Taking Winter Count

Well, our strategy of test-starting the snowblower a week ago mostly worked. We got a little more than a dusting yesterday afternoon, definitely not enough to actually cause us to blow snow. The cold temperatures led to a drop in the tire pressure in all four tires in the Jeep. We're thinking we should wait until it's warmer than today's low to mid teens before we head off to add air. Maybe tomorrow.

amaryllis, a week before Christmas 2017

Photo by J. Harrington

This year's amaryllis appear to be developing well behind schedule, they're less than a foot tall, while the Christmas cactus bloomed ahead of schedule. We'll just pretend the season started earlier and will run later than usual this year. Last year's beach plums didn't make it through the Winter. We haven't yet killed off this year's holly bushes, although we've noticed we have a tendency to overwater them. As we move toward year's end, we're beginning to take stock of what we did and didn't undertake this year. The three sisters garden didn't get planted. We're blaming a contrary tiller for that. Next year we'll see if it starts earlier in the planting season.

artisan sourdough kernza bread

Photo by J. Harrington

Baking our artisan sourdough bread made some progress and we successfully played with a new ingredient, kernza flour. Thanks to COVID-19 we never did get to the bakery in NE Minneapolis we wanted to check out. Maybe next Summer, after we're all vaccinated. The fishing season was almost a total flop since every time we were ready to go, the wind seemed to be howling enough to make fly-casting hazardous. As Minnesota sports fans know only too well, "there's always next season."

All in all the year has had enough good points that it goes in the "W" column, especially since a new granddaughter has been added to the team. We hope your year has brought you more joy and satisfaction than trials and tribulations, and that you are and remain safe and warm and fed and healthy during this season and all next year. If you're not sure what a "Winter Count" is, you can learn about it here.

Wearing Indian Jewelery

By Heid E. Erdrich

I was wondering why that guy

wore the blanket coat, bone choker, rock

watch, woven buckle, quilled Stetson—

I was wondering why he wore

that beaded vest, like a ledger drawing

or a Winter Count, its skinny figure

forever sneaking after two bison

around belly to back,

around back to belly—

I was wondering why, when he said,

I wear these getups every day—

Every day, because these things

are sacred, these things are prayer.

Then I knew I could live this life

If I had blue horses

painted around and around me,

shells and beads like rain in my ear

praying Prairie open in me

at stoplight, hard city, last call, bank line,

coffee break, shopping cart, keycode,

Prarie open in me

Prarie open in me

every day every day every day.

 

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