Snow Day

In the south we seldom get any significant snowfall, but when we do, it is a really big deal. Everything shuts down for the duration. Late this after noon the snow started here in Alabama and within an hour we had accumulated at least two inches. Tonight it is still snowing, and it appears we will have at least six inches or more. For us that is a lot.

The weathermen were able to give us amble warning of this snowfall. When we realized this snow event would happen, the preparations began in earnest. Cows were given extra hay, generators were filled with gas, food was purchased, fireplace was cleaned and a new fire laid, and the chickens locked up in their pen to protect them from hungry predators roaming about. Today was also a day of washing clothes and dishes in the event we lost power for a few days. A pot of vegetable soup was made for the same reason.

Not only did we prepare, but the wild birds did as well. They fed all day on black sunflower seeds. They have eaten almost fifty pounds of sunflower seeds in the last couple of weeks. After feasting all day, they went to roost deep in the hemlock trees and sheds around the house.

In the morning we will go out and check tracks in the snow to see what visitors we had during the night. It is always interesting. You would be surprised what lurks in the dark. Just last week we found tracks of opossums, raccoons, coyotes, and armadillos after a dusting of snow.

We will keep the fires going and snuggle a little deeper under the quilts tonight, and if we were are lucky, we will have electricity in the morning. If not, we are prepared.

Garden Prepping

This past Saturday the sixty degree temperatures put us in the mood to start gardening. However, the reality of knowing February temperatures can change very quickly, dampened our enthusiasm for actually planting some crops. The lovely weather did allow us to complete some needed tasks like removing the tomato cages, raking up leaves and dead plants and burning the debris to lessen the chance of spreading pests wintering in the stems. If not for an empty gas can, we would have begun the tilling process.

This weekend we were able to begin another gardening project. We started seeds in discarded light boxes Becky used at school.  We planted ten different types of heirloom tomatoes in hopes of having them ready for planting as soon as the weather improves. On Tuesday tempting us even more, we observed a Bonnie Plant farm truck delivering plants to the local farmers co-op. Using restraint we did not make a purchase. Tonight looking at the long range forecast we seemed to have made a wise decision. The low on Sunday is expected to be in the single digits- not conducive to plant growth.