Wednesday, 14 March 2012
It reached almost 80°F this afternoon, and—even with the time change—I can’t believe it’s March (in Michigan).
The sunshine tempted The Botanist out, where he perched on the broad redwood-board steps and surveyed his terrain—especially the garden between the lawn and the fence, and the maize-stubbled field beyond. The rich soil is now banded with weeds—need to get those turned under…tomorrow?—and think about what veggies to plant….
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Today I did Botanist-work. I pruned back the main raspberry patch—well, about half the patch—stacking the canes for removal to…not sure—today’s job was pruning. The temp was about 65°F, and I may have gotten a touch too much sun on the back of my neck.
Monday, 12 March 2012
Lilacs in winter mode.
We basked in the sun again! Lilacs are early-bloomers, but there’s no sense of that today, even though the grass is greening and I saw a yard-full of delicate snowdrops on Saturday.
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Last night….
Honest, I was walking with a group, moving along the sidewalk, crossing streets with the lights, and looked west, and snapped. No waiting for the right moment, just snap and take a couple of quick steps to catch up.
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Wind. I grew up with it as a daily condition, at least seasonally. Maybe not always wind, but a breeze, surely. I guess it’s a component of the lake effect and a mid-continent thing. Not so much in the ATL area. Especially not the cutting winter wind we’ve had the last few days (and nights).
Today, I’m especially glad that the sun is glorious!—and counteracting the wind…at least as I look out at it from a warm house (exterior temp about 34°F)—teehee.
Contrast this to Wednesday’s view, on an overcast and grey day.
Friday, 9 March 2012
The usual hubbub soaked up our morning hours, then after lunch we headed out to do a few errands. We found the sun gorgeously warm, especially streaming in the windshield. Stepping out of the car was another story, when we were tormented by a biting wind.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Just the other day, I posted a photo of this same field, with lateral light—in the morning. Today’s is late-day light. And a more colorful moment….
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
The pondlet’s (yes, decaying) ice rim is yesterday’s news. Today’s temps wiped it out. What the stats from the garage do not show is that all day it’s been WINDY. Not breezy, not some wind. Flat out windy.
This means that Ma Nature has increased tomorrow’s chore list: branch patrol. A new one came down in the last hour from the shade tree out back. Just a small branch this time; the last one I remember was at least 10 inches across at the base.
The shedding tree is a small-thorned variety of Gleditsia triacanthos I know as a moraine locust. Here’s an interesting document dating to May 1953 announcing the moraine variety…. The Professor O’Rourke of Michigan State College mentioned on the second page (the article’s page 80) was a buddy of The Botanist’s.
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Two observations: the light lingers m-u-c-h later in the evening, and 54—F+ at 6:45 pm—in Michigan (yes, southern, but…) and in early March. The latest prediction I heard for tomorrow is that the temp will top out at 64°F. Whoopeee!
Also, Sherry has identified the “Viking” glyph from the kayak we saw the other day: from prehistoric peoples by Lake Superior. Click here to read….
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Sometimes, small things can take over your psyche. Today I’m missing my coffee-partner, drinking my coffee-milk with yesterday’s coffee, refrigerated overnight. My small thing is solved, but life is one step sideways for the present.
Hot cuppa in hand, I see the sunlight laterally grazing the maize stubble. And I’m on to the next small thing.