going around in circles

Circles... Figuring out the ratio of the circumference to the diameter... In other words, Pi, or our modern holiday for this day -- 3/14, which only makes sense in America, as only here do we list the month before the day. (March 14th in Europe is 14/3.) I've been getting emails from one of our favorite bakeries how they'll be out of pies quickly today because, you know, it's Pi Day! 

Me, I'm not thinking about Pi or pies, I'm thinking about the fact that I really delayed this year in ordering seeds for planting. Somehow I had in my head that we plant tomatoes on April 1st. And that we still had plenty of leftover seeds from previous years. None of this is true. I checked on Ocean and found out to my horror that we actually planted on the second day of spring, meaning on March 21st. Then I remembered that we ran out of tomato seeds last year. And that I dumped all my annuals into the meadows, leaving none to plant this spring. And that we are about to expand our meadow to surround the new peach orchard. Gulp. I'm in need of not pie, but seeds.

I've worked with many seed companies in the past and still I do not have a favorite one. Browsing today, I settled on Johnny's Selected Seeds. I put all my eggs into this basket (sort of like putting all your money in one unknown bank...) and ordered seeds. Annuals. Nasturtium, cosmos, sweet williams, sunflowers. Meadow mixes. Tomatoes, of course. Cherry, early ones, disease resistant, San Marzano, Brnadywine. Organic where possible. Watermelon. Peas. I will plant it all!

But wait, if the seeds come soon (rush shipping required) and we want to plant them, say, on the first day of spring, where will we get the dirt, given that our compost pile is frozen and buried under snow? No problem! -- says Ed. I click the "place order" button. If all goes well, we will have our hands full (of seeds) this weekend!

It's a sunny but cold day. Signs of spring? All the cats are outside All the birds are avoiding all the cats outside.

My morning routines are usually straightforward: collect missed eggs, feed chickens, check on water, feed cats -- some in the sheep shed, some at home. But now we have the addition of Pancake. She (I'm guessing here -- we really have no idea what the gender is) came at night. Ed fed her. She came again to the porch this morning. I fed her. The cats stare at her, but they let her come and go without confrontation. Why this tolerance for an outsider? I'm again guessing here, but I honestly think she is pregnant. She eats voraciously, all the time, and she is growing sizable in her underbelly. Ed wants us to catch her and take her in to be spayed (if she is not pregnant) but I think we need to hang back until it warms up. For now, we keep giving her food, distracting the other cats while she eats.

Breakfast, for us.

In the early afternoon, Ed attempts to walk with me. I mean, it's gorgeous outside -- irresistible! It's slow going for him, but he makes the loop and seems only slightly disabled afterwards. 

(today's quick look at cranes...)

And since it is Tuesday, Snowdrop has ballet after school, so we go through that routine.

(Here she is, notably without a hoodie tied around her waist!)

(And here she is, right after she heard a report that her parents had a good parent/teacher conference; she brushed over the academic praise though and asked anxiously -- yes, but did my teacher say that I was kind?)

All this brings us quickly to evening time. Ed and I are awash with eggs and so supper is easy -- eggs, some Brussel sprouts and a salad. Ed claims I overcooked the sprouts. He is correct, even though I think someone who cooks none of the meals should not mind uncrisp veggies. 

Yes, it's our light hearted Pi Day, and yes, I like even made up holidays, but there will be no pie for supper. In the end, garden planning trumped pie baking. And perhaps that's a good thing: Ed's as fussy about pies as he is about the tenderness of veggies.

(Deer, getting ready to eat anything that I plant...)