Real Cold

There came a point when I could not feel my fingers anymore and had to stop. The real cold wasn't even here yet. It is riding in on an Arctic wind as I type. My minimum operating temperature has been breached. There will be no outdoor activities tomorrow and possibly the next day.

I am however tired of looking at all the orange tape. I tagged my baby shrubberies before the tree butchers with the utility company returned. I called. There was no response. I will just have to untag them, call again and do it over. Better to be annoyed once than every day.

The real cold coming will be more than enough to freeze the ground. I am most happy that the evergreen Under Garden of winter interest got a nice long drink before that happened. Frozen ground, wind and dry is death for evergreens in the winter.

It has taken so long to get to this point. I sure don't want to have to start over.

Growing colored lines will take me through the barren time. Now is the time I can contemplate enhancing them with spring planting. I might need another line in the top right corner of this shot.

The most recent plantings have completed their first full year. They are alive. There has been a modest amount of growth. Under my high competition regimen that is the best I can hope for.

I wonder if I will get around to toting rocks this winter. My heiau needs to do a little growing too.

The cold is coming. Snow keeps flitting in and out of the diagnosis like a hummingbird in the Tall Flower Meadow that never lands. It will get here eventually.