Leap Day

Long walk to swimming hole and then walked back along the river, aghast again at sycamores that were lost in the big flood last fall.  The root balls are huge and the bank is eaten back in large horseshoes, now a steep descent to the river. The river high, but crystal coke bottle green. Found a nice beaver stick. It was a perfect day to linger outside. I planted seeds when I returned home in the raised beds: spinach and cilantro in one; lettuce, beets and arugula in another and peas under the trellis. Rather early, but worth the effort on the chance that I might have an harvest before Easter! Now to find some onion sets.

In the 60's

Delightful, perfect day - sat on the deck! Walked to the swimming hole though it is still under water. Evening walked to the bottoms to sit in the sand by the river looking at the shafts of light as the sun set behind the ridge. 
Hard to spend time inside. But chicken duty and garden coaxed me out again and again. Gathered manure from the coop and spread goodies on the raised beds. I will plant some seeds on Leap Day, arugula and lettuce and maybe more. 

out of a tunnel!

Feel like I just emerged from a tunnel of cold windy days which drove me to work on gathering tax information. The sun is out and I am done with my work. Dogs and I have walked to mail box to mail letters and are now contemplating a walk up to swim hole. Yippee. 

Ventoso - windy

Windy to the point of tornadoes; and, indeed, yesterday three touched down in central Virginia for the first time in recorded history in February. Fortunately, I have spotted no down trees in our walk to the river then up the road to the mail box. Cold; peepers have quieted (I hope snug in the heavy leaf mulch at the bottom of the pond). Cold until Sunday when a warming trend, 60's for 3 or 4 days. A score of gold finch are hanging out at the feeders and in the red bud - I wanted to get a picture, but couldn't get outside without the birds taking off. You can almost note the lumps in the limbs that are birds!

Super Tuesday primaries are this coming Tuesday, March 1st and I am still unsure of weather I will vote for Hillary or Bernie. I'd like to vote for both! I like what Bernie is saying, but I feel like Hillary is more pragmatic. I'm such a core feminist that my allegiance tends to Hillary. But I have strong socialist leanings, want universal health care and, certainly, free state college tuition. I like Bernie's authenticity. I am concerned that it appears people are as fearful of Bernie's social democracy talk as others' fear Trump's Nationalistic (anti immigrant) speeches.  i would like to see real change in the US; I would like to see the middle class thrive again. But nothing will happen if we elect one party and populate Congress with the other party.  A quandary. 

jelly eggs in the pond!

The peepers have been busy. Warm rain today, another 3/4 of an inch (mercifully no more) seems to have encouraged a party in the pond. I counted 8 frogs, and several blooms of eggs. The sun surprised me this afternoon. Dogs and I went up to mailboxes and later up to the blue house (peepers' eggs there too). Creek too high to hike to river, but we did go to the first crossing to peer

down at the snaking mud luscious water. On the way to the mail boxes, the wet weather fall through the pines was running. 
Treated Alma to a buffalo burger after she gave me a ride to Shelor to pick up the Subaru. Now I'm waiting for the biscotti to cool. Most most good to see undeniable signs of spring; and the forecast is for days in the 60's by next week. When I walked around the blue house, there were various clusters of rabbit scat - good fertilizer. Thinking of seeds.

should I make biscotti?

I haven't made cookies of any sort in over a year; I didn't think that there was any sugar in the house. But I do have some. A project for the big rain due this evening after 3/4 of an inch today. My forced pussy willow branches are blooming.

Examining the maple

After a walk to the river today, Mojo and I crossed the creek below the old damn and hiked up to the maple. It was hollow inside - reminded me of the wide maples in the yard that were hollowed out when we cut them down to protect the house from limbs which might fall. I felt like I was mourning an old friend.This morning I had gone into Blacksburg to meet friends at the Lyric to see the movie "Carol." I enjoyed the film and was reminded of friends and relationships that I hadn't thought of in quite some time, especially a good friend from Sarah Lawrence.  She was similar to Carol, of wealth and sophistication. But she was more down to earth than Carol, more independent (after graduation she helped pay the phone bill of the Black Panthers). And I thought of our '51 Chevy with skirts, which I drove in the 70's.