Deer in the Rain

Out of the cold, late March gloom of a rainy afternoon the deer came, single file, walking with heads down, seven of them.  Walking slowly through the slush and snow, walking along my driveway a hundred yards or so from my cabin window.  Looking for spring.  Big deer first, then mid-size ones and finally a little, skinny one in the rear.  All walking slowly, but surviving and with the promise of warmer weather this weekend, hoping they will once more find something to eat on this cold, rainy day (if indeed deer are able to hope).

                The fields and forests at Roshara remain snow covered, two feet or more.  So are the trails that wind through the property.  The ponds are still frozen.  Everything waits for some warmer weather, at least enough warmth to melt the snow and thaw the ice

                I heard a sandhill crane call yesterday.  What a surprise for the sandhills to find their nesting spot on the edge of my pond still frozen and snow- covered.  I wondered about the call—maybe it was one of “What am I doing here when my accommodations are far from ready?”  Or maybe just a string of cuss words in bird language.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Getting into something is usually easier than getting out of it.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

April 5, 7:30 p.m. Stoughton Opera House, Stoughton.  WPT Farm Story, discussion of film and book signing.

April 7, 7:00 p.m., Kiel Library.  Garden Wisdom presentation and book signing.

April 8, 6:30 p.m. Heritage Hill Historic Center, Green Bay. Old Farm.  Book signing to follow presentation.

April 10, 6:30 p.m. Sun Prairie Library, Limping Through Life. Book signing to follow presentation.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):

The library now has available both of Jerry’s DVDs, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Also available are several of Jerry’s book including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division St.
Wild Rose, WI  54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Garden Thoughts

This is for all the vegetable gardeners out there.   I am a bit reluctant to say anything about the coming garden season for fear I will encourage what already looks like a late spring.  For the winter lovers, a few more days of enjoying snow, ice, and temps around zero seems to be in the offing.

This is dangerous to mention I know—but remember 2012, just two years ago?  The temperature in mid-March soared into the mid-eighties and I planted radishes, carrots, lettuce—set out cabbage plants—and even planted some early potatoes.  That’s right.  Mid-March.  This year we’ll be lucky if we can see the ground by mid-March, and who knows when the soil will warm enough for planting.

Oh, I must also say, that as the gardening season in 2012 went on, the early start really didn't help much—in fact probably cut into my vegetable yields.  That was the year of almost no cherries and limited apple yield for the blossoms quickly appeared and froze during a cold April.

It’s a good time to order seeds and think spring as you study the pages of beautiful vegetables and avoid looking out the window.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Keep the faith.  There will be a gardening season.  Patience is a wonderful virtue this time of year.

ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 1:  Tune in Wisconsin Public TV on Tuesday, March 4, 7:00 p.m. for a showing of A FARM WINTER WITH JERRY APPS.

ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 2: No more blogs until the end of March.  I’m off to a writing retreat where there is limited Internet connection.  My email will continue to work for those who want to keep in touch. jwapps@tds.net

COMING EVENTS:

March 5-March 25, Writing retreat, Indian Shores, Florida.

April 5, 7:30 p.m. Stoughton Opera House, Stoughton.  WPT Farm Story, discussion and book signing.

April 7, 7:00 p.m., Kiel Library.  Garden Wisdom presentation and book signing.

April 8, 6:30 p.m. Heritage Hill Historic Center, Green Bay. Stories from the Land.  Book signing to follow presentation.

April 10, 6:30 p.m. Sun Prairie Library, Limping Through Life.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):

The library now has available both of Jerry’s DVDs, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Also available are several of Jerry’s book including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division St.
Wild Rose, WI  54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835