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Yesterday I came down with spring fever. The temperature got up to an unseasonable 57F/14C. The spring fever outbreak was of epidemic proportions in the city causing people to go outside without coats on! There were people out running and cycling, walking dogs and children. I walked out onto my deck with bare feet and stood in the sun, face upturned, as though I were a sunflower. It felt delicious.
I had a window open for a while for the cats and when they weren’t fighting over who got to sit in the window where there was plenty of room for both of them but neither wanted to share, their noses were plastered to the screen. Then, for no reason that I could discern, one or the other of them would go running around the house, scrabbling across the furniture and skidding around corners on the wood floors.
But what a difference a day makes in more ways than one. So much restless energy let off yesterday and today, rain turning to sleet and then to snow. Waldo and Dickens were mad at me for not opening the window again. Since they didn’t pull out enough of each other’s fur yesterday they had a few more rounds today. Finally they have settled down and are curled up together sleeping as I type this.Seed sprouting is coming along nicely. The leeks and onions are looking good. The peppers have not yet sprouted but they are getting close. They take a long time to get going which I found out too late last year. But I am getting a nice and early start this year. Today I made more newspaper pots and seeded tomatoes —pink brandywine, pink ponderosa, Cherokee purple, and Evan’s purple pear — and celery. I had no luck at all with the celery last year and since I have seeds leftover I thought I would give it another try.
While I am making newspaper pots I can’t help but notice article headlines. Of course the news is generally bad (terrorism, Syria, ISIS, climate change) or infuriating (presidential election campaigning). I was beginning to get a bit down about it all today and then I realized that all the bad stuff in the paper, I am turning it into good stuff. Pots for starting vegetables and soon herbs and flowers. And newspaper, being compostable and good for the soil, will get planted right into the ground with the vegetable plants in May. So then I couldn’t help but smile over turning bad news into sweet onions, spicy peppers and juicy tomatoes. If only my reach went beyond newspapers.
Some of you have mentioned you are interested in making your own paper pots. Here is the YouTube how-to video for the pots I use:
The pots are a really good size. You don’t need to be precise in your folding. After making a couple it gets really easy and you don’t have to think about it. A good activity while watching Netflix. Be aware though that the more you make, the inkier your hands will get so don’t plan on touching anything while you are working.
Cycling
I am part of a women’s only group and Wednesday I led my first virtual group ride. The women’s group has two rides that leave at the same time, a fast ride and a slow ride. We start off together at 1.5 w/kg until a certain point in the course and then the fast group increases to 2w/kg (and then 2.5 w/kg on the second and third laps with an all out sprint to finish) while the slow group continues and does 3 laps (about 19 miles/30km) at a constant 1.5 w/kg.
I’ve ridden with the fast group the last few weeks but Tuesday night I had a hard workout and needed a slow recovery ride. No one had volunteered to lead the slow group and I asked if there was going to be a slow ride and who was leading. It turned into one of those because-I-asked-I-got-volunteered situations. So I led the slow group.
We were a pack of five and stuck together tight even on the hills (we found out later the fast group fell apart at the end of the first lap and we felt quite pleased with how well our group did). We all had a great time and they asked if I would lead again and even consider being the regular ride leader. I was so flattered, how could I say no? Hopefully it goes just as well this coming Wednesday night and wasn’t just a fluke.
The women have also started some women-only racing which is great because even though I have been doing the open racing on Zwift every Thursday night since January, it’s all men and pretty much a stupid free-for-all. The women race on Saturday afternoon every other week and so far we’ve had two races and they’ve been great with everyone following the rules and encouraging each other. In yesterday’s race I finished 14th in a field of 22 and I had a great fun time.
My goal for the next race is to really concentrate on strategy and making sure I am at the front of the pack when we cross the start line so I don’t get dropped off the back and end up racing alone and having to work twice as hard as the people up front in the pack.
I just found out there is a real life women’s gravel road race at the end of May a half hour’s drive south of the Twin Cities. And it’s free, no entry fee. It’s only 33 miles/50 km which is a totally doable distance for me without any extra training. Astrid, however, is a road bike designed for smooth narrow tires and pavement. We rode on gravel trails every week last summer but the gravel we rode on was crushed and packed and almost like pavement. The internet informs me I can get some tires for Astrid that will work better on gravel, slightly wider with a little tread. I’ll have to talk with the folks at my local bike shop and find out if it is true. I hope so!
It was -5 C here overnight, as cold as it has been all winter, but at least it has stopped raining. It’s so cruel that your weather teased you with a lovely mild day, just before more snow. I hope you have luck with your celery this year!
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Piningforthewest, Your winter has been pretty mild for you then! Spring weather here is a terrible tease, you never know what you might get from day to day. And thanks! I hope the celery does well this year too!
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It was so warm here today, too. My youngest put on a sleeveless dress and no pants, went to play outside and still complained she felt too hot! I laughed: what are you going to do when it’s real summer and over ninety out there?!
