reality check

Today's pictures are a reality check for me. I have been moping around because the vast majority of garden blogs I've been finding have been in warmer growing zones, and they show beautiful tulips, crocus, daffodils. One even had the audacity (to me) to say "the daffodils are done now"!!!!! So I've been feeling pretty sorry for myself. Today's photos are all from the Arb and were taken March 18, 2006. One year ago, we had snow on the ground - quite a bit of snow it looks like. Today we have bare ground except for a couple places where we had big piles of snow from shoveling the porch roof and the patio. And even they are getting smaller by the hour. So no more pity party - when I have gorgeous blooms, I'll share them and all of this waiting will be forgotten for another year.

The red barn in this picture is kind of an Arb landmark. It's actually part of a farm that borders the Arb, but we have some of the most fantastic pictures (especially autumn with beautiful leaves on the trees) that include this red barn taken from other perspectives around 3 Mile Drive. It may be the main reason Mark sometimes goes down there to walk with me!

Mark went in yesterday and had the pins taken out of his finger. The nurse or anesthesist (or whoever) did a terrible job of giving him numbing drugs. His hand is swollen and very sore and we do not like her at all. But his doctor did a great job and looks like the physical therapist knows what she's doing, so I think we'll survive. Last night and so far today have not been fun though.

Background: January 23 Mark's middle finger and a radial arm saw blade came in contact with each other. It was not pretty. Luckily, the blade did not hit the bone and his finger was not lost. But it did cut through tendons, muscles, nerves, etc. So they reattached everything and let it heal until yesterday. Now he'll go through several sessions of physical therapy to try and get it to at least partially bend. Everyone's very optimistic.

Just received a book in the mail from Amazon. It's called Gardens of the Wine Country by Molly Chappellet. I found it at the library and renewed it the 3 times they allowed me to, which means I had it here for 12 weeks. Finally decided maybe I should just get my own copy. At Amazon with shipping it cost me $6.50 - not bad for a $40 book!

The first time we went to Sonoma with Ryan & Sara, I commented that maybe we should retire to Sonoma - it was beautiful. I just had the feeling that it would be a wonderful place to live. Of course the reality of real estate prices means I'll never actually live there, but this book shows some of the wonderful gardens in Napa (right next door to Sonoma). So maybe the next best thing!!

I picked up a book at the library today too - Staircase of a Thousand Steps by Masha Hamilton. One of her books was recommended on another blog I visit, so thought I'd start with this one. I'll let you know what I think.

Just finished a book by William Kent Krueger. He has written a series featuring Cork O'Connor as the hero that is really good. Krueger lives in St Paul and his stories are based in a small town in northern Minnesota. The ones I've read so far are Iron Lake and Boundary Waters. I enjoyed them both. He mixes Ojibwe stories in while telling the mystery story and it's really interesting. His descriptions of the Boundary Waters were very nice.

Have seen a couple good movies recently. Casino Royale - the newest James Bond - was okay. This Bond was kind of different from Bonds of old - vulnerable, maybe? I liked him.

The Holiday was a good romantic comedy. Kate Winslet was especially good in it.

A couple weeks ago we watched Borat - so rude it was funny. The Departed - violent but good. And when Mark was on a business trip I watched Marie Antoinette - interesting take on the story and set in Versailles - so I'll have to order it up again sometime so he can see it.

This photo looks kind of weird - it's metal sculptures on upright posts along a walking path at the Arb. I love the sculptures - I think just sheet metal that's been cut and allowed to rust. I wish I could think of a place to do something like it in my gardens. No doubt sometime I will! (Maybe by the gate that leads to the dock??? I'll keep you posted!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JENNI!!!! (yes I did send her a birthday email - like I'm sure she'd be bored silly by my blog - but thinking of her today and had to give a shout)

To everyone else : HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING!