2/26/26  Friendship is the greatest of worldly goods.  CR Lewis

Cloudy, 22 degrees.  Sun and clouds today with a strong west breeze, high 34.  Clear tonight, low of 6. Sunshine tomorrow, a west breeze, high 32, low 16.Mostly cloudy Saturday, a SW wind, high 44, low 23.  Partly cloudy Sunday, a strong NW breeze, high 27, low -3.  Mostly sunny Monday, a NW breeze, high 21, low -2.  Partly cloudy Tuesday, a strong SW breeze, high 33, low 20.  Partly cloudy Wednesday, a brisk west breeze, high 43, low 19. Cloudy next Thursday, a NW breeze, high 36, low 16. 1-3 inches of snow next Friday, high 32, a NE breeze, low 22. Morning rain/ice next Saturday,  NW breeze, high 41, low 25. PM showers next Sunday, snow showers overnight, a NW breeze, high 42, low 31. Light freezing rain early Monday, the 9th, then showers and fog.  A SW breeze, high 49. low 33. Showers the rest of the week, highs 53 to 45.  Lows 35 to 28.  Sap will run!

   I find it hard to believe it will get as cold as the forecast predicts.  The temperature hasn't been reaching the lows predicted.  But I'm sure it won't be pleasant.  Seven boxes of pugs and cuttings come Monday or Tuesday.  The furnace will burn lots of propane.  Bekah or Jay will probably get up to check the greenhouse and put wood on the stove.  Bob Nicholas, an old farmer and sugar maker always said sap weather wouldn't come until about the tenth.

This year is proving him right.

    The ice melt worked.  The couple inches of new snow helped.  I was able to fill all the feeders this morning and throw sunflower seeds on the Christmas tree.  A chickadee scolded me the entire time I was out there.  It is a Christmas card scene today with the sun shining on the frost covered trees. Smoke is rising from the greenhouse.  

     I made the butter last night. It has been twenty some years since I was making butter, I hadn't forgotten how.   I was pleased to be able to do it, pleased that I could do it and pleased to help Bekah.  Bekah took care of the churn.  No way am I going to try washing that heavy jar!

      May your day be blessed, Sally

 2/25/26“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” May "love thy neighbor" define this season of Lent and our "season" of life.

Cloudy, 9 degrees.  An inch of snow showers today, dusting tonight. A west breeze, high of 30, low tonight 16.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a strong west breeze, high 36, low 7.  Sunshine Friday, a west breeze, high 33, low 15.  Cloudy Saturday, a SW wind, high 45, low 24.  Snow showers Sunday, a strong NW breeze, high 28, low -4.  Sunshine Monday, a NW breeze, high 18, low -5.  May "In like a lion, out like a lamb" hold true!  Partly cloudy Tuesday, a strong WSW breeze, high 30, low 18.  3-5 inches of snow Tuesday night. Snow showers Wednesday, a stiff west breeze, high 40, low 13.  Partly cloudy next Thursday, a brisk NW breeze, high 30, low 11.  1-3 inches of snow next Friday, a north breeze, high 33, low 20.  Snow showers next Saturday, a NW breeze, high 38, low 25.  Snow showers, ice, freezing rain the 8th through the 11th with highs in the forties, lows in the upper twenties.  Years ago the sugaring rule was "Sap won't start running until March 10th"

   

    We got a dusting.  Tiffany in Rhode Island got 37,5 inches.  At five last evening their street still hadn't been plowed.  They were thankful they hadn't lost power.

     It was ninety in the greenhouse yesterday afternoon.  With just the woodstove going it only dropped to 49 at 4:30 when Behah went out to put wood on the stove.  She had put wood on it at eight-thirty last night.  Before the propane furnace was installed there was a second wood stove.  Bekah was pleased the greenhouse held the heat so well.  The sides are nicely banked with snow.  After she starts the propane furnace tomorrow she'll move some plants out.

    The driveway is polished ice.  I'm going to mix some ice melt with the ashes and see if I can make a safe path to the hens.  The ice melt did a good job behind the house.  I can fill the bird feeders.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 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