2/16/24 Genius is 1 percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration.  Thomas Edison

 A dusting of snow, more dusting this morning.  Dlouhy today with a strong NNw breeze, a high of 30.  A stiff WNW breeze tonight with some clouds, a low of 14.  Cloudy tomorrow with a WNW breeze, a high of 31, a low of 11.  Partly cloudy Sunday with a brisk WSW breeze, a high of 28, a low of 21. Sunshine Monday with a WNW wind, a high of 29, a low of 9.  Partly cloudy Wednesday with a brisk south breeze, a high of 38, a low of 24.  Cloudy Thursday with a NE breeze, a high of 39, a low of 25.  4-8 inches of snow next Friday with a brisk north breeze, a high of 35, a low of 19.  Partly cloudy next Saturday with a strong NW breeze, a high of 29 and a low of 18.  Partly cloudy next Sunday with a strong WNN breeze, a high of 32, a low of 20.   Partly cloudy Monday the 26th and Tuesday the 27th with brisk NW breezes, highs in the mid thirties, lows of 21 and 25.  Rain/snow showers the rest of the week with brisk NW breezes, highs about 40 lows of 28.

    We couldn't ask for much better weather for starting the fires.  Warmer temperatures and some snow to insulate the greenhouse from those brisk NW breezes.  Another spring forecast has come out,  It forecasts spring temperatures to be 2 to 3 degrees above average.  This forecast says near normal precipitation.  Moisture holds the warmth.

    The loop is late this morning because I had a wonderful night's sleep, the best in weeks.  Very encouraging.  Bekah had that flu going around but she was feeling better last night.  She sent in the chematis order yesterday.  They were almost forgotten!  Fortunately the varieties she wanted were available.

   My lavender plants are responding to the longer days by putting out new shoots.  I will slip some of them for more plants.  I want so many fragrant herbs in the kitchen garden that skunks can't stand the smell.  I have put away the live trap until warmer nights.  The trap closes so slowly in the cold the skunk has time to back out.  The greenhouse will have two varieties of lavender plants for sale.  An old standby and a new one that is also hardy and supposed to be more fragrant.  We are going to plant both.  In separate places so the pollinators don't cross pollinate them for us.  I'm glad the herbs we like the fragrance of repels cats and skunks.  And confuses mosquitoes.  I put drops of orange essential oil on the chairs I don't want the cats on.

    May God bless you on this day, Sally