I went to a big antique mall with my boyfriend yesterday and scored this super excellent photo thing. I’m not sure how old it is, but I really like it. It looks like some sort of velvet on a wallpaper type background. It’s a barefooted girl feeding two hens and a rooster I adore it. Check it out!

What the hell is up with that saying “the night is always darkest before the dawn”? I know, I know, I get what it means. It’s inspirational and yada yada. But really? Anyone who has been up early knows that is total bull huckey. I mean really, think about it. How can we have that saying, and also have all the cliches about “pre dawn glow” and all that? We have two completely contradictory phrases in the english language. I, for one, think that is stupid. Because unless sunrise and sunset work totally different in different parts of the world (hint: no, wrong answer) one of those cliches must be wrong. And speaking as someone who used to haul my toosh out of bed way too damn early in the morning to do this horrible activity people call “jogging outside in winter”, I know that the night is not, in fact, the darkest before the dawn. In fact, it is quite glowy and gray. Which probably explains the other cliche.

But seriously, come on english, can’t we do a little bit better?

From my business law professor:

Administrative agencies are like elephants. They never forget, and they’re big enough to crush anyone they want.

It is really, really cold right now.

That is all. Actually, one more thing. I mistyped nearly every word in this post. I need to remember my gloves next time.

Love is someone remembering your small mention of having to rearrange skittles by color before you eat them. Love is them then buying you multiple bags of skittles and arranging them by color so I don’t have to, but can still eat them.

Love is waking up to a ridiculous chicken on the computer screen.

(Not mine. GIS.)

Love is not laughing at the first copy of hobby farmer magazine sitting on the table in my apartment. Even if you want to.

If it’s warm and wet and not yours, don’t touch it.

(PS eew. Also, new blog updates over at Code of the West.)

Polish top hat chickens are the most ridiculous looking creatures on earth. Please go and do a google image search this second. I would post one if I was on a computer that easily could.

PS- it has been a month since christmas. It seems like so much more somehow.

Yesterday and today have been family type days. I came down to stay with my parents. I’m staying tonight as well before heading back home. Today my mom and I went to a good earth home show and then went seed shopping. Since then, we’ve been plotting and planning and scheming. We have a chart of beds drawn up so we can plan where our crops will be. Two years ago was a very unfortunate tomato fungus, and we’ve been juggling since then. Only so many of our beds have full sun. Only so many have good soil. Certain ones have held members of the nightshade family (tomato and eggplant and peppers and so on) and that is where we have fungus risks for several years.

In addition to planning where are plants will be, we’ve been planning when. Since I’ll be up at my apartment this summer doing summer chemistry (oh yippy aye ay. Can you taste my excitement?) I won’t always be able to come down. As such, I’ve drawn up a general planting schedule. This is what I’ve got so far:

Garden Calendar

February
2nd week – till garden to break up soil

March
Severe rose pruning
Add amendments- well rotted manure, peat moss, or compost (till into top 4-6 inches of soil)
Mid month- plant leeks, onions, potatoes
Late month- plant spinach and cabbage
Late month- start tomatoes and lettuce inside
3rd week- full weeding

April
Early month- plant radishes
Mid month- plant peas, carrots, onions
Late month- cover strawberries with netting

May
Early month- slug and snail bait
Mid month- plant tomatoes, squash, cucumber, peppers
Keep compost moist and add to it

June
Early month- thin planted vegetables
Mid month- cover potatoes (again) with soil
Soap roses

July
Mid month- plant second cycle of salad crops
Mid month- lady bug release
Mid month- slug and snail bait
Late month- full weeding
Late month- cover crop on empty areas of garden
Canning!

September
Can like hell
Once tops of onions have withered, put in a warm/sunny place 10 days then store
Apply mulch to carrots and radishes to keep in ground and pull as needed
Late month- pull out crops and compost
Late month- plant cover crops
Tag perennials to keep

November
Manure and newspaper on beds
Drain and put away hoses
Cover faucets

If you notice any lacks, please let me know! I drew it up in a few minutes and didn’t think it through very thoroughly. Anyone else doing a garden this year? Up at home, I’m doing some container gardens in my boyfriend’s south facing window. Significantly smaller!

Sometimes, I wonder how different I would be if I hadn’t read so much as a child. I would know far fewer random facts, I’m sure. I would also, however, be capable of stretching out a book for more than four hours. Ugh. Reading can be an expensive habit to maintain.

The past couple days have been fairly wonderful. Sunday I went to the beach with my boyfriend and friends. I made a very awesome fire, sans chemical assistance (except for the matches). We all thought it was dead for sure, but then I stepped in and was able to revive it. I used to be pretty good at getting a fire started up under any conditions, but its been a long time since I did that. It was nice to know I haven’t lost my touch.

Monday I then spent the day cleaning up Nick’s apartment. (This is after cleaning my apartment on Friday). It is so wonderful to have clean, clear, bright spaces. The sun came out this weekend, and that added to the appeal. I can now lay down on the carpet without fear in either of our apartments. Given my propensity for laying on the floor (just ask my family about this one; my brothers grew up tripping over me while I read) this is quite a relief. Since Monday was MLK day, I had no classes.

Today was another sunny day. Not to say its been warm lately, but it has been sunny. I’m fairly certain I’m partially photosynthetic. I wilt without light. I didn’t have my morning class because… well, I don’t really know. But my professor said no class, so lo, there was no class. Instead, I spent the morning attempting to watch the inauguration. I say “attempting”, because I watched an hour of the opening stuff, got about 3 minutes into President Obama’s speech, then fell asleep. I woke up to hear him say “and God bless America” and it was over. I know, I know, I fail as an American. Etc. This is why there’s youtube. Not all is lost.

To add to my cheer, I just got three books from amazon that I’ve been waiting for. The one I’m reading now is “Made from scratch” by Jenna Woginrich. I’m already near the halfway mark and enjoying it. It is all things I already know so far with the exception of the beekeeping, but it is still an interesting read. Thus far I’d recommend it.

So that has been my time of relaxation! How have you been enjoying the sun? Alex, any work projects? Fizban, your classes this term? Anne, any delightful pictures of cats to share? Nick, any new grammar rules discovered? Everyone I missed, what have you been up to?