It's Spring!

 ~ spring snow storm ~

Know how I know? We had three inches of snow this morning -wry smile-.  There were errands to be done today but I've not left the farm. There are so many people who have to be on the roads, when it's bad weather, I tend to stay home and reduce the numbers by one. It's not a huge gift but it is a gift.

~ our valley, today ~

That beautiful blog header photo doesn't look so cheerful today. Today, it's snow, gray and cold, cold, cold. The dogs and I headed to the barn, well after we should have, and I took a few photos. Abbie still has vestibular disorder and probably will always have a bit of trouble. I'm giving her cod liver oil capsules, daily, in the hopes that will help. I know in humans, sometimes vertigo is helped by copious amounts of vitamin D; perhaps so in dogs as well. In my research and speaking to various people, I'm hearing some doctors are prescribing huge quantities of vitamin D for fibro and other auto-immune illnesses. Abbie is doing well though, she's able to go up and down stairs with only a tad bit of trouble. Doesn't matter, she's in great shape for a fourteen plus year old dog and I hope she's around for many more years.

~ Abigail Von Rotten The Terror ~

I'm quite sure the AKC would have hissy fits over the names our dogs have but, fortunately, the AKC doesn't get a vote. Abbie is quite happy with her name and it fits. Ginger snaps, does it ever fit!

~ the garden and orchard ~

Daniel got the garden plowed just in time! There are more apple trees and blueberry bushes to plant but will wait a few days and let the orchard area dry out a bit. I'm in process of determining which vegs to grow and will have a few varieties of tomatoes -yes, technically a fruit-, squash -summer and winter-, parsnips, potatoes, cukes, beans, watermelons, pumpkins, gourds and they all go in this area. I've a smaller, kitchen herb garden along with a dyer's garden and a medicinal herb garden. I must admit, I'm thinking of letting the dyer's and medicinal herb gardens go by the wayside this year and focus on food. I'm going to plant a lot of flowers to be cut for both the house and to sell at market. Well, maybe not sell at market but certainly for the house, porches and studio.

When the weather clears up, Daniel is taking me up on the mountain to gather branch lettuce, also called creek lettuce. It's a watercress and has that nice, peppery bite that makes it so lovely.

 ~ Six Hour Quilt ~

 This is a quilt pattern by Kaye Wood called Six Hour Quilt and it's shaping up nicely. Must say though, it's definitely not a six hour quilt. Probably an experienced quilter could make it in six hours but not me; I've been working on this sucker for about seven hours and it's not close to being finished. But it will be pretty, I think, when it is finished. The next two rows will be the brown, then more of the floral, more brown, another row of floral and then a brown border. I think.

~ Japanese Cherry in bud ~

There are a few things in bud around here, including the Japanese Cherry. My heart breaks for those folks in Japan and I applaud them for the courageous manner in which they are banding together and marshalling their forces. There's no looting, no rioting only a deep sense of dignity and family and of helping each other through this terrible time. I'm so proud of our American forces; they are Right There, helping to re-build and render assistance in whatever way they can. Could it be the idea of family is what makes the difference in how the Japanese people have responded? I think so.

Blessings ~ family ~ snow ~ dignity ~ helping hands ~ gardens ~ quilting ~ my dogs ~ 

Soli Deo Gloria,
Sandra