Oh, There’s a Storm Coming!

Map courtesy of accuweather.com

The weather people have been talking about it for a week. Huge nor’easter over the New Year’s weekend! A three day snow event! Expect up to 2-3 feet of snow! It’s difficult not to get sucked up in the hype. There is always a small chance that the worst may occur.

We have lost electricity briefly during storms in the past, so K and I spent the week making sure we are ready for the worst case scenario just in case:

• We stocked up on groceries for the weekend.
• Filled the gas tank for the snow thrower.
• Checked our battery, candle and oil lamp inventory.
• Verified that we have a full propane tank for the outdoor gas grill.
• Brought wood inside for the wood stove.
• Charged our cell phones.

We are prepared! Bring it on!

I hope you all have a safe New Year’s Eve! I’ll post pictures over the weekend.

Merry Christmas

It is calm for now as I sip coffee and read my favorite blogs this morning. Soon we will be packing up the cars with gifts and traveling to visit family for Christmas. Then the chaos and excitement of Christmas truly unfolds for us.



Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Winter Has Arrived to the Garden Spot

As of this week, Winter has now arrived here at the Garden Spot. We have had two significant snow storms, the one last Sunday dropped 5-inches. The storm on Wednesday dumped 10-inches, then was topped off with some freezing temperatures and harsh winds. According to accuweather.com, we may have even dipped into single digits overnight. This morning at 9 am it was 14˚F/-10˚C outside. This snow cover will be here to stay for a while.



The wood stove is providing a nice supplemental heat in the house. We use it mostly in the evening and on weekends and rely on our furnace the rest of the time. We are having more wood delivered next week that should keep us going most of the winter.


The tomato plant growing inside has given us another ripe tomato:

However, the plant itself isn’t looking too healthy. The diminished sunlight and cooler temperatures are taking a toll. I’m not sure how much longer it will survive.

I can’t stand the taste of lettuce purchased in the store now. So I am trying to grow some inside. The seeds germinated now let’s see if they will grow:


As of this weekend, I have finished my Christmas shopping. Now it’s wrapping, baking, and other preparations for the holiday spent with family.

After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I am looking forward to planning the 2010 garden. I will be growing from seed for the first time this year and still need to plot out the Garden Spot to see what I need to plan on growing. We will also be adding three more 4x4 Square Foot Gardens in the spring and will need to purchase more fencing to surround the garden to protect it from Bradie and other creatures. I can't wait for Spring.

Snow!

Snow Expected Later This Afternoon

Snow has been predicted for us later this afternoon into the evening. We spent some time out in the yard this morning doing some last minute preparations. It sure feels and looks like snow outside:


I filled all the bird feeders with birdseed and suet while the birds watched from the woods nearby.


I spotted some green in the herb garden. Upon closer inspection, I found that the Thyme is still alive. This one looks really healthy and I am hoping it will come back next year:


This one looks to be struggling:


There is also some Greek Oregano sprouting some re-growth:


So I decided to pot up some of the Greek Oregano and Thyme plants and bring them inside to spend their winter in a sunny window:




We brought in some wood for the woodstove and made sure the wood pile’s tarp is secure. Then built a fire and spent a cozy afternoon relaxing and waiting for the snow: