WAITING FOR SPRING WEATHER

WE'VE HAD A FEW DAYS OF NICE WEATHER, SUNNY AND WARM, AND THEN A COLD FRONT CAME THROUGH EARLIER THIS WEEK AND BROUGHT A LIGHT COVERING OF SNOW. BUT IT WARMED UP BY MIDDAY AND THE SNOW WAS GONE BY THE LATE AFTERNOON. TODAY IS OVERCAST BUT WARMER, IN THE MID-30'S, AND EXPECTED TO GET UP TO 50 DEGREES.

SPRING FLOWERS ARE COMING UP -- JONQUILS, CROCUS, FORSYTHIA, AND THE QUINCE ARE BLOOMING. THE CURRANT ARE PUTTING ON LEAVES AND YELLOW FLOWERS. THE IRISES ARE COMING UP BUT NONE ARE IN BLOOM QUITE YET. ANDY AND I WALKED AROUND THE PROPERTY LAST WEEKEND WHEN THE WEATHER WAS NICE AND SAW SEVERAL PATCHES OF IRISES COMING UP IN THE WILDERNESS.

WE'VE PUT IN A GARDEN SPACE UP BY THE BARN, WITH FENCING TO KEEP THE CRITTERS OUT, AND LAST WEEKEND I PLANTED SOME POTATOES. I'LL PLANT ONION AND MORE POTATOES AND GARLIC THIS COMING WEEKEND. THE PLANTING SEASON FOR COLD-WEATHER VEGETABLES IS SUPPOSED TO BEGIN ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY HERE, I AM TOLD, BUT I AM EAGER. WE COULD HAVE A FREEZE AS LATE AS EASTER, EVEN MID-APRIL, BUT I FIGURE THAT ANY FREEZE AT THAT TIME WON'T BE LONG-LASTING AND AN OVERNIGHT FREEZE WON'T HURT THE COLD-WEATHER PLANTS THAT ARE WELL-MULCHED.

ANDY IS TEARING OUT THE "OKLAHOMA ROOM" THIS WEEK. HE WAS DELAYED BY HIS DAD'S VISIT BUT IS BACK AT WORK TODAY. WE HAD GOOD REVIEWS ON THE "TEXAS ROOM" -- FROM DREW AND HIS GIRLFRIEND MCCALL, WHO CAME TO STAY WITH US LAST WEEKEND. HE COMPLIMENTED US ON OUR CHOICES OF COLOR AND HOW WARM THE ROOM FELT. WE STILL HAVE SOME DECORATING TO DO IN THAT ROOM, AND HAVE WINDOW SHADES ORDERED, BUT IT IS USABLE. ANDY IS ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF DESIGNING THE DECK FOR THAT ROOM BUT WON'T START BUILDING UNTIL WE HAVE SOME WARMER WEATHER . . . PROBABLY IN APRIL.