2/24/26  For me a goal of Lent is to slow down, set aside distractions and be quiet so I can sense the presence and guidance of God.

Cloudy, an east breeze, 21 degrees  Partly cloudy this afternoon, a light NW wind, high 28.  Some clouds tonight, a brisk WNW breeze, low 1.1-3 inches of snow tomorrow, a NE breeze, high 29, low 15.  Partly cloudy Thursday, a strong west breeze, high 37, low 12.  Partly cloudy Friday, a NW breeze, high 34, low 14.  Partly cloudy Saturday, a SW wind, high 45, low 23.  Snow showers Sunday morning, a NW breeze, high 31, low 1.  Partly cloudy Monday, a NW breeze, high 19, low -4.  Partly cloudy Tuesday, a NW breeze, high 27, low 14.  1-3 inches of snow next Wednesday, a high of 38, low 11.  Partly cloudy next Thursday, a NW breeze, high 24, low 7.  2-6 inches of snow next Friday and Friday night, high 27, low 17, a NW breeze.  Snow showers Saturday the 7th, a WNW breeze, high 36, low 22.  Fog Sunday the 8th, a NW breeze, high 41, low 26.  Rain/snow/ice the next two days.

     We were fortunate, the storm veered a little east, just enough so we only caught the edge.  There is supposed to be enough sun this afternoon to warm up the greenhouse.  Bekah will start the woodstove to hold the heat.  Thursday's high has dropped but I think it will still be warm enough to move plants from the house to the greenhouse.  They'll wrap the trays in a blanket.

     Sun is coming out!  Very thankful.  The sun is strong enough now so it will make a big difference in heating up the greenhouse.  There is a couple inches of polished ice on the back deck.  The wind blasted the sand away,  No sand will stick to it until it warms up.  I don't usually use ice melt but I can't feed the birds unless I do something about that ice.  This morning I opened the door, leaned out and threw seed on the snow.  I'm going to my sister's in Dover for breakfast, I think I'll get some. 

    May your day be blessed, Sally 

 2/23/26  When the seed meets soil, the meal begins.  Our meals are usually planned around our garden.

Cloudy, a NW breeze, 16 degrees.  A Nor'easter moves in this afternoon with 2-4 inches of snow for Bradford, snow amount increases toward the coast. Strong, gusty NNE wind today becomes strong gusty NNW winds tonight.  School has been canceled because of blowing snow for the afternoon bus run.  We are in the zone of moderate chance of power outages.  Partly cloudy tomorrow  with a strong NW breeze, high 29, low 1.  1-3 inches of snow  Wednesday with an ESE breeze, high 29, low 15.  Cloudy Thursday with a brisk west breeze, high 37, low 14. Snow showers Thursday night.  Snow showers Friday with a NW breeze, high34, low 14.  Partly cloudy Saturday with a light SSW wind, high 46, low 21.   Partly cloudy Sunday, a stiff NW breeze, a high of 32, low of 2.  Partly cloudy next Monday, a NNW breeze, high 19, low 1.  1-3 inches of snow Monday night.  Snow showers next Tuesday, a NW breeze, high 24, low 7.  1-3 inches of snow Tuesday night.  Snow showers next Wednesday, a stiff WSW breeze, high 32, low 12.  Cloud the 5th and 6th, brisk NW breezes, highs about 30, lows 5 and 10.  Snow and rain showers the next three days.

   The last three days the weather channel has been trying to make me go premium by blocking the forest with a premium ad every few minutes.  The format doesn't allow for a nice print off.  And now I have to click into the details to get the wind forecast.  With the greenhouse and animals the wind forecast is important to us.  Other sources I look at are only seven days.

   Someone put generator gas in their car so we have to go get the generator gas cans filled this morning.  If we are prepared we won't lose our power!

There won't be any cars parked under the pine tree!  The wind hasn't switched from the NW to the NE yet. As much as possible chores will be done by noon.  We get the full brunt of the wind on this hill.  The farmers and ranchers in the path of the Oklahoma and Kansas wildfires continue to be in our prayers.  Regardless of the weather greenhouse and garden plans will continue.  It is getting late enough in the year so we know what vegetables or fruit we didn't freeze or can enough of.  We didn't save enough potatoes or squash.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 2/22/26  Are we giving the kind of love we seek from God?

 Sunshine, 18 degrees,  Today's high 36 with a NE breeze.  Cloudy tonight with a strong NE breeze, low of 16.  Strong, gusty NNE winds tomorrow, gusts to 40 mph.  A high of 25.  As of now 1-3 inches of snow in Bradford, the closer to the coast you are the more snow and wind.  Snow total forecasts keep changing.  Snow and gusty NNW winds tomorrow night, low of 19. Partly cloudy Tuesday, a light NW wind, high 30, low 1.  Snow showers Wednesday, a SSE breeze, high 29, low 15. 3-5 inches of snow Thursday night.

