...they have eyes but they do not have faces ...

The potato problem

I over ordered potatoes this year. Somehow I FORGOT that I had ordered from FEDCO ... 2 pounds of Yellow Finns. Then one Sunday morning I found potatogarden.com and as if in a trance I ordered pounds more of Bison, German Butter Ball, Adora and more Yellow Finns. And I don't even really LIKE potatoes. I mean they are fun to to harvest, but it is after all a white carb.

So I decided I would relegate the majority of the potatoes to what is becoming the darkest bed in my garden AND I would resurrect the "potato bin." Held together by screws and wing nuts the potato bin is designed to use vertical space to grow this crop. I have had varying degrees of success with it over the years. One year I pulled out over 100 potatoes. Another year, I used soil that was too rich and got hardly any potatoes at all.

... and I only have eyes for you

Signs of Spring

an abundance of wild watercress

a trellis waiting for peas

daffodils

and an asparagus eye view of the world

The Annual Seedlings Pilgrimage

This year's trip to Bath County took me to Milmont Nursery in Stuar's Draft, VA. There were ample selections of some of my favorites including Big Zac and Boxcar Willie. But in the end I opted for more reliable types like Better Boy. And last year I did not plant any cherry tomoatoes and quite frankly I missed them. So I put some Sweet 100's into the pile along with some French Sorrrel and some pineapple sage.

Since it rained most of the time during my stay at the Farm we ended up going for lunch at the Greenbriar Hotel. Here are a few of the scenes from inside this remarkably grand hotel.On my return trip home I wended my way through the back roads of Augusta County in search of Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm. The countryside is rolling and the roads get narrower and narrower the deeper in you travel. But through some bit of luck and helpful directions I came upon the sign for Polyface Farm. I clattered about for some time encountering nothing but the animals. Just when I was about to give up on the chance to buy a chicken or two, I spied two of the apprentices. "Hi there. I was beginning to think the animals ran this farm all by themselves" I said. "That's how we like to think it works," replied one of the young men.I was then taken into the room outfitted with various freezers. I bought two chickens and a skirt steak and while they were writing me up I asked about their marketing operation. They have given up on the Farmer's Markets and work through a direct drop arrangement with buying clubs. You place your order online a week in advance and then arrive with your cooler and a check at the appointed drop point on the appointed day.It was a real treat to be on the farm that has served as a compass for so many enlightened farmers.
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Earthday: An April Project

I have decided to make it a point to shift to electronic communications whenever possible from now on, and in honor of Earth Day I am choosing April as my turnaround month. If I had thought ahead I would have weighed all the bills, stock annual reports, and quarterly statements that came piling in through the mail slot this month and then done another weigh in next April.

The corporate world is trying to help us do this. If you own any of these stocks, you can sign up through eTree and get a tree planted at the same time you sign up to eliminate paper correspondence.

Nearly any bill you receive will have an offer to sign up for electronic notification. If you pay your bills online like I do, this makes perfects sense. Take a closer look at it this month. Oh, and don't forget, you can file your income tax electronically as well.

These are choice WE can make.

Growing Artichokes

I had an excellent germination rate on these "Green Globe Improved" artichokes from Reimer Seeds. These were planted a month ago and just now are showing true leaves. I transplanted them to 4 inch pots and am keeping them in a sunny window.

In past years my artichoke seedlings have succumbed to some kind of wilt, so I was very careful to keep them mostly dry and to let them get their moisture from the bottom of their APS trays. But I think this "improved" variety might also be responsible.

Last year I started two northern climate hardy varieties "Emerald" and "Northern Star". I acquired them from Peter's Seeds which is currently out of the "Northern Star".

Stay tuned for reports on how last year's attempt at over wintering went. Estimated date of arrival at my garden gate .... April 19.

Plant stands

I have been looking for a tiered plant stand arrangement. I finally decided on this set of nested stands from Gardener's Supply. Easy to assemble, handsome and sturdy.

A return to blogging

I looked at the weather forecast this morning and realized if I was going to see the cherry blossoms in the sunshine, today was my day. About 8,000 other people had the same idea, but with a little parking karma I was able to conjure up a space in West Potomac Park and walk over to the Tidal Basin. I was duly rewarded.As I looked at the puffy white against the clear blue sky I thought of the View Master I had as a kid. When I looked at View master slides of Washington in the spring it was like the world around me stopped and I was sucked inside the world of the View Master.

Today was a lot like that.

If you care to follow

Stories of our ski adventures can be followed

HERE

Resting

While the seed catalogs pile up at the Post Office, I am on travel for February. I will be in Colorado skiing for a month. It is a lifelong dream ... easier imagined in my 30's ... but still worth giving a go. Back in March.

