I went outside after all

Even though it was cloudy and gray outside in the morning, the temperature was a lot milder than yesterday and I could almost hear my garden calling to me. So I headed out there and by the time I was done I had weeded and prepared three beds and planted one. I would have done even more, but the soil in most of the beds was a bit too moist from yesterday's rain, and still pretty cold.
I planted some kale and spinach I had started indoors, as well as seeds of lettuce, Swiss chard, and an Asian stir fry mix. I seem to have lost my arugula seeds, otherwise that would have been planted as well. The rake and livestock panel are placed there deliberately to keep cats and other critters out of my newly planted bed. Once things sprout, I will have to devise a plan to keep cottontails and snowshoe hares out.

After my Sunday morning church in the garden, I walked around a little since I could finally do that without dodging snow piles. We still have a little bit of snow on the north sides of buildings, but most of the land is finally snow free. I came across this casualty of last weekend's winds, the top of a fairly big white pine (approximately 24" diameter trunk). The tree is still alive, and I would not be surprised if one of the top limbs started growing up instead of out and became the new crown of the tree.
When I saw the size of the limbs, I started thinking to myself...these would make some nice looking stairway and balcony railings! Then I looked at the fallen section of trunk and thought...I love half log stairs. Maybe for the new house we could...
While I was musing on natural on site building materials, someone opened the door and Sally came bursting out of the house. I thought she might like a visit to the pond, so we went out that way. Does she look happy or what in this photo? It's been way too long since she went for a swim. The pond still has a bit of ice that won't go away today, but maybe tomorrow.