Spring In January

It feels like we raked leaves here on Long Island, celebrated Christmas and New Year's and went into spring. The daffodils are up as well as some day lilies. The fish in the pond are moving around. Some people still have lights up around their houses while others are doing yard work. I certainly have been tempted.

However from living in the northeast almost all my life and particularly on Long Island, I know what can happen in a moment or a day at this time of the year. Winter can roar back in. While temperatures will be in the mid 50's a few times this week and someone was riding with a convertible top down the other day, February can come in a like a lamb and deliver us a Valentine's Day Blizzard. I have seen some incredible snows during President's/Mid Winter Breaks. There is no telling what will happen.

Then again tomorrow I may trade in my snow shovel for a rake.... at least for a day!

A Funny Song

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly... I know an old lady who swallowed a spider... She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. But I don't know she swallowed the fly...

Another song from my childhood that my grandkids love me to sing. Here the other day I saw this song (well nearly) in action.

Spiders spin webs, catch flys and then work on their wings so they cannnot fly away. Nature at work. Pretty cool.

On a lighter note with temperatures well below freezing I went out to the pond today and checked to see how the filter was running. It was fine. The running water makes a hole in the ice for the oxygen to get in and the carbon dioxide and other poisonous gases to get out. The fish don't eat when it is cold. They may occasionally nibble on some algae but basically they do what we do in winter in the northeast United States. They rest. In about 6 weeks they cycle will begin again and they will come looking for food. I have video posted on YouTube of this a few years ago. It is cool. Go to peterpumpkin8 for this on YouTube if you'd like to see this along with many other videos from the backyard.

Time to Laugh

On my facebook page this morning I wrote about laughter. It is something we all need. It is good like medicine. Without getting into all the scientific facts it is healthy to laugh.

Think about things that have happened in your life which have made you crack up and laugh so hard that you almost cried, or you hyperventilated. Maybe it is a certain movie which watching it makes you bust into laughter. The Three Stooges, or It is a Mad Mad Mad Mad World can do that for some. Others find that the Honeymooners or Abbott and Costello bring on laughter. Whatever does it for you, laugh!

Years ago, when going through a difficult time when laughter was missing from my life and needed, my friend John Foster sent me a rock with the word, "LAUGH" engraved on it. I have it on my desk today. It serves as a reminder.

Some years ago, there was a couple in the Rolling Hills Covenant Church in California. A kitten had climber up in a tree on their property and it would not come down. It was crying. They called the fire department and were told, "No we don't answer cat in the tree calls anymore."

The couple tried everything. Finally they had an idea. The husband took a rope and somehow lassoed it to the top of the tree. Then he tied the other end to the bumper of his car. He figured if he could get the top of the tree low enough he could reach for the kitten and rescue it. As he slowly backed up the rope broke and the tree snapped back into place sending the kitten sailing through the neighborhood. A true catapult!

A few days later, while in the grocery store the wife ran into a neighbor. She noticed that in her cart were kitty litter and cat food. She said to the her neighbor, "I didn't know you had a cat." She responded, "Well the funniest thing happened a few days ago. You know since my husband died I have been so lonely. I thought maybe if I had an animal, that would help. So I was at my sliding glass doors looking out into my backyard and I prayed, 'LORD, if You want me to have a pet, would you please show me?' And God dropped this cat right out of heaven!"

Its That Time Of Year

January is the coldest month of the year. It is for the most part the least active month in the garden. Yet yesterday, my grandson, Tristan, joined me for a trek out to the fish pond to see if any fish were up. They weren't. He noticed the ice around the falls. We came back inside. I have a marigold in a pot from last year, still blooming. I showed him how to get seeds off the dead flowers. We have enough seeds for loads of marigold plants now.

In a few weeks I'll plant the first of the Day Lily Seeds, then others. This is a great time for planning for this year's gardens. I still add regularly to the compost pile. Birds are enjoying suet at the feeders.

Next month the crocus will appear... and we'll be on our way. Enjoy the break because it won't last long. Soon we'll be back out in our yards, gardening and loving each moment of it.