Was in Guymon last evening and my pu just turned in at Wally World as I was leaving. So being I was in the parking lot went in to see what they had put out over the last week. Almost everything was out inside the store now. Just a few bulbs though and didn't see any seed potatoes. They had a lot of boxes stored just outside the doors in the outside area. I didn't go out to see what was there. This year they have a large Ferry-Morse seed display and a fair sized display with organic seeds from Seeds of Change. The FM seeds were very reasonable. Not sure if someone put the wrong price on the SoC seeds or not. They showed $5.49 a pack. Which I consider very high. Didn't buy anything but looked through both racks. They had all of the usual potting and seed starting mixes and supplies out. Last week they had a sale on plastic containers which I bought a few of and using as flats for onions, leeks, ect and wanted to buy a few more buty they were all gone and the area full of garden/lawn/Bar-B-Q items. Just 2 years ago I couldn't find any seed starting mix or potting mix anywhere before Feb 1st. So since I've kept at least a partial bag and some potting soil for insurance and both years the stores have had it out in mid Jan. More geese have moved in from the south over the last week. Notice a few more flocks moving north during the week. Everyone that is talking about it says it is due to little water and food south of here. They say the ducks/geese that use this fly way can go clear to the Mexico border and not find many water/food combinations. So not sure if them moving north is a good indicator of an early spring or just an indicator of hungry birds. I would say the numbers here have climbed to over a thousand now. The wheat is growing and some fields that they didn't even cut must have a little grain down on the ground as I've been watching them feed in them. They don't stay out feeding over an hour which indicates they are getting plenty to eat without a lot of work. Which somewhat surprises me. My two youngest apple trees just lost the last of their leaves a week ago and are showing signs of the buds growing now. The older one has buds I'm afraid won't wait long enough to bloom out from the way they look. I remember in the late 80's a winter like this. The last day of Jan it started raining. And then turned to ice and snow. Then the cold set in for around 2 weeks. Hope that isn't the case this winter. I keep telling everyone not to store their coats away yet. The good thing is the longer we go without a severe cold spell the less likely we are to have a prolonged extreme cold spell. But I've seen really cold weather through the 15th of Feb so not getting in too big of hurry starting too many seeds yet. Jay

1 Daff opened today; a beautiful orangey-red little flower close to ground [not crocus, but don't know what since this is our first spring in the house and except for the bulbs I planted in Fall, don't know what's planted]. But best sign yet...calving started 2 days ago in the field next to our house...5 so far and lots more coming I'd imagine!1

Hi All! The seemingly narrow path we took from Hooti's Jan 8th post of "The First Signs of Spring" (at Walmart) have finally widened. From our counting Week's and Day's 'til Spring it's now just Hours and Minutes away. It is the prelude to awakening and the eventual peeping of life and of what's to come from the soil we all love upon Spring's arrival. Let's hope that we continue to have nice weather in CNY as the snow is melting away and that by April 1st, which is ONLY 11 DAYS AWAY, our blanket of snow will be gone from our Garden's and Yards. Then, like Hooti, when we drive to Wally Worlds Garden Store (or our local Nurseries) we will only see the snow banks that are left in the parking lots. For us it will be the final closure to the Winter of 2004-05. Have a great Spring Season. Jim

There has been so little snow in the west that they are probably going to have a bad drought this summer. I heard reports that mosquito season has already begun and they will be terrible this year as will the allergens in the air. Nothing got frozen to death this winter! I am grateful not to have to shovel snow. I'm also grateful for my very low heating bills although the cost of AC this summer may make up for it, if it is equally as warm. It's been so wonderful to be able to walk out to the car without shivering all winter. I've never seen so much of my neighbors as I have this winter. I usually only see them when we are all out shoveling.