I've been outside pretty much all day. It had been so hot and dry that my flowerbeds probably thought they had literally gone to hell and I've got those all cleaned out finally. I've also got a bunch of leaves and small branches gathered up and ready to shred. I came in to eat a late lunch and now I'm going to go out and shred them. I'm going to expand my garden this year and I was hoping I'd be able to get that area all cleaned out today, but that may have to wait until tomorrow.

I also bought a shelf and lights for seed starting the other day and tonight I'm probably going to get that set up. That's not a very exciting NYE plan. It's also too early for starting seeds and having that shelf ready is likely to drive me crazy.

Leslie

I had harvested the rest of fall garden Tue. and tilled that area. Today I tilled the area again (it is way, way too wet). I am hoping to expose as much soil to UV rays and freezing weather as I can in Jan., then work in a heavy dose of compost with a little molasses. Today I sifted about a half yard of compost, with only about 6 yds. to go. This is turning into a lot bigger job than I was expecting. The compost is wet, the garden is wet and more rain expected.

Larry

No, I spent the day indoors writing a grant, but I did go outside and wander around, and I ordered seeds. I have broccoli that is growing and the heads have made it up to 50 cent-piece size. I know its crazy for me to have broccoli right now, but that's how it goes ;)

I would like to find a native grass for a border that produces seeds the birds like. Any ideas? Speaking of birds, I was really happy to see my bluebirds come back this week, they even sat on their house for awhile!

We have been locked in a never-ending cycle of painting the cabinets in our new kitchen for about 9 days, but this gorgeous day lured us outside to get some work done. Most concerned leaf clean up, as we find the new house's gorgeous huge oak tree in the front yard sends leaves EVERYWHERE, including filling up the pool in the backyard.

Our first purchase for the new house was a leaf blower/vacuum/mulcher. Unboxed it, fired it up, and vacuumed huge quantity of leaves out of the walkways, etc. Unfortunately, managed to flood the darn thing, so switched to manual for the last few bags (trusty dustpan and my hand.)

Found out the City of OKC recycles using small open bins, so our neighbor's recyclables are blown all over the neighborhood. Open bins. In Oklahoma! Who decides this stuff? Grrr. So trash pick-up was on the agenda, as well as pacing the property and looking for a spot to put the veggie garden. The seller came by to pick up some stuff, and he pointed out blueberry bushes in a tangle in the corner, plum and peach and pear (edible, not ornamental) trees. Yay! Trees are a bit torn up with ice damage, but still produce he says.

72 degrees in late December! wow what a beautiful day... have a great time! -Chandra

I worked out in the garden, mostly pulling the winter weeds that have sprouted everywhere, and transplanting volunteer chamomile seedlings from the pathways to beds. There's also a lot of Laura Bush petunias sprouting in pathways, but I didn't have time to dig and move any of them.

We still have producing broccoli plants in one part of the garden, and two cabbage plants that somehow survived the summer and look decent. Since I did harvest heads from the cabbage plants last spring by cutting the heads off a couple of inches above the ground, the remaining stalks are more likely to go to seed than to form heads. I left the plants themselves in the ground because sometimes they make secondary, small heads but they didn't form any small heads last summer or fall. I am sort of surprised they survived the heat. I hope to spend time today weeding the flower border that runs alongside the eastern edge of the veggie garden. It is full of poppy and larkspur plants, but there's winter grass coming up in the middle of all of them and I want to get it out of there so it won't be crowding them.

It was such a warm day that bees and butterflies were out, as were tons of birds. It really felt more like an April day than a winter one. Henbit is in bloom here, so at least the butterflies had something to visit. The bees spent most of them time visiting the cracked corn I put out for the doves.

I also cleaned up miscellaneous plant debris and put it on the compost pile, and refilled all the birdfeeders. We are feeding tons of birds this winter, and I love having them around. Then I harvested catnip from places where it is scattered here and there around the garden. I use it as an insectary plant to attract beneficial insects when it blooms, but it also attracts a lot of cats. In the winter, I cut it back hard and put the catnip on the sunporch for the cats to play with.

It hit 74 degrees here at our house around 3:15 p.m. but then the cold front rolled in during the evening hours and the wind just howled and gusted and carried on for a long time. I suppose today's weather won't be nearly as nice as yesterday's, but it still is pretty pleasant weather for this time of the year. One great thing about the wind the last couple of days is that the red oaks which have uncharacteristically held onto their leaves forever this year are finally dropping them now. Usually it is the post oaks who keep their leaves until spring, but they lost all their leaves long before the tardy red oaks.

Our ground is moist but not wet and muddy since rain hasn't fallen in at least a couple of weeks now. Overall, though, it still is very dry and with January historically being our driest month, I don't have very high hopes for a lot of moisture to fall this month.

We need to mow the lawn this afternoon. We overseeded it with winter rye, and that stuff grows like mad. I do like having the sea of green grass around the house in winter. It also gives the rabbits and other wild things something to nibble on in the winter time too.

Chandra, Sorry you're missing the great weather. It has been just gorgeous for the last 4 or 5 days.

Dawn

We had pretty good weather until yesterday, but the wind bothered me, so I did other things. Until yesterday I had done quite a bit.

I sure do wish people would be in charge of their own leaves. We got rid of our trees, and now have leaves from all around the neighborhood. I am afraid that my roses attract them, and help them stick. Since we live in a neighborhood, I am careful about the timing of using a weed blower. Oh, well.

I sure do love this weather, and cannot help but wonder what is coming next. I am sure we all are a little fearful of a summer like the last one.

Sammy