Scratching the gardening itch

January 1, 2011 At 7 AM in the Pacific Northwest it is still dark. First light has not penetrated the dark of this day of ones. Ray had to get up at 4 AM for work so we did not stay up to welcome the new year. I'm wide awake now and though I am trying to just chill, my head is filled with things I want to do today to celebrate the new year.

The Territorial Seed Catalog is almost committed to memory. My palate is ready to experience fresh greens, peas, spinach and bok-choi. There are at least 6 weeks until I can poke peas and radishes into the cold soil. To scratch my itch for growing things I plan to welcome the new year by making a half dozen paper pots to start lettuce and spinach in. Chris will be building a custom fit cloche for my square-foot-garden. His cloches will allow me to set out my salad starts when the peas go in.

The barbecue wok in the picture will be the home of micro-greens if all goes as planned. I love using the wok for grilled veggies in summer but it just sits in the cupboard taking up space for the rest of the year. I have been resisting using it for greens for a while but the urge to grow food is strong this year. The wok will be lined with a square of landscape fabric and mel's mix (hey, the wok is a square, so surly this counts as square foot gardening) before the seed is sprinkled thickly into soil mix. If the seed is still alive there should be a salad to harvest in two to three weeks.

The rest of Deb's New Year's Day plans

1. Make paper pots and start lettuce and spinach
2. Create and start a wok full of macro-greens
3. Inventory last years seed
4. Inventory another pantry self
5. Make pastry for Chris' apple pie (filling in the freezer)
6. Make clam dip for the guys
7. Make today's pantry food, "Black Bean Tostadas"
8. Maybe most important, work on finishing Luke 10 study
9. If there is any more time to the day, finish the grid for this years garden.

I'm sipping green tea today. One of the three gardening magazines Ray bought me yesterday claims that green tea leaves (or maybe it was the tea? humm) are super food for gardening. Cheer's! The sun is up and day one of 2011 looks to be beautiful.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

My Small life, 2010

I have nothing profound to say that would sum um 2010. I live a very small though satisfying life full of passion and people that I love. I did not plan to post a final blog for the year until I read North West Nature Nut's final blog. Thanks Nut!

A quick review of 2010 before the unknown of 2011 unveils.

January 2010

February 2010, we have belonged to Bomber for one year.

March 2010 Getting parsley ready for the new garden. That day it seemed as if we might have a sunny summer. That might have been the last nice week until July

April 2010

May 2010 Rudy; this must have been the one spot of sun in spring

June 2010 Overcast days make pretty pictures.

July 2010 and it still has not got above 69 degrees F

August 2 2010 Chris was the only brightness in the day.

September 2010 Getting ready for the hunt

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

Thanks for the beautiful idea NWN!

http://www.naturenutnotes.com/2010/12/year-in-review.html

Raymond's sense of snow

One of the first things you might notice about us as a couple is that I like to putz, he likes to get-er-done. There are days when we clash but most of the time our life is lived as if Elohim fixed what was broken or missing in our souls.

Yesterday I felt a slight twinge of panic when I saw Ray heading out the kitchen door with a bag of shredded paper to cover the artichoke stub by the back fence. My guys keep the lawn mown without any nagging, they cook on that monster of a barbecue, they build the hard structures of the garden and set up watering systems so that our return from camping trips finds everything alive and well. Without complaint they buy the things I want for the garden. What they do not do is get dirt on their hands, that is my job. I think I deal fairly well with others using my kitchen (and leaving the evidence) or tracking across the carpet with whatever they stomped through outside. But the garden is my sanctuary. The mess is my mess, the order of things is my order of things. But there was Ray, headed out to do something, to add stuff in my holy place.

I am a woman with some sense. I've been wanting to mulch the artichoke too, but not just before sunset. I had in mind a mix of compost and leaves or straw (I don't have any leaves or straw) that would both feed and protect Miss Artichoke. We talked once about recycling shredded paper. Just when I think he doesn't hear me he proves otherwise. I got over myself, I hope my apology was sincere. After 36 years I should know to trust his sense of snow. It came, right on time this morning. Thanks Ray!

The wind is coming in from Alaska instead of Hawaii. The cold collided with the warm and made snow. There is a 50/50 chance of more snow tonight. It could get down to 29 degrees. I'll be happy for 2 dogs and a husband at bed time.

