back yard and basement news

last month the temperatures were "unseasonably warm"...and it was in the 40s ( fahrenheit ) yesterday...today sees something of a return to "normal" in temperature terms...however warm temperatures equate to a snow drought which is an impact we will get to soon enough...first though...

the garlic stands in defiance of whatever the weather may bring to bear...it has, however, been nibbled...one presumes a wrascaly wrabbit...

into the second month of winter the egyptian walking onions are somewhat less defiant but stil green...

neither the winter wheat or rye is especially pleased by the lack of insulating snow and this may have direct impact on the crop in spring...i had a total failue in 2018 and 2021 isn't looking al that rosy at the moment...

the berries out back are less lushly verdant than the last time i looked...they too are still green though...

in contrast the berries in the basement are thriving under the lights...

flower buds are cooking away...

we have our first stolon making a break from the container...

and in a surprise move a bud i had not been aware of ( hiding under some healthy leaves ) has bloomed...another bloom and a q-tip and we may see berries...

and last ( but surely not least ) the spud population is rolling along...stil not a "leggy" as in past basement seasons so i have some hope of larger tubers this time around...we will see along about march.

bag 'o rye

i felt the need to bake some bread yesterday...but i was feeling lazy...so i went out ot purchase some rye flower and some caraway seeds...the problem was no supermarket i visted had either...surprising? not with supply chains in disarray...so i had to make a choice..eithe abandon the project...or...

stop being lazy and mill some flour from the rye harvest this past summer which was quietly waiting around in paper bags...

so i threshed...

and winnowed...

and milled snough rye yesterday...

to make the dough...

and bake the bread this morning...light on caraway seed ( i purchased seed to grow my own this morning ) but rye none the less.

define "seasonable"

forty-four degrees ( farhenheit ) in my back yard this afternoon...i suppose you could call it a "january thaw"...even though there hasn't been all that much freezing to thaw...oh there's been some...

the winter rye is having a look around as what snow there has been retreats...

the garlic is defiant...

and the berries are no less so...

and the onions? well...they are looking distinctly nibbled...

perhapos mr. bunny has been reduced to famine food...i startled one out of hiding while i was out there...where there's one there's more...

the remaining teosinte ears continue to shatter...

and the mooseberry bush continues its winter hibernation...we will uncover that one in march...

the staked up spuds downstairs have regained verical dimension and the indooe berries are doing just fine...

they are verdant...

exhibiting good new growth...

and horizontal growth may indicate a stolon...there may be daughters soon...their grassy friends are doing fine as well...

and there has been an irruption of new cohabitants in the container...more life in the basement...we will see what this leads...

it's been quiet

winter has settled in here for the time being and so the yard is a very quiet place...this was the hawthorn on new year's day...

and these are the same berries this morning...you can see the quiet...

things have been moving along downstairs...however slowly that may be there has been some movement...these spuds have become so "leggy" they have fallen over requiring a stake and some twine...

these have not...why? perhaps the second bulb in the fixture is providing better light...perhaps the variety of spud...pperhaps a combination...i am uncertain at best...all i know is they are much more compact and upright...and i am not arguing...

the basement berries seem just fine...

their leaves are green and healthy...

and they are evincing good new growth...first sign of a bloom will engender a five bell bulletin on this blog...so...it is mostly quiet and will likely remain so for a while...time to read, research, and plan...then again who knows where we will be in spring? no one...so we will continue to move along and deal with the variables as they arise.____________ADDENDA:

perhaps i was distracted or it is creeping old age...however, whichever or whatever it is, i neglected to mention that the berries seem to have brought some firends along into the basement...we will be keeping an eye on thie to be sure there is enough space for everyone.