Dream Time

Somewhere in the back of my head I have a sort of vague, confused notion that the Australian aboriginals (or is the New Zealand ones?) have a concept they call the 'dreamtime'. Not sure if they mean winter, or the state of hibernation, or a drugged state.... or worse, but I like the idea of being in a dream-like floating state while nasty stuff passes by around you. (In a healthy way, of course.) A good way to pass the 'down' days of January.

I may be coming out of it now, though. There are fat flower buds on many of my potted Amaryllis in the plant shed, buds on several of the Clivias, new growth on the geranium cuttings, and, SEEDS ARRIVED in the mail.

The sun is shining, it isn't as cold as it has been, things are moving in the plant shed, maybe I'll survive winter after all.

And speaking of dreamtime, some of the seeds that came are for Meconopsis 'Lingholm'. There is a small area near my marsh, fairly flat, fairly open, high enough not to be water-sogged, but low enough to stay damp a foot or so down even in summer, that might, just might, suit the fabled Blue Poppy. It is right on my Marsh Trail, with the Trillium Slope to the uphill side, and already has some huge Interrupted Ferns, a few plants of Lobelia cardinalis which did very well last year, and a ground cover of Foamflower, Bunchberry and Goldthread. Mind you, that white cedar which seems determined to fall down over the path to the ferns will have to come out, as will a few dozen small Maples, but that can be arranged. I understand that Meconopsis seeds need a cool place to germinate and grow and I figure the windowsill in the Studio will be just the ticket.

A flat of possible Meconopsis plants should be good for some happy dreaming. And 5-6 weeks from now, when I'll have to concede that maybe they really won't come up, it'll be close enough to spring that I'll have other things to dream about.

Ah, dreamtime.

January

It is very January today.

The sun is shining but, at nearly noon, is barely above the trees. Shadows are long as Kip and I crunch along through snow that is about half ice.

We see lots of the effects of the heavy snowfall we had two weeks ago. Lots of broken branches:

And some very bent-over white cedars:

Add to this the effects of last summer's drought:

 

 and you can see I am going to have a lot of work to do in the Spring!

I've tentatively decided that I am going to have to get a chainsaw..... they scare the dickens out of me, but surely I can learn to use one safely. I've tried hiring someone to come and cut down stuff, but it costs so much, and they never quite do what you want. So maybe I need to learn to do it myself. Maybe.

We come back on the driveway, which is bare but covered with ice. It is so slippery even Kip has trouble walking, and he has 4-paw drive!

Yep, it's January.