a little, but I'm thankful that I can still play with the kiddos.   It reminds me of the days when our girls were young.  I always enjoyed passing a ball with them or playing volleyball, etc. 

I sometimes listen to a podcast called "One Thousand Hours Outside" when I'm working around the house. Host Ginny Yurich emphasizes how important spending time outdoors each day is for kids--and everyone!  

In a recent episode, Ginny's guests were a mother/daughter duo who have written a book called Play is Practice for the Future.  They spoke of how play teaches impulse control and how a study of mass murderers found that a factor they all had in common was a lack of childhood play! 

Wow.  

They talked about the value of unstructured play.  Riding bikes, climbing trees, skipping rocks--all these old-fashioned past times help ground and settle kids. 

So do barnyard sports, I'm sure!  

Unfortunately, play is often considered unproductive or wasted time, but there's an old saying for that. 

You know, all work and no play makes ____ a dull girl! 

February Farm Diary: Valentine's Day Weekend

 Let me tell you, it was a wild one.  

As I mentioned previously, my hubby worked on Saturday, so, after morning chores in the house, and after the frost melted and the air warmed (quickly!), I headed outdoors wearing some heavy duty gloves and my muck boots. 

And my clothes, of course! 

I ate a meatloaf sandwich in my front porch rocker (first outdoor meal of 2026, hurray!), then I spent the entire afternoon pulling down dead vines from around the porch (the ones I purposely let grow each summer, the ones that make natural screens and shade me from the sun if I want to sit in the porch swing in the evening).  I also ripped up weeds and honeysuckle and poison ivy from flower beds, and raked and gathered three tarps full of debris to pull to the burn pile.  

Let me tell you, it was very gratifying. 

The fresh air felt great, and prepping for spring, imagining what I might plant next, etc., was inspiring. 

After Hubby got home and we fed the critters, we drove to town for a pizza.  I usually cook our meals, so a take-out pizza is a bit of a treat sometimes.  I still smelled like a barn lot, so I stayed in the car while Hubby went in to get the pizza.  

On Sunday, we were back in church, the ice finally having melted from the parking lot.  

Honestly, my heart felt heavy, with all the trouble in the land and in families' lives nearby, but I felt the Holy Spirit remind me that prayer is the greatest contribution I can make right now to peace in the world and peace within myself.   

I tried to stay away from social media, to allow myself time to re-center.   

My sister and I spent the afternoon at my dad's, chatting and eating and half-way watching the Olympics. It was a rainy dreary-looking day, and we had little choice but to rest.  

Back at home, the hubs and I had some snacks and watched TV a little and dozed in our recliners.  

There you have it, the exciting life of an old married couple. 

I'm grateful though, that not all of life is turmoil and confusion and corruption.   

I'm grateful for those I'm privileged to do life with, for the gift of being born into this beautiful area of the country, and for the hope that there is still light even when the world is dark.  

We can't let Satan blow out our light; we gotta let it shine. 

February Farm Diary: Days 10, 11, 12, 13...?!

Here it is Saturday, Valentine's Day, and I'm wondering, What in the world?  Where did the week go?  

My poor hubby is once again working on the weekend.  Early in the winter, it appeared that he might not have to work any Saturdays because the weather had been relatively mild.  Then came that thick layer of ice, and he's worked every Saturday for a month.

He and his co-workers joke that they are "wanted men" this time of year.  And they are! 

Heat is one of our most basic needs, of course.  Some of their older customers become particularly anxious if they are running low on propane.  

How scary and vulnerable they must feel to be housebound and worried about losing heat!  Robin told of one senior customer who was in tears when he and his sidekick showed up to fill her tank.    

Tell me again which jobs are most important?  Oftentimes it's not the best-paying ones!  

While my hubby has been out skatin' around in a propane truck, I've been tending to things here on the home front.  

On Tuesday, that warmest day (near 70) when most of the snow and ice melted, I decided to tackle cleaning out the high tunnel in preparation for this year's crop. 

I could barely get the doors open, and the sides wouldn't roll up because of all the ice that had slid off the roof.  It was nearly a 100 degrees in there!  I didn't stay in there long. 

