~ All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. ~ Regardless of the context, this is worth remembering. If you haven't made any decisions, then your feet will indeed be swept away, losing you in the fog of uncertainty.

Sunlight has no affect on a compost pile heating or on the bacteria in the compost except exposure to sunlight could be harmful to them. The bacteria, that generate the heat in a properly digesting compost pile, need enough Nitrogen to feed on to digest the Carbon and it is that activity that generates the heat. Those same bacteria need air and water can exclude air so the moisture level of the material being composted is as important as the amount of Nitrogen, too much moisture equals not enough air since water displaces air. The heat in a compost pile is generated by various thermophilic bacteria, provided they have the food necessary to function. Water, in any form (tap, rain, whatever) will cause a temperature drop any time it is added simply because of heat transfer rules. Be sure you understand that some "greens (high N) are brown in color (manures) and that some browns (high C) could be close to "green" because of the C:N ratio they have. Inoculators are totally unnecessary since the material you put in to be composted has the bacteria, and fungi, needed to be converted into something more useful. That is why the food we eat sometimes develops molds. If that food does not develop molds after a time that food may not be alive and may be unfit for us to eat (ie, Twinkies) Compost piles should be about 27 cubic feet (3 X 3 X 3) not just 3 feet high at a minimum. Maximum is a pile 6 feet wide by 6 feet tall but they can be any length. That 6 feet seems to be about as much as air can infiltrate to the center where bacterial activity will be most active.

Took down all of the burlap structures around my new little evergreen shrubs. The tops had come off a week or two ago. Pulled mulch away from the bearded irises so their rhizomes could get some sun. Raked oak leaves off some of the beds and added wood chips where needed. It's so dry that I raised dust clouds with the leaves. I keep checking the weather map online to see if the rain will bless us. Cut down the old growth from the Helictotrichons (blue oat grass) because they've started to show some growth. Left the old growth up for the various Miscanthus which aren't doing anything yet, just so there's something to look at. Moved some wintersown seed containers out of the little unheated greenhouse and put them back on the porch. It was getting too hot in there when the sun was out (I moved them into the greenhouse temporarily when serious wind was imminent, but I left them there being rather lazy). Sowed a few more seeds but put them indoors (not hardy). Put up a new birdhouse. No takers yet. Washed windows, the better to see the garden and the birds. Dragged some deck furniture out so I can have lunch outside on the deck. Not warm enough for breakfast yet. Checked for peepers, finally heard the first song on March 29. Claire

Living in North Dakota, I think "winter" all the time. When we first moved here the base gave us a list of items to keep in the car during the winter months. I took it serious. We keep our "blizzard kits" in each vehicle from Oct. 15 until May 15. My kit is in a Rubbermaid container. It stays in the cargo area of the car, or on the back seat. It never leaves. In the spring contents are checked, cleaned, refreshed and put in the basement, still in the container and well marked. In the fall they are checked and refreshed again and set in the car. Good to go! It holds my... - Heavy -35 degree or so rated insulated boots - 2 extra pairs of heavy insulated socks - 2 pairs of thinner cotton socks - Extra pair of old tennis shoes (Can't have damp feet) - Extra set of thermal underwear - Extra fleece scarves - A fleece hood/head cover - A thick face mask - My -45 degree rated parka, rolled small and stuffed in an old pillow case - Extra pair of heavy-duty insulated gloves, stuffed in the parka pockets - A sealed coffee can holding candles, waterproof matches, parachute twine (? DH insisted), yellow emergency tape, a pocket knife, an old CD to use as a flasher, Energy bars, chocolate, MRE items, etc. - A basic first-aid kit - A tin canteen cup to melt snow (if it got that desperate) No sense in packing water; it would stay frozen solid all winter long. - A crank-style flashlight - A coffee can filled with Harry's food, in case he's in the car, too. (It gets changed out a couple times through out the winter.) - An empty coffee can - Any time Harry's in the car I add two of his thick bedspread/blankets to the cargo area so he has warmth, too. - 2 fleece blankets, rolled tight, stuffed in pillowcases, and on the floor of the back seat. - 2 big garbage bags - A couple old paperback books, and a notebook and pencils (ink would freeze), to stave off desperation and kill time until help arrives. - My phone charger stays in a compartment in the dash of the car. - A list of my medical history and all the meds I take are taped to the inside top of the Blizzard kit. If I'm going any further than Grand Forks, I take my two-weeks' worth of filled containers of meds in my purse. Don't want to be stranded for a day or two with no BP and diabetes meds. - Also, if I'm going further than GF, I toss in my old heavy sleeping bag. (Can't you see Harry and I, wearing the parkas, extra socks on all our feets, rolled in the sleeping bag, all our blankets under and over us, munching on chocolate and kibble, reading to one another! LOL) I've never had to use this kit, except to pull out the parka and boots to wear at "extra cold times", but it comforts me to know it's there. "Let's be careful out there, folks!" And never, ever, for any reason leave the car. If you stay in the car, no matter what...you will be somewhat by the road and you...