Cold

It always seems like there are a few days just as the new year gets underfoot that tease us with the thought of spring. I don't mind the snow, I really don't. It is welcome to come in November if it wishes. But once the Christmas and New Year holidays are over, my mind starts to wander towards spring things. And as if Mother Nature is echoing my thoughts, along come a few warm days. Warm enough to melt the snow and make me ready for flowers and life to start popping up out of the frozen ground. We had a couple of those days last week. My thermometer read 67 degrees Fahrenheit at it's warmest. You sure could smell spring in the air, and everyone seemed to have a little more spring in their steps. The chickens absolutely loved it! They hadn't been much for coming out of the coop the past month, but this certainly got them cluckin' around the farm. Even the cows dared to meander out from the barn. Then just like that, before you could say "Jiminy Cricket" it was gone. In it's place were the familiar subarctic temperatures. Once again we are in the throws of winter.

Still it has got me pondering this year's garden. Last year most of my support went to the local garden supply stores. This year I want to get my seeds ordered (soon) and start them inside. If you're into gardening, you're sure to know how buying 'pre-grown' (or sprouted) plants can add up quickly. So this year I start my own! The next step will be to SAVE my own seeds to replant the following year. The progress is slow, but I AM getting closer to becoming more self sufficient. Even if closer comes in baby steps. I wandered across a website that calculates you global footprint today and was shocked to find how many Earth's it would take to sustain our world's population if they lived like I did. I can't even admit how many, I'm so ashamed! And I do so many things to lessen my footprint; I can't fathom how many Earth's it would take if I lived less frugally.