More Snow

Well it's coming down, still. I went out last night to the Allied Arts Membership Soiree--which was fun, but the setting wasn't as intimate as the time before when we met at the Chuckanut Winery. This was at the Allied Arts Holiday Show. Which was sparkling and smelled good. Lots of jewelry, pottery, stained glass, baskets, paintings, etc. And good music, a one man band with banjo, harmonica, and foot drums. I like the one man band, so much music coming out of one fella.

So getting there was a risk, since it had snowed all day. Many folks took the bus. It's pretty easy getting from Fairhaven to downtown, on the bus. I may start doing this very thing, given winter is upon us with a vengence. I'm curious if the schools are closed this a.m.

I woke this a.m. with a slightly sore throat. I have an event tonight, one tomorrow night, the following night and the solstice. A busy social girl, which is the only way I'd have it. Sometime I feel a little guilty to be so busy, but hey, what's a single girl to do? I say, have some fun.

Well there will be no gardening today, but sharpening tools is a good idea. And if you have broken tools, such as shovel handles, replacing them is a good idea. A neat winter job, start up the grinder and fix those dented edges on the hoe and shovel, and on the broken tools, remove the pin and pull out the wedged in wood. I hear you can burn it out if you can't pry it out. Then put the new handle in and nail in the pin. Simple. And cheaper than buying a new shovel. Clippers can be taken to a sharpener and things with moveable parts, oil or use WD40. Clean the garden shed, make sure all your seed is put away so the mice don't get it.

Happy snow day,
Flower

Rain, Rain, Go Away On Election Day

Well, now we're back to our regular time and I'm surprised by how dark it is—seems like all the time now—dark, dark, dark. Of course the last few days have been so rainy—which makes it even darker. I have a full-spectrum light that I sit by when I write. This is during the low light season, so it is time to start. That and Vit D for mental health.

So today is the big day. I'm sure you don't need to be reminded to vote—it is everywhere you turn. And the TV ads have upped their intensity. I know one thing for sure, being a political candidate would be impossible for me. Too highly stressed of a job. I think the attack ads should be banned.

Plenty of sleep is the answer to stress, and exercise and fresh air. And eating right and doing the work (art, writing, etc). I've been putting together a book on marriage and divorce and if I rattle on about it, it is because I'm constantly trying to figure out how I really feel about the whole thing. I recorded the deed to the condo in my name yesterday. The 11^th is supposed to be the final recorded date of the divorce (if he signs the divorce decree, that is). All these transitions bring up new levels of pain. This one, the completing one, means I'm alone completely now—of course I was before too. At least it looked like I wasn't. Alone is not something I like. Therefore, community garden, community writing classes, etc. etc. Community. I believe this is something we need more of--community. If we all had to stick around our villages and towns, that would happen. We've sprawled and that has disconnected us. I love the town I live in because it is relatively small.

In the picture above, my friend has mulched much of her garden with burlap bags. This is something I need to start doing, keeping the rows between the plants weed-free with burlap or cardboard. It works, except the slugs congregate beneath all that covering. I'll try it next year. I think the beautifully weeded gardens attract more deer. Mine, with it's weeds, hides the plants from their munching. Okay, I'm short on words today. So much going on in the collective.

Best in life, Flower

Deer me!

Well, the deer have really been at it, even biting off limbs of my Green Zebra Tomato plant, which was doing pretty well. Now it is pruned quite significantly. Since it is nearly the end of July, perhaps it won't matter. We don't have that much more tomato growing season here in the PNW.

The garden was beautiful yesterday evening, and I have many finger-sized zucchini on the vine. The lettuce and spinach and chard doing well. I planted the broccoli-raab and some parsley. I weeded a bit and finally found my trowel. Another gardener said, nothing gets stolen here, just ends up in someone else's garden. So there is was, just a bit of the blade picking up the evening light. I'd just hung up a sign for whomever had it to return it. How it got back in my garden, mostly buried, I don't know.

One thing I noticed yesterday that I hadn't before, is the abundance of plums on the plum trees edging the garden. There will be a good crop, perhaps enough to dry some. I have a dryer, a five-stacked layers of black plastic trays with a little heater fan at the bottom. I've dried a lot of cherries and tomatoes and pears and peaches on the thing. The house always smells so sweet and fruity when I prepare the crop this way. It's been years since I did it, so it will be interesting to have a go at it.

Today the grandbaby comes. He has a little cold so we may not get to the garden. We're still going for our morning walk, and perhaps we'll see the train. He has a love/hate relationship with it, as I do. It wakes me several times every night. For him, it's how loud the whistle is. It passes while we're on the board walk that meanders over Bellingham Bay. We're quite lucky here in Bellingham to have so many trails. I'll be going to one this Saturday with a kind man I've met. He isn't a love interest, as my heart isn't ready for that, but he's made a good companion the few times I've spent with him.

All for now. Happy Gardening,

Flower