Monday, February 24, 2014

Don't Put Away Your Winter Coat Just Yet

It's almost March, and I thought surely the worst was over -- that the coldest ever winter was behind us -- and I could safely clean my warmest coat and store it away until next year.



The weather warmed into the 70s over the weekend, and I enjoyed time outdoors.

Found a few daffodils emerging from among the leaves. They are almost two months behind their normal blooming schedule this year.



The goldfish seem to have survived the freezing temperatures unscathed. All 10 fish were spied swimming happily about after a completely frozen over fish pond a few weeks ago. They are fat and active.


Taking advantage of the nice weather yesterday, I potted up five rosemary cuttings I kept in the kitchen window all winter.

And having taken the cuttings last fall was a very good thing, as all my many rosemaries planted in the ground are dead after 5 degree temperatures a few weeks ago. It's a chance one takes -- planting them in the ground in our Zone 7 -- but it's a chance I take. I can count on having to start over again every 10 years or so.

It is now predicted that we'll get a new blast from the Polar Vortex this week, with temperatures dropping into the teens once more. Possibility of snow as well.

So I'll dig out the scarves and mittens once more!

Winter has been a challenge for most of us this year, in one way or another. So we'll just have to look at the bright side of things and enjoy what we can.

For me, that means enjoying the early morning and evening sky, as in this photo from yesterday.





"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant."
-  Anne Bradstreet

Enjoy your week! How is YOUR weather?

16 comments:

  1. Hello Sanda:
    How wonderful to have these encouraging signs of spring after what, as you say, has been a terrible winter for so many.

    Here at this time of year we would normally be under snow but it remains unseasonably warm at around 8-10C.

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    Replies
    1. Hello Jane,
      Let us hope for a glorious spring! Weather around the world is upside down this year.

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  2. Our daffodils have flowered one month earlier must be all the rain! On Saturday wore a jacket for the first time,glad to dump the Barbour/wellies.
    The weather is mild +12c here so fingers x Spring is approaching.
    We have a saying here "Never cast a clot till May is here" So true most
    years.
    Your pond with the fish is delightful,how do you prevent it freezing over,
    I use to place a tennis ball in the water?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Goldfish will survive if the pond is deep enough; they simply go to the bottom and wait out winter! Our pond has a deep center, about 4 ft. I believe, made that way for them, but the rest of the pond isn't that deep. That round white "thingy" is a plastic ball that lights up in the dark! It also is supposed to putt about on the top of the water but it stopped late last summer.

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  3. Such a nice and refreshing post. Your pics are great. Everything to make one feel good except the coat. But thank goodness for it! The last two days give us hope of what's to come.

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    Replies
    1. Ugh! I am so tired of that coat. I'll have to launder it all over again, since I'll be wearing it for a few more days. How can we have 70 degress one day and 18/night two days later??

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  4. That Polar Vortex has been quite a problem this year, hasn't it? And I've never heard of it before! My daughter is also very tired of the winter, and let's hope this is the last blast of the cold. I love a daffodil so much, always cheerful and hopes of Spring in their little nodding faces. And I love your fish pond, which must delight you every day. Lovely post, Sanda.

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    Replies
    1. This was the first year I'd heard of Polar Vortex, too! Daffodils are one of my favorites. They smell fantastic, I wish our property was litterally covered up with them. Oh, we do love our little pond. My HB made it only last summer. I didn't particularly want a fish pond, but he thought we should have one. It has been a most enjoyable addition to the landscape.

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  5. We don't have the extremes of weather found elsewhere but it has been a strange winter nonetheless. We continue to need rain and some is predicted in the next few days. Like your pond and happy to hear the fish found a way to make it through the cold.

    Darla

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    Replies
    1. How is your drought situation? Heard some parts of Calif. got rain but still not enough.Hope your water supply isn't being rationed!

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  6. The sun is out more and the temperatures are slightly more reasonable - I'm not huddling in front of fires any more. However, the winds still howl and I can't get excited about being outdoors as yet. The bulbs are up but not yet blooming. Still, time to get my seedlings started and the garden plots ready... maybe the wind will die down a bit this afternoon.

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    Replies
    1. I so dislike windy weather; puts me in a bad mood. Don't even like warm summer wind! Goot luck with all your seed starting!

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  7. every time it feels like spring i have to remind myself that winter still has some time left. there's a chance of snow here tonight, and the high tomorrow will be in the 30sF. Brrrrr! i'm ready for short sleeves and heat!

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    Replies
    1. We have that chance of snow tonight as well! and cold tomorrow like you. Bring on the flip-flop weather!

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  8. It is really odd to read about your weather. Snow. The low temperatures.
    It is odd over here too, as we are snowless already and having even +C temperatures.
    Month March might normalize the situation, so I am keeping my coat ready.

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  9. That is such an attractive coat! Nice looking fish - hard to believe they were ever below a layer of ice. Tulsa was freezing and then warm and then freezing. So hard to know what to wear. But I'm in Southern California this week where the weather is just delightful.

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