Winter, The Garden, making the best of it all!

This one's for G...Ruth Moody and her band opened for The Bills last night.  This song hit home since G is pining for west coast climate...Even The Bill's front man Chris Frye made the audience groan when he mentioned cherry blossoms and starting to garden back home (Victoria). 

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Glenn was in Parksville and Vancouver all last week.  I'm beginning to think he checks the forecast here then book his away trips....We had yet another snowmageddon episode in Minnesota, and we are lucky we actually made it to the concert at all! I might have skated their faster...It was much needed ray of light in a rather dark time. 

 

I missed out on a great photo opportunity this weekend.  G trudging through several feet of snow carrying a hoe and a watering can on his way out to the greenhouse...What a desperate Victorian does in the midst of Minnesota winter! It's actually quite toasty in the greenhouse, and a few days of working the soil and watering it has really improved the heat holding capacity.  It's too humid in there to bring my camera-I might try a shot from the door but I'd have to be quick before the lens would fog up. He also satisfied his gardening urge this weekend by planting some seeds in water containers he'd been saving.  He learned about this from Northern Gardener. So we'll see if it works!!
 

 

 

http://blog.northerngardener.org/day-14-winter-sowing-for-your-vegetable-garden/

 

 

I got sick this week...I don't know if you've tried shovelling four foot snow drifts with a sinus cold in -15C and windchill, but not only does it make it hard to breath, it feels like you've stepped on a garden rake left on the ground the wrong way, if you get my meaning! Ow.





I blame the sickness on the stress of losing little Tulip, and finally going cross country skiing and effectively kicking my own ass so to speak.  I went out for a bit too long.  So good to get that type of workout again.  I've missed it.  Will head out to the closest state park as soon as I'm feeling better.

Winter is actually supposed to be ENJOYED when you live in this climate! Not sure how many more years it will take here before I can teach G that...He tends to let me do the outside chores in the winter whenever he can, except for snowblowing.  (I'm just learning the tractor so I'm terribly slow at it)





I bought him insulated Carhartt overalls for Xmas, and I thought that would help, but he really doesn't spend much time outside unless I beg him to join me and remind him that the animals need to spend time with him--and so do I! He was away for a week, home for 3 days, and now he's away for 10 days in Santiago. So every hour together counts. One of his gifts to me in the short time he was home was to make an amazing veggie soup with our very own chipotle peppers (little did I know until I had the first bite).  And though it was a moderately painful dinner complete with "are we fighting or something?" and plenty of hyperventilating, sure enough the next morning my cold was already slinking away into submission. Pepper power!!! Thanks babe!

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I spent a few hours watching our former western coach train horses last week.  Amazing! She had one 14 year old quarter horse that needed some refining with lope transitions, and a ranch bred colt from Montana who'd had a pretty rough introduction to the world of humans. She explained everything she was doing, and answered all of my questions.  At the end of the session the colt followed her around the arena.  What a sweet little guy! She trains this behaviour since it's especially helpful if you are out working, or come off accidentally...This colt was willing to work and learn not only because he was good tempered, but because the trainer is fair and encouraging in her training.  Exactly the type of person I want to learn from.

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G came out to the barn the other day to find me target training Oak and Winn with the long-handled brush I use to scrub water buckets. I was going to make my own but it was handy so I thought I'd give it a try, and they picked it up right away. G put me up on Oak's back and tied a lead rope to both sides of his halter, and we headed out into the field until the snow was up over Oak's knees, and then we headed back as the wind bit into our bare faces.  It was a brief ride, but it really made me happy! Also nice to see what Oak will do without a bit and bridle.  He leg yielded nicely, backed, and did turn on the forehand both directions. Also his halt was fantastic with no hesitation.  I really think this little bit of ground work I've been doing is helping.  Obviously he should know all of those basic things, but it's really our relationship that I was testing.



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There were several hawk attacks on the pheasants who feed here in the past few weeks, and some very close calls, so I decided to stop putting seed out and just put out suet for the little birds.  This seems to have decreased the number of pheasants who show up, and hopefully will encourage the hawk to move along.....We had a few mild days above freezing and I wanted to let the chooks and ducks out to roam but I just couldn't risk it with death from above hanging around.  I compromised by opening the middle door to the chook palace and hanging netting down in front of it.  Fresh air and sunshine for the bored birds started a frenzy of dust bathing and ended in much more relaxed temperaments.

We're all just trying to get through this crazy winter...Only two months left! (maybe more...)