With the sky so blue, and the pussywillows so fat, I can almost believe spring is coming. But the Weather Station recorded a temperature of 29 degrees at 7 this morning. At 11:30 we are up to 46 with gusting breezes of up to 15 mph. The skies were not so blue yesterday on Easter Sunday, but we were inside most of the time feasting and visiting. On Saturday we got some chores done outside, mostly working on cleanup from ice storm damage. The ancient snowball bush and lilacs took a beating, requiring severe pruning; new shoots are coming up though. The big black cherry limbs that came down by the hen house will make good firewood. We look for benefit wherever we can.

There isn’t much activity outside, but the seedlings on the heat maat are coming along. Somehow I am just one among my neighbors who has a lot of Brussels sprouts started this year. The benefit there is harvesting them fresh right into November.

The seedlings that have not gotten any bottom heat are coming along, too, but at a much slower rate. Because they are on a south windowsill, I turn them every day. Heliotropism, the need of plants to follow the sun, is in action.

The Gigante parsley is not yet germinated in either tray, so I assume they have not yet finished travelling to the Devil three times as described by an old wives tale. The garden book says they can take three weeks to germinate. I planted on March 31 so we have a week to go.