More more from the pantry in January

OK, I get that it isn't January yet. Last night (Monday, December 27) nearly everything about dinner came from the pantry or freezer. Chili and corn muffins. From the pantry, tomatoes and sauce, black beans, corn meal.
http://musicofrain.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/chili/

From the 2nd shelf of the pantry:

• Dry Yellow (Huro?) beans
• Dry Black beans (lots of black beans)
• about 1/3 of a 10lb bag of white wheat flour
• Dry Navy beans
• Tempura batter mix
• box of 7 grain pilaf mix
• box of mushroom and wild rice mix
• box of Zatarianes Jambalaya mix
• box of Falafel Mix
• Black Bean Soup mix
• Pad Thai mix

Then there was a few forgotten jars of "stuff"

• Costco size yellow mustard
• Costco size mayonnaise
• small bottle Ranch Dressing
• Dijon Mustard
• Country (coarse) Dijon Mustard

The original pantry post:

http://songs-of-coming-rain.blogspot.com/2010/12/january-is-eat-from-pantry-month.html

A Hole in the Clouds

All week the weather guy has been a prophet of wet gloom. He has assured me that I should expect to be wet should I dare set foot outside of the door. He tells of wind and the possibility of thunder showers. No sane woman would carry an umbrella in that kind of wet. I am not famous for my sanity. It has been a bone chilling kind of cold out. The wet sort of cold that hot soup and coffee cannot chase away.

I felt a twinge of rebellion while zipping my jacket to my chin before stepping out the door to the garden. Who goes out in late December to putz? I thought that I would at least have a look-see. Why I grabbed my stool and tools is a mystery. Cold isn't so cold when you are on a dirty mission.

My artichoke had not been trimmed back. It does not have a hopeful look for coming back to life. Since this is my first ever artichoke I am choosing to believe that it is still possible for it to spring back. I cleaned out the snapdragon stems, more like hay really. There is a creeping rosemary in that box that I was pretty sure would be an annual but it looks to be hanging on. A few tap-root weeds were hoping to squat near the artichoke but I evicted them with a toss over the fence. The box was given a bit more soil but I could see that what she really wanted was compost (coming darling, asap)

It felt so good to work with clippers and shovel that I turned to my Purple asparagus, intent on making the bed look like someone cared. Crack grass and chickweed, salmon berries (?) tomatoes that grew like weeds because of the homegrown compost used on the bed were mercilessly scratched and tugged at until they released their hold on the asparagus bed. There was a distressing amount of moss for a garden bed that should be neutral in PH. Sweetening the soil is on my to-d0 list. So is adding a layer of fresh compost and steer manure. Yuck, I know, but it sure does make happy asparagus and happy asparagus is giving asparagus.

I only intended to putz. When the asparagus bed was about 25% done my arthritis began to assert herself, letting me know that I needed to stop for a while. But I'll be back.

Carrots, a few shallots and an onion or two, missed at harvest are all that are in the garden this winter. I had forgotten about these leeks. Rather pathetic looking little things I think. Moss in the square-foot-garden too. Buggers! Actually, the garden is telling me that she needs me and to come back soon. I will.

For now, I am attempting to stay content by getting my seed order ready. It doesn't seem too soon to start with a plan for next years Toy Box. Peas AND fava beans can settle into their squares come Lincoln's birthday. Maybe the ground will stop being squishy by then. Even before the Presidents birthday I have a plan that will have me gardening. To celebrate the new year I will start a tray of lettuce and another of spinach. As soon as my TSC order gets to my house I will start a pot with purple artichokes. There are also the custom fit square-foot-garden cloches I am working on. I can do those without a zipped up jacket.

Why is the south wind feeling so cold? Maybe because it is wet? Cloudy with just enough wind to force open the occasional hole in the clouds. A range of 40's for our temperatures. A high of 47, a low of 43. Said to be cooling off enough for the possibility of snow before the week ends.

January is “Eat From The Pantry” month

In January I try to go through my pantry and freezers to feed my family for the month. I like to spend as little as possible, buying only fresh dairy, eggs and a few fresh vegetables for Ray's lunches.

My pantry is probably supposed to be a linen closet but I like to use it for a pantry. It is probably too hot in winter since the back wall is up against the fire place. Since we are talking about putting up more produce from the garden this coming year I will probably need to move the pantry to a cool, dry place. but for now I am only interested in using what is there.

Just from the top shelf, up over my head and out of sight:

1. Two unopened packages of Splenda packets (how did that happen?)
2. about 1/2 cup brown and red rice mix
3. one 14.5 oz can coconut Milk (might just toss that, it has been there a LONG time.
4. 1/2 bag of stick pretzels
5. jar of dry garbanzo beans
6. jar of red lentils
7. small jar of adzuki beans
8. Package of Bakers Bittersweet Chocolate
9. about half a package of Bakers German Chocolate.
10. Open box of Whole grain Pancake mix
11. Open box of whole grain Baking Mix
12. Open box of Pumpkin Pancake mix
13. Open box of white elbow Marconi
14. Powder Milk and Gluten flour that I use with the bread machine
15. Bay leaves
16. Poppy Seeds
17. Dill Weed
18. Chopped dry onion
19. Cinnamon

This is just the top shelf. I am not sure if I will keep the boxes of pancake and baking mix. I bought the pumpkin mix last year and the baking mix last summer but I don't know when I bought the whole grain pancake mix. I'm thinking I should toss the pancake mixes, whole grain products do not stay nice in heat.

