the 30th of january

 the empty hoop house and the transplanted blueberry bushes

(protected with old snow fencing we found in the shed).

 sage in the foreground, empty raised beds and

birches in the background.

 frosty black eyed susan skeletons.

 deer hoof prints, prancing around the apple tree,

where the hungry critters balance on their back legs to nibble the 

last of the fruit, shriveled by age and cold.

 the braintree hills,

settled into the green mountains of vermont.

the ghost of a toboggan run,

leftover from our long MKL weekend with 

a houseful of friends and family.

These past few gorgeous days of sunshine somehow temper the frigid temperatures at this time of year. The sun hangs at the horizon a bit later each day, and suddenly I realize the days are getting longer. Wandering the property and checking on the state of the place has me beginning to think about ordering from our favorite seed catalog. 

For now, the Meyer lemons on the windowsill are beginning to ripen and the pea shoots are growing alongside. We have fresh, crunchy, local greens in our winter salads! And the flowering bulbs are still coming on strong.

When I'm not out and about in the world I've been mending (will share about that soon), knitting, sewing and beginning to think about Valentine's Day (a day that's less about romance and more about love around here).

In the evenings, Batman and I talk about big issues and about how to save the world (or at least our little patch of Vermont). It's important to remember that there are an awful lot of good people out there, and we're all doing our best to help make a difference.

:-)