Shenandoah Valley Snowstorm - Feb, 2010

I don't think an explanation is necessary.  These shots were taken after the first storm hit us.  Our 4-rail fence looks like a 2-rail fence here and the horses are getting downright stir crazy.  Will spring ever arrive?  Frosty ponies, hens wanting to sit on frozen eggs, and little "hunka munkas" trying to squeeze into warm places - like my house - are just as impatient.
 
BradyCat has proven himself the ultimate mouser this year though.  He spends long periods of time staring between the refrigerator and dishwasher, listening for little scratching sounds.  He eventually pounces, I scream, we scurry around the room - me trying to save the mouse and Brady trying to kill it.  Then Cody Bear has to get in on the action.  It's quite a commotion.  If I succeed, hunka gets a free ride to the woods.  If Brady wins, its little body is placed in the garage for our screech owl to find.  I'm pathetic.
Oh well.  At least my garden seeds have arrived.  I ordered them as soon as the garden catalogs began to trickle in.  I was finally able to find Candy Roaster Squash seeds, but I've missed out on the True Red Cranberry Pole Dry Beans and the Mennonite Hyacinth Color Pole Bean seeds. They were sold out for the season.

I can't wait to see and taste the different varieties of heirloom tomatoes I've chosen.  Amazon Chocolate Tomato, Grandma Josie's White Tomato, the Sabre Ukrainian Heirloom Tomato, Chalks Early Gem (one of the few great tomatoes listed in 'Slow Food USA Ark of Taste'), Amish Canner and Riesentomate aus Siebenburgen are new for me.  I've decided the Amish Canner will be my main canning tomato and the San Marzano will do nicely for sauces.  And just for fun I've ordered Dinosaur Kale for the grandkids.

I swear I'm going to chart everything carefully this year!!  I've plotted rotations, estimated dates for spring, summer and fall plantings, and dedicated raised beds for polycultural plantings.  I'm trying hulless oats, corn, and wheat in the upper garden. This will also be my first year working with soybeans and a combination of rye & vetch for biomass.  I still need to find some more space for herbs though. 

Don't you just love the planning stage?  I'm a great planner, but the doer in me can tend to get hung up on the little things and gardening can turn out to be downright costly if you're not careful.  I mean, when 5 seeds can run you $2.50 you want to be sure you know what you're doing.  So it's time to get serious.  This is a year for making gardening count.