2-6-11

We just harvested some Chioggia Beets and some sweet crunchy carrots for supper tonight. They had been mulched under, self storing if you will, in one of the front yard beds. I am getting a little antsy and wanted to begin bed prep even though I know it is way too early unless I protect the seedlings or transplants in any bed right now.

Beets are cool in that if you pull the biggest ones, you encourage the smaller ones to keep growing. The Chioaga is interesting to look at, but I prefer a more traditional beet. The look and taste of Bull's Blood or Detroit Red is what I think of with Beets.

The carrots just make me smile, what’s not to love? Orange roots and feathery greens, great taste and a nice meal on a warm afternoon to start the second week of February.

Now if the firewood will hold out. We have burned 2 cords so far and have one and half to go. Hoping for that week of 60 and 70 degree temps we used to get before a big freeze. Every day I don't have to burn wood in February is another day in March I can. We use logs from local tree companies who have removed a tree nearby. I prefer to get my wood in February or March. The old saw is “wood warms twice”. Wood warms several times. Once when first cut, twice when hauled to my property, third when cut to woodstove length, 4th when splitting and 5th when stacking it. I can think of a 100 things to do besides cutting and splitting wood when it is hot outside.