The bulbs of springs are beginning to awaken. The spring bulbs of jonquils, hyacinths, daffodils, narcissus, and tulips are showing signs of life as the spike from underneath the layers of crushed leaves. Apply a layer of bone meal on them next week to get them off to a good start.
Spring seeds showing up in stores. There is a welcome burst of color in the hardware stores, garden departments, Lowe’s and Home Depot as well as Walmart. Many supermarkets also have racks of seed displays. We like to purchase a few packets of flower seed while we are shopping during the weeks of winter. We store them in a small box in a warm room. We place flower seed in one bundle and vegetable seed in another. We also make a list of the seeds as we purchase them.
Snow is heavy when it is a wet snow. There are two types of snowfalls; one is a wet snow and the other is a dry snow and is flaky, dry and easy to shovel. Then there is the wet, sticky variety that is heavy and harder to shovel because it has plenty of moisture in it. Wet snow makes good snowmen and snowballs, but rough to clean from driveways and sidewalks. Wet snow also makes better snow cream. On the other hand, dry snow is easier to clean from windshields, windows, and easier to remove from driveways. It has less moisture and can be blown out of carports and porches. When you shovel wet snow, don’t overload the shovel and take a breather often. When you clear wet snow from the windshield, allow you vehicle’s defrost to help do the work and melt the wet snow.
A snow shovel makes a great gift. No gift is as wonderful as one that is practical and useful. A snow shovel is that type of gift that may not be used every day, but is great to have on hand when you need it. The best time to buy a snow shovel is when there is no snow on the ground or in the forecast. The best snow shovels are those made of light aluminum which makes shoveling much easier. A durable snow shovel costs about $20.
Carolina Snow Cream. The next time we get enough snow to shovel, scoop up some clean snow and prepare a bowl of Carolina Snow Cream. It is easy to prepare and the very coldest treat you will ever eat. To make a bowl of snow cream you will beat four eggs until stiff, add a can of evaporated milk and beat it into the eggs, add two cups of sugar and beat into the mixture, add three and a half cups milk, a pinch of salt, two tablespoons vanilla flavoring. Beat all ingredients together. Prepare the snow for the snow cream by scraping off the top layer of snow, and scoop up clean snow that you know has not been disturbed and place in a large pot or bowl. Add the harvested snow to the prepared milk mixture until it is thick and creamy. If any is left, you can place it in the freezer. To make chocolate snow cream, add two cups of chocolate syrup and subtract half cup sugar and one cup milk. To make strawberry snow cream, add two cups strawberries run through the blender in “grate” mode, subtract one cup milk and add one tablespoon strawberry flavoring.
Blues on a day before a snowfall. By now, you know that this is a “snow day” column. This bit of winter lore says, a blue sky on a January day can suddenly become snowy gray. Another interesting bit of snow lore says, “a fair day in January can become the mother of a winter snowstorm.” Both of these are true bits of lore. A sudden change in the direction of wind from south to north or one cold blast brought in by the north wind or even a front from the Gulf of Mexico can quickly change a weather pattern from blue to gray.
Sweet, tender cold weather vegetables. Cold weather has a positive effect on the taste of Kale, collards, turnips, and curly mustard greens as well as broccoli. They have a certain color and crispness about them and also insects do not bother them in cold temperatures. We believe colder temperatures enhance the vegetables in the winter garden and give them an extra sweetness and flavor. Why shouldn’t the garden by a four-season event?
Robins in mid-January. All the robins don’t fly south in winter, many of them make themselves at home right here in the Piedmont of North Carolina. They seem very comfortable and why not? The ground freezes only a few times all winter and they find shelter in barns, shacks, stables as well as hollow trees and logs. Maybe even in the attics and eaves of homes. We don’t think it is a matter of global warming or weather extremes. Robins seem to have done the math and have added it all up that they can find a plentiful supply of food right here. All the robins we see are colorful, healthy, bouncy, and seem to be well fed. They definitely make winter more active and alive and they remind us of spring.
A container of fragrance in the home all winter. As we move closer to Saint Valentine’s Day, most garden departments in supermarkets, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s will feature pots and containers of hyacinths in full bloom. A pot or container of these in your dining room or den will add a scent of spring and a burst of color inside your home. They cost less than $5 and worth it for the sweet fragrance they emit.
Jonquils and hyacinths are spiking. Green spies of hyacinth and jonquils are popping out of the beds of leaf mulch and are about a month away from full bloom. It is great to see them come to new life. We will soon be seeing more subtle signs of spring as we reach the end of the long month of January.
2021 the year of four o’clocks. Four o’clocks produce more flowers per packet over a longer season than any other flower as they bloom from late May all the way until frost. You can now purchase them at hardware stores, seed shops, garden departments, and supermarkets. A packet costs less than $2. Four o’clocks come in colors or red, white, yellow, pink, wine, and speckled and marble shades. Their lush green foliage blends well with their blooms.
Hoe-Hoe-Hoedown: “Getting a rundown!” — This man was walking along a country road and saw an Indian with his ear to the ground. The man went over and listened. The Indian said, “Large wheels, Ford pickup, red color, man driving with a German Shepherd, Oklahoma license tag, traveling 75 miles per hour.” The man was amazed at the Indian and said, “You can tell all that by putting your ear to the ground?” “Ear to ground nothing.” the Indian said. “That truck just ran over me!”
“Hopping to it” — Diner: “Waiter, come over here at once. Can you explain why there is a footprint in the middle of my food?” Waiter: “Yes sir, you ordered an omelet and told me to step on it.”
“The right diet” — The toughest part of a diet is not watching what you eat, but watching what other people eat!
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com