Quiet Crystal Serenity

Kale is still a staple in my garden. It's there crisp, sweet and clean under the snow. Definitely worth sowing next year. Can't beat a plant that can feed you right through winter. Nothing is better than home grown potatoes, a bit of milk, home grown sausage and kale. Add a bit of hot pepper and you have Zuppa Toscana!



The snow is melting so everything is crystallized. It has it's own sense of quiet solitude and it takes just a bit more time for your eyes to see the beauty.





When colors are it's it's riotous splendor, would we notice the beauty of seeds?







Silent guardians of the northern winds, decked out in shining crystal just waiting
for some sun to be lit with fire.


A gate to next years garden, how many a gardener used you
to surround the bounty?




A reminder that a deary day is a good day to ponder the quiet beauty in all of us.

Finally warm enough to ride!

Doug's view on top of Eddie

Was a bit worried about icing in the fields but bit the bullet and got the horses ready for a short jaunt around the corn fields. Noticed that the ground was starting to thaw, rich black Iowa farm soil that makes it so easy to grow my gardens. Nothing better!

I wish that Doug had recorded Amira blowing at Kristy's cow. Her snort was heard by Indie and Es, a full field away and started them running and calling. It was fun to post to Mira's passage but it sure pointed out how much I need to firm up my core. All the layers had me looking as wide as Amira. I really want to get some lighter clothes to ride in. My favorite season to ride in is fall with winter coming in a close second. No bugs or flies to bother the horses :). LIfe is wonderful when lived on the back of a horse!
Mira being a beautiful arab

For the first 15 mins, it's always full contact with Mira since she just wants to go but after just a bit of a run, she's the best ride ever. First ride in almost 4 months so she was being perfect.


She can hear Indie being jealous across the field but she's nice and relaxed and was a dream of a mount for the rest of the ride. it's so nice to have horses you can ride any time without the thought of being hurt. I saw an ad on craiglist looking for a $200.00 horse I had to laugh at. hores like mine are priceless, not because of great breeding or tricks but because they are loving, safe and gorgeous ;).

Heat Wave - relatively speaking....

Iowa is due for 32 degree weather soon and while many are joyous, my worry hat is firmly settled on my head. Snow is my saving grace. It protects all my plants and with the warmup I am so afraid that I will lose the plant cover. It's always "exciting" to grow plants in Iowa.

I am looking online for the cheapest way to light up my basement. I want to google growing margiwana lol since they are the expert in inhouse growing but I'm hesitant lol.

Here are some picture of the Wisconsin tour Harshbargers took me on.

Janesville Rotary Gardens Wisconsin


Neglected Zebra Tall Bearded Kasperek, B 08


Coyote Ugly Tall Bearded Kasperek 07


Beneath My Wings Tall Bearded Meininger, L 05


Seedling BBB Tall Bearded Worel J 09

Sowing for Spring

Winter tends to be planning time for me so when I have any time on the computer that isn't work related, I am planning gardens.

I need to buy seeds for winter sowing and germination. Here in Iowa, I try not to winter sow until the last snowfall so the marginal winter sown seeds don't get froze out by the -30 temperatures.

Right now I am logged into the best gardening website www.davesgarden.com. Jill, critterologist is one of my favorite posters and her threads about seed snatching cracks me up. I thought "I" was crazy but some of these other ladies are truly my my idols lol. She has a link to http://wintersown.org/ so that's where I am. It's more fun to see what others have posted than posting mine so I will just add a link to my babies who leave warm hoofprints and compost all over my heart. Stay warm and be safe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8PBPcAiWNo

God bless and keep you!