Does Splenda go bad?

It wasn't exactly a Christmas Bird Count

Belted Kingfisher; Fort Casey Ferry Landing on Whidbey Island.

Most of my morning was spent at the dentist for my semi-annual visit with the hygienist. She is sweet enough but sitting in her chair is not my idea of a good time on one of the rare PNW pretty winter days. Double that sentiment on December 21, the shortest day of the year. From sunrise at 7:56 AM (that is 4 minutes before 8 AM if you think like I do) to sunset at 4:17 PM we do not have much daylight to play in. I am good about brushing and flossing, I don't know why it takes so long to polish my teeth but I've been seeing the same dentist and hygienist for years and we like to get caught up on each others lives. It was close to 11:00 before I was out of the chair and on my way to Whidbey Island with Ray and Rudy Valentine.
Our normal plan is to not have a plan. Ray got some pictures for me from the ferry deck while I sat in the truck with Rudy, waiting for my Advil to kick in. I have a nasty case of TMJ from a minor motorcycle wreck when I was 18. A trip to the dentist reminds me that my jaw is falling apart quicker than my teeth are succumbing to old age. Looking at his pictures reminded me of the days we used to participate in the Christmas bird count on Tweeter. Rudy does not have the same attitude toward birds that we do. He would love to catch one for lunch, not just count them. At least I think that is what all the singing is about when he sees one.
The short trip to Whidbey Island. The sky looks brighter across the sea than over Mukilteo.

First Stop, Langley, Washington on Whidbey Island.

I tried to get Rudy to sit by the boy and his dog, but Rudy doesn't like brass dogs any more than he likes ceramic bunnies. He was having nothing to do with Langley's brass boy.

Brass boy must have thought it was Mardi Gras. He has beads on.

Good ol' Bug Bear wasn't afraid of Brass Dog. He sat bravely for a picture.

The little park at the Langley Marina. For only $250 a night you too can wake up to this view. There are houses to rent. Between us we didn't have money for a cup of coffee so we will not be staying at the charming little house any time soon.

The brand new Ferry "Chetzemoka" that makes the run between Fort Casey and Port Townsend. I know that there is a reason behind the name. I am sure it is a contest winner and has a kewl meaning. But I don't get it. I know what a "moka" is, a popular Washington coffee drink (or is that Mocha?). But what is a Chetze? Ray's only comment was that someone needs to tune the engine. He thought it was making too much black exhaust for a new diesel.

The State Park at Fort Casey was nearly deserted except for an old guy in a Subaru who probably was counting birds for Christmas and a younger man who came down the trail from the Fort, sat on a picnic table and played his trumpet to the cold wind, probably until the trumpet got too cold for his lips to press against. Beautiful view, good music and interesting old guy counting birds while we ate our simple lunch in the truck looking at the birds.

From the truck we saw Golden Crowned Kinglets (a first for Ray), Zebra (or is it a white crown?) Sparrow, Song Sparrow, a Northern Flicker and a Spotted Tow Hee. There was a bunny too. There were more but as soon as I rolled down the window to take a picture, Rudy started singing that song of his and they all scattered. We hope to spend New Years Eve at Fort Casey but I think Ray works that night. We at least hope to get there sometime in January. Rudy can stay in the trailer while we say hello to the birds.

January is when we usually see Scotters in the Keystone ponds. It is so close to January that we made a stop at the ponds on our way back to the Clinton Ferry to look for them. To our mild disappointment they were not there. Common Mergansers and Buffelheads were in the ponds but no Scotters. On the ride back to Mukilteo we were given a window seat. There were flocks of birds at the ferry landing. I put my binoculars on them to see if I could discover more than the usual cormorants and buffel heads among the flocks of black birds.

Scotters. There were flocks of them at the Clinton docks. We've seen them here before but usually we find many more that are easier to see at Keystone. Whoo-hoo! We did get to see our favorite January bird (in December) before we left the island.

Remember those birds we saw at Mukilteo before we set out on our adventure? The birds that reminded us that this was a good time of year to see Scotters?

They were Scotters. (Yep, I can see that two of them were Buffelheads or Golden Eyes)