It’s still January. Boy oh boy this month is creeping by. I keep checking my Mercury News calendar to be sure I haven’t missed any garden chores. It’s a short list.
Protect frost-tender plants. Check. Winter weeding. Check. Watch out for snails and slugs. Haven’t seen ’em. And finally, if it’s to cold and wet, order spring seeds. I did that ages ago.
I pruned the fruit cocktail tree, gave the compost a few spins and checked on the worms. I put out a large bag of laundry lint for the squirrels, and made a delicate wreath of the same for the birds.
Today, in need of a few hardware store items, I quickly perused the garden section. Ho-hum to that as well.
Can you hear me tap, tap, tapping my green thumb? I’m suffering from a serious case of garden withdrawal.
How are you managing the mid-winter doldrums?
I don’t have a garden Alys, so I live vicariously through you! How is the fairy garden holding up this winter? Do fairy’s hibernate? Did they get any good loot from the Holidays?
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Hi Laura!
The fairy garden receives regular visitors now from the daycare children next door. They add picked flowers now and again, and I even spotted a Disney Princess left behind the other day. She’s since moved on.
The garden will get a sprucing up for Valentine’s Day. I made a small bunting from last year’s calendar and if all goes as planned, I’ll be laying a red stone pathway (with glitter, of course).
Thanks for asking.
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Ha, I totally get a picture of you anxiously tapping your green thumbs, looking at your wrist watch and willing spring to arrive quicker. Mother Nature is dawdling in our neck of the woods, in fact I’m certain she will get lost on the way as we don’t expect spring for some time. I’ve got the fairy garden bug and I’m looking for a neat container that catches my eye. I seem to have no end to the list of non-gardening things I want to accomplish: finish camera course, make cover for new journal, find a home, plan vacation, exercise more (oh, how’d that get on the list? ha). In a way, it’s a good thing we have winter, otherwise I’d want to be outside all day long in the yard…just like you. I should head to Greenland one day and see what they’re up to at this time of year, I’ve never been in February…probably dust bunnies and sleepy cats, LOL
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‘Dust bunnies and sleepy cats.’ LOL Funny and probably true.
You do have a long list of things to accomplish, but I must say they all sound like fun to me. (I know *looking* for a house isn’t fun, but finding a house will be great fun.)
I can’t wait to see your fairy garden. The Boomdee touch will be in full play and over the top. I’m excited just thinking about it.
I’ve got my eye on spring, so don’t you worry. I’ll keep her on the straight and narrow path.
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Thanks for keeping spring in line….I appreciate that 🙂 You might have to man handle her up here…she can be a difficult diva. Can’t wait though!
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From all you’ve said, I can only imagine. Let’s go with the gentle approach first. Oh pretty, pretty, pretty please, can Vernal Equinox come out to play?
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There I go learning stuff again…Googled Vernal…thanks Alys! I’m going to be so smart hanging with you 😀
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🙂 Sweetie!
How was your camera class…speaking of learning new things. Do you have any tips?
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Oh boy, I have tons of notes. Thank you for asking. What comes to mind is thinking about the light and time of day for outside photo’s. Shadows make a significant difference in the composition of a photo. For example, a photo of a ski-hill might look more interesting near the end of the day vs high noon because there’ll be a lot of contrast on the hill created by a lower sun and shawdows. Contrast is Key in composition…..or so I’ve learned.
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Contrast is Key. That’s a good one to remember. I try to take my outdoor photos before 9 am or after 4 during the winter months. It is darn hard to get a decent pic mid-day, isn’t it? It sounds like you’re learning a lot. Good for you for braving the cold weather.
I almost didn’t get out of bed this morning for fitness camp. It’s hard getting up in the dark. To make matters worse, when I rolled over on my side, Lindy crawled on top of me. It was like having a motorized (purring) heating pad. It’s a wonder I made it out of bed at all.
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Oh Lindy didn’t want mom to go? How sweet. We should market that, vibrating heating pads. I think you’re on to something there. HA Oh man, boot camp! You are so dedicated Alys, Bravo. I usually don’t get up till 7:30 or 8:00…I’m a lazy bones. By the time I finish coffee, toast and blogging it’s 10:30…I’m always rushing around in the afternoon finishing my list because I didn’t get going till the crack of noon…LOL. When I was working, if I wanted to share a ride with Mr B, I had to wake at 4:00 to be out of the house by 5:00 to be dt by 6:00…I went to a gym and he went to work. Then he had to wait for me till 4:30 or 5:00…long long days. I’m making up for it now LOL.
I hope the camera knowledge sinks in, I still have to look up everything before I take a picture. Not too good for those spontaneous shots. 😀
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You’ll get the hang of it. Like most things, practice, practice, practice, and then one day you’ll have it down, second nature.
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😀
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I hear you. I feel the winter blahs. It’s hard to be excited about anything. I am trying to really organize the house so that when I want to be outside all the time I won’t feel guilty about the horrible state of the house!!
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That’s a great plan! I emptied my inbox for the first time in months. It felt wonderful. I’ve been doing a bit of crafting, too. Busy hands keep me out of the kitchen.
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I’m managing by eating too much while looking at the garden! I love the idea of putting out lint for the birds so I can get on with that job, thank you. Perhaps you can draw a plan of your garden for the year..and eat cake. Weightwatchers cake of course!
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LOL! Weight Watchers cake…of course. Eating on cold winter days makes sense, or at least it did when we needed extra winter padding to stay warm. My, how times have changed. You made be smile!
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I’m always happy to make you smile! I think I have a little too much winter padding now but am contemplating my next healthy move while eating a Cadbury’s Creme Egg and drinking a Belgian Leffe beer…. It’s all in the planning and preparation! It is back on the bike tomorrow so not all bad for my health!
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🙂 Thanks for that.
Oh no…you had to say ‘Cadbury Crem Egg.’ Man o man those are tasty. Cadburry’s knows there chocolate.
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Sorry about that. To make up for it, here goes…lettuce, cabbage, carrots, whole grains….!
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Hee!
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