Free at Last

Yesterday was Inauguration Day. I was there in front of a jumbotron on the Mall wrapped in the magic of the moment. It was a cold day.We took the Metro to Arlington Cemetery and walked one of the most majestic stretches of road in America. With Lee's home behind us and Kennedy's eternal flame at our back we joined the stream of humanity that was pulsing into the city. We took our place in front of a jumbotron around 11. As the stream of dignitaries made their way onto the viewing stand my mind drifted to memories I have of my city. Some very personal memories ... like the time in my 20' s when I decided to take up jogging for the first time and decided that the best place to run would be around the reflecting pool ... it doesn't get more inspiring than that ... or the summer of 1976 when the American Folk Life Festival on the Mall introduced me to music and musicians as well as dear friends, that I have carried with me for a lifetime. Of the carousel in front of the Arts and Industries Building whose music ALWAYS made me smile .... of the summers I worked as a Tourmobile guide on the National Mall and developed a healthy respect for the heat and humidity of a Washington summer.As a tour guide I came to know these monuments and their stories. The Capitol and the Jefferson Memorial echoing the Roman dome ... how despite the darkness of the Civil War, the work went on in building the Capitol dome ... a true act of hope. The Egyptian obelisk tribute to Washington the 897 steps of which I have climbed more than once. The new WW II Memorial taking its rightful place along this sacred axis ... and finally the simple Greek beauty of the Lincoln Memorial.The Lincoln is where we come when we are petitioning. It was from these steps that Marion Anderson was given a much more fitting venue than Constitution Hall ... where Doctor King told us about freedom ringing "from the prodigous hilltops of New Hampshire" AND "Stone Mountain of Georga" ... and where 20 years later Jesse Jackson, using the story of David and Goliath, reminded the crowd that when they did not VOTE, they were "rocks just lying around."

So I thought it was fitting on Sunday night that we faced the Lincoln one last time. We were reminded of Marion Anderson's moment once again, we sang along with Pete once again (did you see him run off that stage ... made me feel young once again) And then I was awakened from my reminiscences by Aretha Franklin on the jumbotron ... and that was when I started to cry. No longer were we facing the Lincoln ... no longer were we the petitioners ... The axis had shifted. Now instead of having our petitions echo to the east toward the seats of power, we WERE the seat of power and Aretha echoed back over a sea of waving American flags the glorious sounds of freedom's ring.I reached out to put my arm around Hunter, but did not want to block the view of the woman behind us ... she said "You're not blockin' my view honey ... you two go ahead and hug .. that's how it should be."

Aretha Franklin - Sings My Country Tis Of Thee

Our Final Stop

We rounded out our Southern Sleigh Ride, with a stop to visit my in-laws, who celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last August, in Signal Mountain, TN. Should you ever find yourself in the Chattanooga area, I can highly recommend the Old Towne Bed and Breakfast. I have spent a good part of this journey waxing poetic about things southern ... just let me say, this B&B hits all the high notes of hospitality, comfort and flavor. Earl's breakfasts are WONDERFUL, and we had our breakfast served just outside our room on at a table for two.From there we were off to Bath County, VA to enjoy the riches of the Virginia countryside along the banks of the Cowpasture River. I t has become something of a winter tradition to bring out the Highland County leg of lamb for the event. It was as local a meal as you could imagine in the dead of winter that included some parsnips from the Walatoola garden.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

Yesterday we had lunch with Ed and Wynell at the Irondale Cafe. It is this cafe that was the inspiration for Fannie Flagg in her lovable novel and equally lovable movie, Fried Green Tomatoes. The place was humming around 12:30 yesterday afternoon. Folks coming from Church, coming by twos coming by tens ... some in overalls, one lady in a fur coat ... all were lined up cafeteria style to pick their "Meat and 3 sides." I chose fried chicken (dark), collard greens, fried okra, and, of course, fried green tomatoes.

Look at this feast for under $40.
There was also peanut butter pie (a bit like eating whipped Reese's Peanut butter cups) ... fried chicken livers, creamed corn and meatloaf, and don't forget the Colbert County sweet potato pie.

THE QUEEN OF THE TABLE ... FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

The trick to making collard greens taste divine is this little condiment I had never seen before ... tabasco pepper vinegar. This jar of Bruce's is packed with white tabasco peppers. The effect is stunning.

Life Lists

My last morning in Daytona I went for a morning walk on the beach with Anne. As we arrived, a man approached us and pointed to a large bird standing at the water's edge and said it was a bald eagle. I have never seen an American bald eagle in the wild. I looked carefully and sure enough it was. I am not sure WHY he was chillin' in Daytona at the water's edge. I don't think of them as salt water fishers. But I was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Any day when you can add a new bird to your life list, is a good day. Since then I have been able to add roseate spoon bill from my perch on Chris and Gordon's porch.

While I did not capture any pictures of these two I DID get some nice shots of osprey, great blue herrons and pelicans when we were in the boat.

MORE things Southern

A continutation of the theme ...

PALM BASKETS

PELICANS

ROADSIDE BOILED PEANUTS