Back at Last

The weather in the Midwest is so perplexing I even checked one of my favorite poems, Robert Frost's Good-bye, and Keep Cold  out of concern for this hot-cold-up-down weather. Frost was a genius -- and a farmer -- and this poem says it all about nature's annual balancing act. If you're a poetry lover, follow the link to the poem. It's worth printing and keeping on your refrigerator -- till the weather evens out, anyway.

Over in my part of the country (Kentucky), tornadoes, snow and 70 degree weather -- all in a span of a little over a week - is tough to take. What's going on here? I don't hear the birds singing, and I think I know why. They're as confused as I am. Like many of us, I always thought I could at least count on the weather (cold winter, warm spring, hot summer, frosty autumn). I love gardening, but this has left me scratching my head. I have a packet of seeds in one hand and an ice scraper in the other.

I thought I'd have more time to research my seed and plant choices this season, dawdle over garden layouts and, of course, shop for gardening goodies. Instead, I've been watching the weather channel -- that and heading off to restaurants with free Wi-Fi to get my for-pay work done. In my area, we seem to experience internet access interruptions every time the wind blows these days. (Oh, try Panera Bread's Chai Tea. I've been more or less living on the stuff lately.)

I did discover a great spring project I'll definitely try: It's a Timelapse Outdoor PlantCam that provides a close up and personal look at plants growing. You can watch a video here: PlantCam Video

If you want one of your own (and who wouldn't), you can find them at Amazon (as well as other sites) for around $100:  * Wingscapes WSCT01-00114 TimelapseCam 8.0 Weatherproof 8MP Digital Camera

Oh, and you can also purchase bird cams that work on the same principle.

One last bit of business before I head outdoors to shovel snow off the steps: I'm writing for a new consumer savings site called Savvi (for the savvy shopper). It's a subscription service, but the blog posts, which offer lots of useful information, are free. It's a pretty nifty site that combines some of the best features of Ebates and Coupon Mom -- and has deals you can't find easily elsewhere. So far I've written some fun gardening and food related pieces. Check a couple when you get the chance:

• Make the Most of Inexpensive Cuts of Meat 
• Winter Strategies for a Great Spring Garden 

Post Script: Start saving your banana skins. They make great (GREAT), tomato fertilizer. Just freeze them and I'll post a smoothie recipe -- for your tomatoes -- in a few weeks. The how-to for crystalized ginger I mentioned last time is still in process. I have to sort through the photos. I probably need another week on that. Take care, and have a great day.


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*In the interest of full disclosure, when you purchase a plant cam using the link above, I make a little money. If this is a problem for you, a direct link to the plant cam at Amazon is: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002M2TLLI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1