Friday, January 20, 2012

Finally, a normal winter in Missouri

The past two winters have been rough ones.  Lots of snow, single-digit temperatures that would not let up. That isn't normal.  Usually we'll have a couple of two- to four-inch snows in a winter, and several times when the ground will be barely covered; around here, it's hardly worth investing in a sled for the kiddies.  There will normally be a few frigid days followed by a warmup into the fifties or sixties:  That's when those of us with motorcycles will sneak in a ride and say we cheated winter.  Of course, on those unseasonably warm winter days, the same wind that blew the warm front in is often still blowing so hard that a motorcycle ride isn't that pleasant, so we make it a brief ride.  
During the past two winters there were no motorcycle rides; not a single one.  
Right now it's a frigid fifteen degrees with a forecast high of thirty-seven; there's a promise of temperatures in the fifties in a couple of days.  
A normal winter.  
For the past three years, at some point in January I've bought little seed-starting kits and started my pepper and tomato plants in the house.  The first year it was great fun.  The second year, it was OK.  Last year it was drudgery, toting those trays around the house to the best sunny spot.  
I had a reason for doing it, though.  Most of the places where I had always bought my plants no longer had the economical little six-packs.  Walmart and Colonial Nursery only had single plants or two-packs of half-grown plants, and they were pricey.  
Last year I discovered that Hilltop Farm and Greenhouse was selling the six-plant packs.  I'm counting on them this year, so I hope they don't let me down.  I'm hoping for a better garden than I had last year.  What with the knee replacement and a bad tomato season, it was pitiful.  I think I only had borscht one time, and no ratatouille at all.   


I opened a drawer yesterday looking for an owner's manual for a clock (long story) and found these yellowed old spelling tests from 1997.  My oldest grandson came to my house after school back then, and I went over his spelling words with him ever single day.  He got a lot of good spelling grades during that time.  He's supposed to be here today; I'm going to ask him if he remembers how I made him practice his words till he got them right.  


I ought to have a good day today; for the first time in months, I slept straight through the night for seven hours.  

8 comments:

  1. It's been unusual here this winter in that we've not had all that snow of previous years. Just a few inches at a time and then it's warmed up and melted and it's rained and rained. Today we are starting of at 17 degrees and I don't think it is to go above 20 and more snow is on the way this evening...once again it is to warm up above freezing and rain on Monday. I'm not complaining though. I'm just wondering if it is the calm before the real storm? Glad you don't have to raise those little seedlings and can now buy them. That is a lot of work. Hope your Friday is a fantastic one!

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  2. When I lived in Springfield, MO I had a garden and loved it.
    Here in West TX, the only things that grow are weeds and the illegal immigrant population (*sigh*).

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  3. Lindie12:39 PM

    I scheduled my knee surgery for this month thinking since I wouldn't be able to drive anyway this would be a good time and now no snow!

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  4. i slept 7 hours last night too. something in the air I usual wake up and can't breath right and have to get up for a while but when I woke I had managed to sleep 7 hours with out a setting up time.

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  5. Winter has finally arrived here. I guess better late than never. 4-5 more inches of snow are due tonight. I tried those seed-starting kits one year and got so frustrated I never did it again. I watched with interest as you did it last year. So sad you've had no ratatouille. That stuff is so yummy. It's nice to know you and your grandson bonded over spelling words. I spend so much time looking up words on dictionary.com that it isn't funny. Take care.

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  6. I would be happy to send you the past 4 days or so. Not fun at all. With our one snowplow, we aren't prepared for this kind of winter!!

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  7. You're making me nervous by talking about garden seeds already.
    Yeah we've been having a milder than normal winter too. I love it.
    I've only had the snow blower out for about 30 minutes. The snow's been gone for a month or so.

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  8. I turned on the shopping channel after work this morning (nothing else on at 3am) and they were having a garden show. Surprised the heck out of me - it's four below here, without the wind chill factored in ~

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