3/2/26  The fairest thing in nature, a flower, still has it's roots in earth and manure.

 Sunshine, -1.  Sunshine today, a brisk WNW breeze, high 21. Mostly clear tonight, low-1.  Mostly cloudy tomorrow, a strong SW breeze, high 39, low 25.  Mostly sunny Wednesday, a brisk west breeze, high 49, low 23. Partly cloudy Thursday, a NE breeze, high 32, low 15. 1-3 inches of snow Thursday night.

1-3 inches of snow Friday morning, a mix overnight.  A NE breeze, high 30, low 24.  Rain/freezing rain Saturday morning, showers in the afternoon and overnight.  A SW breeze, high 39, low 34.  Fog Sunday, a west breeze, high 49, low 30. Partly cloudy next Monday, a  SW breeze, high 54, low 30.  PM showers next Tuesday, a WSW breeze, high 52, low 36. Cloudy next Wednesday, a stiff SW breeze, high 59, low 38. Showers next Thursday, a strong west breeze, high 48, low 25. Snow showers Friday, the 13th, a stiff NW breeze, high 35, low 19.  Snow showers become rain showers in the afternoon, 1-3 inches snow overnight  Saturday the 14th.  a stiff west breeze, high 37, low 22.  1-3 inches of snow Sunday, the 15th, a stiff NW breeze, high 36, low 17.  Snow showers Monday the 16th.

      A pleasant Sunday.  Church in the morning, youth group in the afternoon.  When I took Annabelle home I stopped to visit big Andrew and Gayle.  Louis and Darlene were there, lots of visiting.  Andrew is doing so well.  No ice at the church in town but the dropping temperatures made for ice everywhere else.

          Bekah took care of the hens last night and this morning.  She and Doug are delivering hay this morning.  Some ice melt mixed with ashes will fix  the path.  Eggs will need to be collected again mid morning so they don't freeze.

       I've been reading why you should plant sunflowers in and near the garden.  Not only do pollinators love them but so do aphids and other bad bugs.The bugs will choose the sunflowers over the garden vegetables.  We plant blue hubbard on the edge of our squash patch, squash beetles and bugs prefer blue hubbard to the other squashes.  Strategically planted sunflowers can be used as a windbreak.  Sunflowers improve soil structure, just don't plant them so close to the vegetables that they compete for nutrients or shade the vegetables.  Monitor the sunflowers so when the bad bugs come you can get rid of them before the bugs move to the vegetables.  Plant the sunflowers before the vegetables so they are big and attractive before the vegetables are.

    May your day be blessed, Sally