Changing Seasons

This morning I got to indulge in my fair-weather morning ritual for the first time in 2012: I took my coffee out to my greenhouse “deck” (a collection of old warehouse pallets covered with wood scraps) and let the morning sun revitalize my vitamin D-starved self from the outside while the coffee did its work from the inside.

Oh, we had plenty of sunny mornings in December and January—our normally soggy winter did not kick into gear in earnest until last month. But by the beginning of December the sun has traveled so far south and is so low on the horizon that even if its rays reached my outdoor “morning room,” it would not provide enough BTU’s to ward off the frostbite. So that ritual is put on hold until such time as the air temp, the angle of the sun and a fortuitous interruption of the waterworks can result in the magical combination. Spring is (almost) here! What better harbinger of better weather days ahead?

I have to wonder what the summer will bring this year. We are only committed to doing two events with the concession business this coming season: Our beloved Scandinavian Festivals. Hardly enough industry to keep me busy the entire summer. Back in the pre-café days, I would start paging through gardening magazines and plant books by about mid-December. I had to give all that up when we owned the restaurant (one of the many things I gave up for THE thing; and in the end, wish I hadn’t…) Though I had the time this year to re-institute this habit, it seems I am out of practice.

I’m only just now looking out over the tangle of dead leaves, snow-damaged branches and sad-looking vegetation with an eye toward doing something about it all. There is much to do, and really no money to throw at it. Whatever I take on will have to involve more of an investment of time and sweat equity than funds. With gasoline on its way past $4 per gallon, the prices of everything will continue to rise, added to the increased cost of going forth from this god-forsaken little berg to acquire said “everything.” It’s depressing; it turns the unfettered delight of gardening into a balancing act between what would be beautiful and wonderful and what is fiscally feasible. A thing in which I used to revel has been taken from the realm of “joy” and tossed into the “job” inbox. And we all know how attracted I am to anything that is labeled a “job,” these days. Sigh!

Well, I have to go over the hill and get some grout to complete the little home improvement project I’ve been working on for the past couple of weeks. (Honestly…I’m redoing a 2’ x 5’ square of hearth, and you’d think I’d taken on the Sistine Chapel restoration for as much time and angst as I’ve invested in it…) So while I’m out and about, I’ll maybe stop in at some nurseries to see if I can get inspiration for my outdoor challenges. It’s a beautiful day, and supposed to be more beautiful tomorrow. Maybe two days of warmth and sun will get soften my thick skull enough to let in some fresh ideas.