Thursday - 251st

Well, we did plant both garlic cloves and hundreds of little seeds that came from this year's garlic crop. The first part was easy. Eight little cloves, two or three inches deep. Boom. 

The little seeds from the scape? Well, there were just too many.

And so, even though the day is like a November dream -- occasionally sunny, warm, reaching 63F (17C) this afternoon -- and the morning walk is so gentle and sweet...

And breakfast is chatty and so very soothing...

 

... the work outside becomes challenging. Not physically speaking. Digging places for tiny seeds requires little spade work. But it is tough to figure out where to put all those little pearly droplets of future garlic (grown from seed, it will take three years to develop into mature garlic).

In the end, I chase Ed off to go for a bike ride (such great weather is a rare gift at this time of the year) while I poke around all over the farmette lands, sowing the seeds in weird places, hoping for the best. (The seeds do not like weed encroachment and so we expect most wont get far, since weeds are a constant menace here.)

In the afternoon, I have a meetup with Snowdrop. Outside, distanced, with masks. It's not easy to put these in place these days. The cold weather interferes into our usual outdoor routines. But today we are golden! 

It's grand to have small breaks from the tougher demands of the day. As infection levels soar and the holidays approach, it seems that everything is just that much harder. Grocery stores are trying to keep up with the demand, but this time of the year has always been a challenge. This year surely must be a huge headache for everyone. When I call with a question, I'm surprised at how good-natured the store clerks are. Would you have it in you to answer the millionth query from yet one more customer, while a deadly virus raged down one grocery aisle and up the next? I don't even know how to thank the staff enough for the work they do, day in, day out. And don't get me started on the pain I feel for those who work in our three city hospitals. You think you have a lousy week ahead of you? Can you compare it with theirs? 

So I don't care that there are items missing from my grocery list. I don't care that setting up a delivery time from my store is once again starting to be a challenge. I don't care about any of this, because I can be home and as I tell Ed -- we wont die if we can't get cranberries for our meal. He laughs. You mean we were going to have cranberries? And when is Thanksgiving anyway?

He does make me smile. Every day, no matter what, most often quite unintentionally, he'll make me smile.

Sunset driving home. Totally gorgeous.