December 2009

Winter Thaw Discoveries

December 29, 2009

Even in a cold, snowy climate, there are often thaws, periods where it warms up (that means, above freezing), the sun shines, and you may even lose snow cover. In my case, while Oklahoma was getting buried under a record snowfall, it was raining here, and then, on this past Sunday, the sun came out. [...]

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Ellis Hollow Calendar Will Inspire Your Gardening

December 21, 2009

After I had posted about Katinka Matson’s digital flower scans, I tried it myself and so did several other garden bloggers. But, to the best of my knowledge, Craig Cramer of Ellis Hollow is the only one who, month after month, scans what’s blooming in his garden for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day. Craig has created [...]

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Snowfall Records

December 16, 2009

In the spirit of cold climate one-upmanship, let me direct your attention to the Snowfall Averages compiled by the National Climatic Data Center. (Sorry, I don’t have Canadian data handy.) Unless your yearly snowfall is in the triple digits, you might as well give up on bragging rights. But you can get a good idea [...]

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day December 2009

December 15, 2009

A few Johnny-jump-ups (Viola tricolor) sport raggedly blooms amidst the patchy snow. That’s it. That’s more than I’ve had in other years. November was mild; December’s lows have been in the teens (F). Not as bitter as some winters, and violas are tough. There hasn’t been enough snow to smother them. Inspired by the words [...]

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Plants vs. Zombies: Game Review

December 8, 2009

PopCap Games sent me a copy of their Plants vs. Zombies computer game. My 12-year-old son agreed to review the game. This is a compilation of his responses to my questions. Plants vs. Zombies is a defense type game. You are defending your house from the Zombies. It starts out easy but gets harder later [...]

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Hudson River Valley Farms: Book Review

December 1, 2009

When I first picked up Hudson River Valley Farms: The People and the Pride behind the Produce by Joanne Michaels, I thought it was a typical self-promoting regional book, meant to be sold at gift shops throughout its depicted geography. But I discovered within the farm profiles a commentary on agriculture in New York State.

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