     As we enjoy this lovely winter day and prepare for tomorrow's winter storm please pray for the farmers and ranchers in the path of wildfires.  May your day be blessed, Sally

 2/21/26  Once we stop wishing it were summer, winter can be season in which the world takes on a beauty that we can enjoy.

No snow last night.   !2 degrees, some clouds.  Sunshine this afternoon, a stiff north breeze, high 30.  Clear tonight, low 10.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, high 36, low 16.  A NNE breeze during the day will become a strong breeze overnight and a strong wind Monday with 3-5 inches of snow.  Monday's high 26, low 19.   A strong NNW wind Monday night. becomes a strong NW breeze Tuesday with partly cloudy skies.  Tuesday's high 29, low 1.  Snow showers Wednesday, WSW breeze, high 27, low 14.  Rain/snow Thursday, a WSW breeze, high 38, low 25,  Snow showers Friday, a brisk NW breeze, high 35, low 12.  Partly cloudy next Saturday, a brisk SSW breeze, high 44, low 26.  Partly cloudy next Sunday, a brisk west breeze, high 36, low 10.  Snow showers next Monday and Tuesday, brisk WNW breezes, highs about 28, lows 7 and 14.  Partly cloudy next Wednesday, a stiff west breeze, high 34, low 16.  Snow showers Thursday the 5th, a stiff west breeze, high 29, low 14. Partly cloudy Friday the 6th, s WNW breeze, high 34, low 17.  1-3 inches of snow Friday night.  Snow showers Saturday the 7th, a west breeze, high 37, low 18.

     Hummingbirds have reached southern Florida, their first stop in the United States.   The ones that are headed to Country Junction won't get here for about 12 weeks, around Mother's Day.  Meanwhile here in Maine the two male cardinals that don't have mates are starting to bicker.  There must be a female somewhere they want to impress.

     The greenhouse wood has been split and stacked in the wood yard for several months.  They spent yesterday putting as much wood as would fit  in the greenhouse.  They are going to start the wood stove Tuesday afternoon.  Thursday they will move pansy, viola and rhubarb seedlings out and start the propane furnace.  The propane will keep the heat steady regardless of the outside temperature.  Thursday will be a good day to fill all the water barrels.  Saturday they will move the rest of the seedlings out.  Enough bags of soil will have thawed so they can fill the soil barrels and add water  The more water and wet soil in the greenhouse the more heat the greenhouse will hold.  A day of rest Sunday.  Monday they'll start filling the hanging baskets.  

     May your day be blessed  Sally

 2/20/26  Don't just give your kids screens. Give them tools. Teach them that in a world of fragile glass, it’s a lot better to be made of steel.

Partly cloudy this morning, cloudy this afternoon, 1-3 inches of snow this evening. a NNE breeze, high 36. tonight's low 10. Morning clouds,partial clearing tomorrow afternoon.  a brisk north breeze, high 28,low 12.  Sunshine Sunday, a north breeze, high 36, low 15.  cloudy Monday, a NNE wind, high 28.  S NNE wind Monday night, low 17.  Partly cloudy Tuesday, A strong NW breeze, high 31,  low 3.  Partly cloudy Wednesday morning, clouds in the afternoon, 1-3 inches of snow Wednesday night.  A WSW breeze during the day, a high of 29.  A SSE breeze Wednesday night, a low of 18.  Rain/snow Thursday, snow showers Thursday night. A WSW breeze, high 40, low 18.  Partly cloudy Friday morning, cloudy Friday afternoon with flurries. A brisk WNW breeze, high 32, low 13.Partly cloudy next Saturday, WSW breeze, high 40, low 25.  Snow showers Saturday night. and Sunday morning.  A stiff west breeze Sunday, high 38, low 12. Partly cloudy Monday, a stiff WNW breeze, high 25, low 10.  Snow showers the rest of the week, highs around 30, lows in the teens.

    Screens haven't been very good to me this morning. The computer didn't cooperate with the weather forecast.  Now I have it and I disagree with the low temperatures.  Single number forecasts have been wrong the last week or so and I think the single numbers in the above forecast are too low.

   Heather hung the spring/summer curtains and changed the tablecloth and placemats.  This room has a spring look now, no single numbers in here.  The pellet stove is getting shut off these days because it gets too hot in here.  It was so pleasant yesterday I decided to see if the Nativity set had thawed enough to take down.  The girls beat me to it, It was already in the garage drying off!

    I've been seeing articles  about bacopa monnieri, an herb that has been used as a brain tonic for 3000 years.  Researchers are finding out why.  It deserves its reputation.  It looks and acts like the lovely white bacopa I plant by the pond every year.  The annual bacopa that I plant is Bacopa cabana.  Same family, but not the same Latin name.  