The grandkids came over and we meandered down to the branch, which was running briskly. We hiked through the woods a bit, noticing all the mystery of the woods, and I found a few oyster mushrooms that I carried carefully back to the house.  

However, after a closer inspection out in the open, I tossed them to the chickens.  Tiny maggot-like worms writhed in the gills--fruit fly larvae, I suppose.  

If I'd just taken the 'shrooms in the house and prepped them, I probably wouldn't have seen them, and I'm sure I wouldn't have tasted them. 

But some things you can't unsee, and I just couldn't stomach the thoughts of eating worms.  Crunchy bugs, maybe.  But no worms for me! Lol

Anyway, the weather was so nice, but it felt strange to be walking around in snow and ice with the sun beaming almost hot on my bare arms!  

As Dad says, "the sun has some vim to it" these days.  It sure does!  

On Wednesday, I rode to Richmond with my neighbor as one of her kids had a dentist appointment.  

Afterward, we had a bite of lunch and browsed the halls of the Peddler's Mall.  I was looking for a picture/painting of a spring scene, and, after carrying one piece around for a long time, I put it back because I didn't truly love it.  On the way out, I found a painting by a Kentucky artist that I did love!  Nothing makes my heart melt like the sight of an old fence post with some daisies blooming beside it. 

We bought groceries and headed on home, and by the time we got back, most of the snow and ice were gone from our yards.  

The next day, the temperatures were only in the 40s, which made for perfect working conditions in the high tunnel.  It was about 60 in there, sheltered from the wind, so just right.  I made good progress; more than half the dried tomato vines are pulled up and the clips removed from them, ready to be reused this year.  

I rushed to get supper on the table, a shower, and make it to some of the grandkids' ballgames.  

On Friday, I had a little one here all morning.  We enjoyed some storybooks together; he watched me do a workout video (😂), then we headed out to the high tunnel to finish what I started at the beginning of the week.  Miles got pretty bored with that after a few minutes, so he was glad to see his momma coming to pick him up. 

I took a break from the high tunnel to head up to the cabin and do some clean-up around the outside.  For the first time in weeks, I was able to drive up instead of walking.   I've had some inquiries and a reservation made in the past few days; I figured I'd better get to shaping things up for the upcoming months when things get super busy.  

Back at the house, I worked a couple more hours on the high tunnel.  I finally got all the vines down, but we still have to push them out, sweep the landscape fabric, roll it back, amend the soil with aged manure...

I'm thankful for some warmer days, some bright sun, that the ice is mostly gone, and for the sight of a few crocuses blooming!  

Spring is on the way! 

February Farm Diary: Day 8 and 9 (Superbowl Sunday and a Sleepover)

The thaw begins.  The kids will be back in school soon! 

For the second Sunday in a row, church was canceled because the parking lot remains one big skating rink.  

So we enjoyed another quiet day at home as a couple of visitors stopped by the house early in the day, then I ran to the store for a few last minute items that I needed for our superbowl party/snackfest.  

Seriously, only 3-4 of the 20 or so people here were paying much attention to the game.  However, we all paid lots of attention to the spread of snacks laid out in the kitchen.  

Lots of chicken wings, dips, chips, veggies, fruits, meatballs, sausage balls, homemade cookies and a tres leches cake.  

Are we gettin' too big for our britches?  Probably!

The football game didn't pan out to be all that exciting, but we enjoyed the halftime entertainment.  Even more of a side show was the explosion of social media comment after it was all over.  

Some of it was entertaining, but some was sad and infuriating, so I tuned out pretty quickly.  

Besides, we had a houseful of little guests.  All but one of the grandkids spent the night, and they wound down slowly. It was 1 a.m. before I got to bed, even longer before I slept.  

The kids were all up by 8, full of energy.  I was up before that, but my energy level did not quite match theirs! 

Still, I enjoyed their company.  It's so fun to just listen to the littles.  

They play, laugh and giggle, then they argue and whine and negotiate with one another over toys, etc.  I try to stay out of their little conflicts unless I fear blood is about to be shed.  I do intervene when the insults and put-downs become too personal.  

I never want my grandkids, my kids, myself, or anyone else to feel attacked or ganged up on in our home for a having a difference in opinion. 

