Ice Fog and Seed Trades

After a mild January that saw wildly fluctuating temperatures, February is bringing us what used to be considered typical weather for this time of year.  This morning, it is -38 degrees with ice fog.  Next week's forecast indicates more of the same.  Our windows are covered with condensation inside, and in some cases, with a layer of ice along the bottom.  The furnace is getting a workout.  I am glad there is nowhere we have to be today.  This is hibernation weather.

To keep myself from going squirrelly, I have done a few exchanges for tomato seeds through the mail recently.  Some of the varieties I've received include Brad's Black Heart, German Striped, Russian Orange 117, four varieties of "long keepers" (Ruby Treasure, Clare's, Mystery Keeper, and Winter Gold), Sweet Sue (a dwarf variety), Thorburn's Terra Cotta, and Orange Strawberry.  I'm hoping to grow a few dwarf and oxheart varieties this summer.  Narrowing down the choices is always a challenge!


Monday, February 4 - At 8:30am this morning, it was -41..."feels like -49"...with ice fog.  School buses are cancelled (though schools remain open), the public library is closed, and city bus service is suspended until this afternoon.  I hope the postal workers don't have to deliver mail today!

New Seeds To Try

I participated again this year in the Canadian Autumn Seed Exchange.  This is it's 8th year running!  My return package arrived yesterday.  It is always fun to see what seeds are enclosed and to look up the details of the unfamiliar varieties.

In this year's package...

Flowers 
Lavatera “Silver Cup”
Marigold “Crackerjack”
Marigold “Jane Bright”
Marigold “Vanilla”
Prairie Crocus
Sunflower “Sunspot” (dwarf type)
Sunflower “North Pole” (dwarf type – Sunspot – put out by Canada Post)
Zinnia “Pink Seniorita” 
  

Vanilla Marigolds - Territorial Seed Company

Herbs
Chamomile “Bodegold”
Dill “Mammoth Long Island”
Lemon Balm

BodeGold Chamomile - Adaptive Seeds

Lovage
Marshmallow
Sage – broadleaf (perennial)
Sage - common
Sweet Marjoram 


Beans (bush) 
Contender
Flageolet
Greencrop
Garbanzo “Magic Carpet”
Round Pod Kidney Wax
Wood Mountain Crazy
YerFasal
Zuni Shalako 

Beans (pole) 
Early Riser
Kentucky Wonder Blue 

Kentucky Blue Pole Beans - Park Seed

Carrots 
Rainbow Mix 

Cow Peas 
California Black-Eye Pea 

Garlic (bulbils) 
Persian Star (Purple Stripe)
Spanish Roja (Rocambole) 

Spanish Roja - Territorial Seed Company

Greens 
Cabbage “Early Dutch”
Cabbage “Early Golden Acre"
 Kale “Lacinato” 
Lettuce “Buttercrunch” 
Lettuce “Freckle”
Swiss Chard “Fordhook Giant” 

Leeks 
Blue Solaise 

Peas 
Desiree Blauschokker
Margaret McKee’s Baking Pea 

Margaret McKee's Baking Pea - Heritage Harvest Seeds

Pumpkin 
Baby Boo 

Squash 
Early Prolific Straightneck
Pink Banana
Spaghetti 

Tomatoes 
Amish Paste
Coastal Pride Orange
Manitoba
Opalka
Purple Russian
Sausage

Solar Flare tomato - Baker Creek Seeds

Solar Flare
Tasmanian Chocolate
Virginia Sweet

Missing The Sunshine

I discovered Bea tucked under the grow light this morning, nibbling on the not-quite-ready cat grass that recently sprouted.  She decided to snooze in that spot for a while.  I don't blame her.

Time to set up my daylight lamp, I think!

 

Going Stag

An afternoon visitor!  This fellow wandered through just before 2:00PM. He was alone and seemed a bit lost. It looked like he was trying to head North, back out of town. Usually, when we do see deer, it is early in the morning. Kind of strange to see one in town in the middle of the day.

(The pictures were taken with a basic camera, through winter-grimy windows on an overcast day. Click to enlarge!)


Heading up the driveway...

...and then North...

...taking a detour into the backyard of the property two doors up...

  
....before hearing the (many) dogs in yards across the alley and heading back out to the street, going North again.

Hoping he safely made it where he was going without too much interference from dogs or traffic.

Good Morning, Deer

   Just after 6:00am, as I was getting dressed, the light over our front step turned on.  It is motion-activated, and I thought a neighbourhood cat might be visiting.  I turned towards the living room to go look out the window and, surprise...!

   When this one started to started to walk away, I raced to the front window to get a closer look.  It was just in time to see a male about the same size follow her around the side of the house.  I waited for them to come back around the other side, but they must have hopped over our back fence and left through the alley.

A nice way to start the day.  :-)

Early Start to Winter

Hallowe'en night brought flurries that continued on and off for the next day days.  It started snowing in earnest - fine, icy beads of it - on the evening of the 3rd and didn't stop until yesterday morning. We got over 20cm of snow.  The ground wasn't frozen, so shoveling paths around the house was slow (the shovel caught on the leaves and grass) and I'm sure it made for tricky driving on the dirt roads outside of town.  School buses were canceled yesterday, though the schools in this region stay open no matter how much snow or freezing rain falls or how insanely cold it gets. (No, it doesn't make sense to me, either.)

Snow and Tomato Sauce

Monday afternoon (October 1st), I began putting together seed packets to include in my package for the 8th Annual Canadian Autumn Seed Swap.  When I walked to the living room to get some tape, I looked out the window and saw this:

It snowed for much of the afternoon and stuck around until Wednesday.  The nights have been chilly, ranging from -1 to -8.   My favourite floor-length flannel tartan nightgown is in regular use again!

Day 87 of the Great Tomato Processing.  Okay, that is an exaggeration, but it feels like it has gone on that long.  As of today, I have 25 litres of tomato sauce canned and a litre in the freezer.  I think I will be able to get 6 or 7 litres from the remaining tomatoes.  I love growing different kinds of tomatoes every summer, but will have to try to control myself somewhat next year.  It would be easier on me come harvest-time if I limited my choices to medium-to-large sized red, pink, and black/purple varieties, as most of the tomatoes we grow go into sauce.  No cherries or ruffled shapes (tedious to process), and no greens, yellows, or oranges.   That's the current plan.  Let's see what the enthusiastic, "It's time to start transplants!" version of me decides next March.