    May your day be blessed, Sally

2/19/26  Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant? Henry David Thoreau

 !7 degrees  Sunshine today, high 37, a WNW breeze.  Clear tonight, low 7.  Mostly cloudy tomorrow, a NNE breeze, high 35, low 9.  Partly cloudy Saturday, a stiff north breeze, a few flurries, high 25, low 15.  Sunshine Sunday, a north breeze, high 37, low 15.  Mostly cloudy Monday, a strong NNE breeze, high 32, low 12.  Partly cloudy Tuesday, a brisk NW breeze, high 33, low 5.  1-3 inches of PM snow showers Wednesday, SW breeze, high 34, low 25.  Rain/snow next Thursday, a brisk NW breeze, high 42, low 17.  Sunshine next Friday, a WNW breeze, high 33, low 19,  Partly cloudy next Saturday, a brisk WSW breeze, high 41, low 24.  Snow showers Saturday night and next Sunday morning.  A stiff west breeze Sunday, high 37, low 10.  Partly cloudy on the 2ed and 3rd, highs in the upper twenties, lows about 12.  Mostly cloudy Wednesday the 4th, snow showers Thursday the 5th,  Highs 33, lows 14.

    Last night we attended the Ash Wednesday service.  Today I join many Christians world wide choosing to prepare my heart for Easter  by spending more time in prayer and looking for ways to love my neighbor.  Besides giving thanks today that Christ loves me so much He died on the cross for my sins I am praying for the farmer in the paths of the wildfires in Oklahoma and Kansas.  I think my imagination falls short of their battle to save their animals and homes.  Some have lost the battle.

   The word Lent comes from an old English word Lencten that means spring.  Winter curtains are coming down.  White curtains with butterflies and flowers in pretty pastels are going up.  A light sage green tablecloth replaces the red one.  We'll have to deal with winter ski pants and jackets for a while yet.  The weather has been nice enough this week for the kids to get lots of use from them.  Lots of green showing up under the germination lights.  

    I have a doctor's appointment this morning.  I may price a grocery store bouquet.  May your day be blessed, Sally

 2/18/26  “A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.” – George S. Patton

Sunshine, 27 degrees.  Partly cloudy today, a strong NW breeze, high 34 degrees. Clear tonight, low 13.  Sunshine tomorrow, a NW breeze, high 37, low 8.  Mostly cloudy Friday, a NNE breeze, high 33, low 8.  Mostly cloudy Saturday, a north breeze, high 27, low 14.  Partly cloudy Sunday and Monday, north breezes, highs 36 and 33, low 11.  Partly cloudy Tuesday, stiff NW breeze, high 29, low 2.  Partly cloudy next Wednesday, , a SW breeze, high 29, low 20.  Rain/snow next Thursday, a brisk SW breeze, high 41, low 22.  Partly cloudy next Friday, a WNW breeze, high 41, low 18.  Snow showers the weekend of the 28th and March 1st, WNW breeze, highs 38 and 32.  Lows about 18.  Partly cloudy Monday the 2ed, a Brisk WNW breeze, high 30 and 16.  PM rain/ snow Tuesday the third, brisk NW breezes, high 35, low 19.  Partly cloudy Wednesday, the 4th, a brisk WNW breeze, high 37, low 19.
     GMO seeds?  Monsanto/Byers have bought rights to many of the popular varieties of vegetable seeds.  They have bought rights to so many tomato and pepper seeds that it is nearly impossible to find varieties that produce the kind of tomatoes and peppers that we want.We try to source seeds that Monsanto/Byers don't have the rights to.  The seeds they buy the rights to don't automatically become GMO, they are still the same seeds as they always were.  We try to source seeds elsewhere because Monsanto/Byers is a profit driven company lacking in ethics.  Way back when we were a small commercial dairy with a 31 cow tie up their representatives sat in my kitchen and told me that if we didn't start using bovine growth hormone we would lose our market, they would stop picking up our milk.  The next day several of the cows were sold.  We started selling milk and butter directly to the customer.  Our bacteria count had always been low, every year we had gotten a plaque honoring us for producing quality milk.  We had no problem getting a licence to sell raw milk.  We could do that but what if we had been a 100 cow dairy with corresponding debts?  They have maintained their hold on farmers through bullying.
    Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Lent is a sacred invitation to pause, reflect, and renew our faith. For me the beginning of Lent seems like not only the renewal of my spiritual life but the beginning of spring, the season of renewal and growth.   Next week Bekah and Jay will start the fire in the first greenhouse. Three weeking (March 8th) until dayling savings time.  In four or five weeks the furnace in the second greenhouse comes on.  Spring arrives the morning of March 20th.  Easter is April 5th.

    May your day be blessed. Sally