It's February! It's Black History Month!

If you're reading this, the odds are pretty good that you've survived our January Polar Vortex and can now enjoy February and Black History Month. This February, in Minnesota, except for the next few days, temperatures are forecast to be below average. No matter, really. Spring's eventual arrival is as inexorable as taxes (come April around here for income, and May for property). The dogs that refuse to wear boots are pleased to see the departure of the polar vortex. We'll see if we can make progress with the dogs before the next vortex arrives. Meanwhile, we'll enjoy this February's pleasures.

will we get leaf buds swelling this February?

Photo by J. Harrington

This morning the front sunflower seed "bird" feeder was again empty. We think that means there was a visit last night from a pair of light-hoofed seed snitchers. We believe we may have arrived at a compromise that lets us off the hook when it comes to remembering and actually bringing in the feeder, for which we've demonstrated a phenomenal success rate of failure. We'll now fill it but half-full instead of mostly full, one scoop of sunflower seeds instead of two. This way, when we notice an empty feeder come morning, we'll feel less like we've been robbed and more like we've done a good deed. An alternative that we're not sure makes any sense at all would be to spray the feeder with deer deterrent. We suspect the Better Half would frown on doing the deterrent application in the house and we don't favor doing it outside when the temperature's below zero, as it often is at this time of year.

will the February thaw bring large puddles?

Photo by J. Harrington

Something that this cold spell has made us think about: keeping a prospective flock of chickens from developing frostbite or, worse, freezing to death. We believe we've found a coop kit that may serve well much of the year, but we didn't, at the time, consider heating in the Winter. It has a twin-wall insulation system that may work most of the time but, perhaps not adequately for a polar vortex. Turns out the folks that make the coop we're looking at also make an extreme weather blanket or jacket for their coops. Safer than heat lamps or light bulbs. We may never qualify as a country gentleman, but have become a landholder locavore-in-training.

I look at the world

By Langston Hughes

I look at the world

From awakening eyes in a black face—

And this is what I see:

This fenced-off narrow space   

Assigned to me.

I look then at the silly walls

Through dark eyes in a dark face—

And this is what I know:

That all these walls oppression builds

Will have to go!

I look at my own body   

With eyes no longer blind—

And I see that my own hands can make

The world that's in my mind.

Then let us hurry, comrades,

The road to find.

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