Looking ahead at April weather here, in south central Wisconsin, you might (perhaps correctly) conclude that today will be the best of all April days. Sunny, not too cold. The only thing missing is continuity. You wish that the warm spell would dig in its heels and stay. But, we're northerners. We don't expect our gardens to look like those of people living in the Carolinas, let alone California. Our growing season is much much shorter.
But this slower progression toward a good outcome may not be so bad. We're learning a lot this month about the value of flattening a dangerous curve. Perhaps the same applies here: let's not rush toward the beauty of a full blown spring. Let's look around and enjoy each tiny step toward a better outcome.
After breakfast, of course.
And after Ed finishes baking the next batch of cookies. (He's trying out new recipes, ever tweaking, ever perfecting...)
And after planting some of the new tomato seeds that finally came in the mail. (They're tiny! Nonetheless, sometimes good tastes come from small sources.)
Okay, let's go outside. The farmette lands are sprouting new growth everywhere. It's true that you have to still hunt for blooms, but they are there. For sure!
Today we plant the spinach. I've never grown spinach before, but our farmers markets are not going to open this spring in the way that they usually do and so I want to coax some green stuff out of our own plot of land. Will it grow in our soil that is only partially improved by composted matter? I'll let you know.
(sunshine, as enjoyed by the cheepers)
Do we have time for a walk? We do!
(coots and loons, passing through, leading by example in their social distancing...)
In the evening, the young family, as much in isolation as we are, comes here for dinner. Shrimp tacos -- pleasing the non-meat eaters (Ed, Snowdrop, perhaps me), and shrimp lovers (everyone), and crunchy shell and soft shell aficionados.
("Done?")
It's what they do -- almost every evening, they dance. Sparrow wills it to be so.
So ends another day when so much is asked of so many to keep us all going. Oh, but to make it easier for those engaged in heroic efforts now! At the very least, we can isolate. Use technology to connect, if we need help. And if we're okay, if we have one, two, maybe three family members (or more) under one roof -- turn on the music and dance.
But this slower progression toward a good outcome may not be so bad. We're learning a lot this month about the value of flattening a dangerous curve. Perhaps the same applies here: let's not rush toward the beauty of a full blown spring. Let's look around and enjoy each tiny step toward a better outcome.
After breakfast, of course.
And after Ed finishes baking the next batch of cookies. (He's trying out new recipes, ever tweaking, ever perfecting...)
And after planting some of the new tomato seeds that finally came in the mail. (They're tiny! Nonetheless, sometimes good tastes come from small sources.)
Okay, let's go outside. The farmette lands are sprouting new growth everywhere. It's true that you have to still hunt for blooms, but they are there. For sure!
Today we plant the spinach. I've never grown spinach before, but our farmers markets are not going to open this spring in the way that they usually do and so I want to coax some green stuff out of our own plot of land. Will it grow in our soil that is only partially improved by composted matter? I'll let you know.
(sunshine, as enjoyed by the cheepers)
Do we have time for a walk? We do!
(coots and loons, passing through, leading by example in their social distancing...)
In the evening, the young family, as much in isolation as we are, comes here for dinner. Shrimp tacos -- pleasing the non-meat eaters (Ed, Snowdrop, perhaps me), and shrimp lovers (everyone), and crunchy shell and soft shell aficionados.
("Done?")
It's what they do -- almost every evening, they dance. Sparrow wills it to be so.
So ends another day when so much is asked of so many to keep us all going. Oh, but to make it easier for those engaged in heroic efforts now! At the very least, we can isolate. Use technology to connect, if we need help. And if we're okay, if we have one, two, maybe three family members (or more) under one roof -- turn on the music and dance.
