The first day of spring!

Cabin Fever

It is truly miserable outside! One would think that I would be rejoicing at temperatures above freezing after the sub zero Farenheit days and nights, but no, I am not. Each season here has its joys, its beauty and its challenges but today is just plain miserable. No healthy cold dry air, no snow that provides moisture for the coming season, no majestic sun dogs warning of the dangers of frostbite. Instead we have a dull gray sky, dirty melting snow covered in about an inch of clear hard ice. Temperatures are hovering at freezing point and while some of the snow is melting, the rain, as it hits the cold surface, is freezing. Everything you touch is covered in a layer of ice and everywhere you walk is treacherous. To add to the misery for the animals the wind was blowing hard last night, driving the icy rain into every crack, reaching its cold wet claws back into the barn where they all huddled together regardless of species. The path they cut through the snow banks is covered in ice and the horses are moving slowly and carefully. A friend suggested it was all a matter of perspective and normally I would agree, but in this case the only good perspective would be looking back on it when it is over.

It is on days like today that I understand cabin fever. There is plenty to do, no reason to get bored but the lack of lustre in the light, the frozen frosting on the windows all contribute to an edginess, a restlessness, a frustration that isn't present on cold sunny or snowy days. We keep busy sewing and quilting, planning for the productive seasons, making soap, snuggling under a quilt and reading a book, researching for new projects or venturing out and bringing home a dead tree for firewood. There is no real lack of things to do just a lack of pressure that is always present in the summer, pressure to get things done before winter hits again.

Experience tells us that we can still have a pile of snow in March, we still have at least 2 months before we can plant anything but we are ready to jump into spring. Our seeds have all arrived, the seedlings we start here are all in trays under the grow lamps and doing well. The last queen sized quilt of the season awaits its backing before being sent to the wonderful lady in Missouri who quilts all the layers together. The last lap quilt I am quilting myself and will be completed in a week or so. Anita is busily completing an abundance of doll's clothes that would brighten any little girls' birthday. Baby clothes have been passing through our door to the Post Office..... yes this is our relaxed time of year but we are eager to break out of the house and get some dirt under our finger nails!

Here are just a couple of Anita's doll clothes (yes you can order some to be made for the little girls in your lives!):

The last quilts of the season:

A few of our seedlings, heirloom cherry tomatoes:

  and Belgian endive:

I can tell Cabin Fever is setting in, as even my dreams are infected. The other night I dreamt that I was sticking carrot seeds to strips of newspaper, ready to roll out in 100 foot rolls! Anyone who has ever seen carrot seeds (we sow ours using a salt shaker) knows just how frustrating such a dream would be! The excitement is building and on the 18th we are getting the sheep sheared. It encourages them to go into the barn at night when they lose their warm coats and hopefully all their babies will be warm and healthy by the time we get to them. We should be lambing by the end of the month when temps usually average out above freezing. Fingers crossed, the last 2 years have been really bad for us, we are due a good lambing year!