January Musings and Planning for Spring!

 Jan here, in the middle of a gray January afternoon.

We had fog on Saturday morning, and the temperatures hovered around 28° all day long...and that means freezing fog, or hoarfrost! I remember reading about hoarfrost in old stories (maybe Dickens?) and thinking how awfully cold it sounded.

I was right. Even though the temps were warmer than they could be for January, the chilly damp seeps into your bones. But Sam didn't seem to care.

While Jack happily snoozes in the house, Sam can't wait to go outside. And he loves posing for pictures! As soon as he sees the camera, he sits. Silly dog!

And the leash? A necessary item. We have a herd of about two dozen mule deer in our neighborhood. They wander around eating whatever they can find, and often take their afternoon siestas in our yard. On Saturday they were at the neighbor's and Sam was safely on his leash.

It's not so much that I'm worried about him chasing the deer as it is that the deer can be dangerous. There are two good-sized bucks in our little herd, and they can kill a dog that they see as a threat.

One of the things Sam and I did on his walk was to visit our garden.

Yes! This is new! We have four units in our building and last year three out of the four of us decided to start a shared garden space. Last summer the younger one of us spent his spare time putting in a fence (it's nearly complete.) The ground has been tilled, covered with composted horse manure, tilled again, and is enjoying a winter of snow fertilizer. In the spring we'll be ready to plant.

We have an 8' x 10' spot, and I hope it will be this end. I plan to put in some perennial plants right away (rhubarb and asparagus,) so I often cast a longing look toward this corner. :-)

While I wait, I spend many hours planning the garden. Unlike Ruthy, I am NOT planning to plant thousands of mums! Eventually I hope to grow all of our summer produce here. But for the first year, I'm sticking with some tried and true easy friends - beans, radishes, lettuce, spinach, zucchini, potatoes, and peppers, among others. I know it will take a few years to get the garden up to speed. After all, a year ago this was a grassy meadow!

Another chore we took care of on Saturday afternoon was doing an inventory of our food storage pantry and freezer. We straightened, counted, and planned what we needed to bring the inventory up to the next level. We're ready for a blizzard (whenever the next one comes!)

Then, once the dogs were walked and before it's time to start supper, I turned my attention to this project!

I love this picture. Years ago when I had just graduated from college, I backpacked through Europe. One day I visited Neuschwanstein Castle. I stayed at the Youth Hostel in nearby Fussen the night before, then walked to the castle. I took the tour, then also toured nearby Hohenschwangau - King Ludwig's ancestral home. (To tell the truth, I enjoyed Hohenschwangau more!) While I was on that tour, I might have touched the piano that Richard Wagner played when he visited the royal family.

While I work on this puzzle, those memories swirl through my mind. What a wonderful way to spend a long winter afternoon, don't you think? And it's a good thing I'm enjoying it, because this puzzle is HUGE! 2000 pieces! Four and a half feet long! Two feet wide! 

But before I knew it, it was time to go upstairs and fix supper. This night it was my favorite Tuscan Style Soup, aka "Zuppa Toscana." You can find the recipe here.

It may have been a quiet afternoon, but, you know, I enjoy those times. Life is hectic enough. Sometimes we just need to slow down, muse on the future, and soak in some quiet peace.

What kinds of things fill your quiet afternoons?

Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.