***

By Monday afternoon, the sun was really burning through the ice.  You can feel the intensity of it this time of the year as spring approaches. 

We may have cold snaps and spells, but spring will not be denied! Don't you feel the spiritual truth in that statement?  Things may look dark and hopeless at times, cold and cruel, but spring is coming.  Resurrection power will ultimately prevail! 

Anyway, I coaxed the kids out of the house, and we all took a little walk, basking in the sunshine, and feeling a little more secure in our footsteps with the ice softening underfoot.  

I sat on the porch with my new neighbor for a bit, and I thought how things change while they also remain the same.  

Then, I slogged back through the mud to my house to feed the varmints (and ourselves).  

There's so much beauty in the world, so much to be thankful for, even in all the mess. 

February Farm Diary: Day 7

Thankfully, the ice slid off the high tunnel not long after the storm.  It doesn't appear to have done much damage.  

Saturday dawned bright, and the sun made our little corner of the world seem warmer than it actually was.  

But what a difference the sunshine makes in my outlook and just the appearance of the landscape.  It illuminates, sparkles and shines, especially when there's a snow on the ground.  

My hubby worked again (propane is still a hot commodity right now), so I thought I'd get out and enjoy the scenery.  One of the best places to do that is on Jake's Heavenly Hwy.  

I drove to Dad's and had coffee with him and my brother while they ate breakfast. (I'd already eaten.)  

I enjoyed their company for a couple of hours, then I stopped by Daughter's house to see how she was liking her new grain mill.  

She'd milled some fresh flours and made banana chocolate chip muffins that were delicious! Moist, with a tender crumb but about as wholesome as a baked good could be.  

Did you know that milled wheat loses much of it's nutritional value within a very short time?  Days? Even hours?  

Standard white flour from the grocery is basically empty calories.  

But that's a whole other story.  

After I got back home and did a few things--cleaned out the fridge, etc.--I suited up in my grungy overalls and went out to help feed and get some more fresh air.  

The sun was still bedazzling, although the wind was sharp.  I moseyed around and snapped a few pictures.  

Ice is such a novelty, despite it being a nuisance to walk or drive on.  I'm forever amazed at the way it forms during the freezing/thawing cycle.  

Note to self: It's not only underfoot; it's hanging overhead! 

Hopefully, we'll see the last of it for winter 2026 this week.  A thaw is coming, the weatherman says! 

"From whose womb comes the ice? And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?,"  God asks Job in chapter 38.  "The waters harden like stone,  and the surface of the deep is frozen." 

Psalm 147: 16-18 says: "He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His cold?  He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow."

February Farm Diary: Day 6

Winter just doesn't want to quit around here.  Despite a slight warm-up, the ice hasn't melted much,  and we keep getting fresh dustings of snow.  

So yesterday, with fluffy flakes big as quarters falling, I sat down with a stack of seed catalogs and made my final selections for the upcoming growing season.  

Looking at seed catalogs is a lot like eating at a large restaurant buffet.  Our eyes tend to be bigger than our bellies, if you know what I mean.  

Just as it's easy to indulge at a food bar, it's easy to get carried away with a seed catalog--order too much, plant too much...then when it's 95 degrees out and we need to harvest some of that,  we wonder what in the world we were thinking. 

But I'll do it anyway.  

There are sooooo many beautiful varieties of tomatoes, and lettuces, and cucumbers...green beans...pumpkins!  

I couldn't get them all, of course, so I settled on our long-time favorite "Big Beef," a large red beefsteak variety, and our favorite cherry variety, "Chocolate Sprinkle."  

I have seeds saved from our favorite heirlooms:  oxheart, yellow stripey, and a Barnes Mountain yellow, said to have been saved by Glendon Mays for many decades.  

Last year, I tried a "Russian Purple" plum tomato that was delicious for eating and is also suitable for salsa and sauce, so I intend to plant that too. 

I ordered a new lettuce variety, as well as some mini-cukes; the rest of the seeds I'll buy locally, I suppose.  

I'm glad we live in an area with distinct seasons.  Looking out the window now, it's hard to believe how lush and green our landscape will be in a few short months.  

But we know it's coming! 

I can't wait.