Thanks for posting that youtube about the newspaper pots again. It looks easier to handle than the tubes I use- in terms of filling with dirt at least- so I might give it a try for my next lot of seedlings.
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Jeane, isn’t it funny how after winter a warm day is what constitutes a cool day in the fall? Hope you find the paper pot video useful!
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Lovely post Stefani. I love your positive thinking, particularly the bit about turning the bad stuff in the paper to good stuff. You go girl!
I hope you can get Astrid some new shoes. A girl does need a change every now and then. And, I hope you get more of those lovely spring days. Autumn starts officially here tomorrow, but the next few days are forecast to be around 30-33°C. Woo hoo.
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Thanks Whiserpinggums! It helped to have to upbeat music on and there was actually one good news article about how animal adoption rates are up at shelters. I hope Astrid can get some new shoes too. I think a gravel race over country roads would be a great fun adventure. A nice start to autumn for you! Today is the last day of our meteorological winter though the high is only going to be around 2C but hey, at least it’s above freezing 🙂
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Meteorological winter? I didn’t know you had another definition of winter. Fascinating. Hope you enjoyed your 2°C.
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Yup, there are apparently the solstices and the equinoxes which are solar and then meteorological designations that are different and calendar based for consistency of measurement from year to year.
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In Australia, as you know, we go by the calendar method – 1 Dec Summer, 1 Mar Autumn, and so on, but I hadn’t heard of the US using any other methods than the solar one.
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We are wild and crazy mavericks here 😉
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You sure are … At least your Republicans are looking that way right now 😀
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Oh goodness it is a nightmare. Cape Breton Canada has announced that if Trump wins they will gladly take American immigrants. They even have set up a website! Hopefully come November it will all be something to laugh over.
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You’ll always be welcome Downunder Stefanie. And Bookman and Astrid. Waldo and Dickens too though they would have to tolerate quarantine! Not sure about the chicks though 😉
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Though I am generally optimistic about humanity and the future, the lately the state of the world has also gotten me down, for similar reasons.
Getting out into the warm whether so good for the soul sometimes.
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Brian Joseph, it gets to a person now and then even when you are generally optimistic. Kind of feels like a roller coaster sometimes. But getting out in the warm for a little while does do wonders for the soul 🙂
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Although I am enjoying the spring weather (and it really has been spring here for a while), I’m thinking if these temps are a month or more early…what about summer? I’m already dreading another sweltering, humid summer. I need to get over it and just enjoy the present lovely weather.
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Jenclair, I know what you mean! Our state weather experts are saying we will likely have a hot summer. Last summer was so comfortable and mild I am trying to mentally prepare myself for hot humid and miserable.
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I love your outlook – turning today’s bad news into tomorrow’s bountiful harvest! Also, this is just the post I need for inspiration. My son wanted to buy some tomato seed to plant at his grandparents’ house, and he and I can make some newspaper pots! Thank you.
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Laila, thanks! Every cloud has a silver lining, most of the time at any rate 🙂 Oh what fun! I hope you and you sun enjoy making some pots and have good luck with your tomato seeds!
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I hope you are feeling better now, Stefanie.
Thank you for making me smile by sharing that cute little information about Waldo, and Dickens. They are the cutest. 🙂
Zwift sounds fantastic. I never knew such a thing existed. I wish we had something like that in India. Maybe, till we get something, I will make Calvin work hard. And, Calvin says hi to Astrid. 😉
My heart was warmed when I read about how you are changing the headlines. Of course, every small noble deed matters a lot.
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Deepika, heh, yes it has turned cold again so I am doing much better though a bit more restless than I was before for spring to really arrive 🙂 Waldo and Dickens were little terrors. After one scuffle they each had a big mouthful of the other’s fur and made valiant attempts when I was scolding them to pretend like they had no idea what the problem was. They keep things lively that’s for sure!
Zwift is fantastic and you can use it too! It’s an internet app (zwift.com) and when I ride in the virtual world I am cycling with people from around the globe. You need a smart trainer to make it work which can be expensive but is worth it in my opinion. I think you and Calvin need to get out and do some adventuring 🙂
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Thank you all the lovely information, Stefanie. 🙂
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I took H (my son, 4) for a walk this afternoon before the cold comes back, which made me remember this post. I love, love the bit about turning the news to good; I can’t wait till we have our own house and a garden . . .
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Carolyn, thanks! If you have a sunny window or a sunny balcony you don;t have to wait. Container gardening is fun and easy and you’d be surprised what you can grow. Plus, no weeding! 🙂
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Boy, isn’t that the perfect solution for all the nasty news (especially politics–so early yet–and already so tiring)–turn it into compost essentially! I bet you are looking forward to taking Astrid outside again soon. I know I cannot wait to get back to long walks outside. It was relatively pleasant this weekend but it was so horribly windy, you couldn’t enjoy it. And now tonight a chance of rain, snow mix (which means ice no doubt). Sigh. I want spring to come!
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Danielle, the news is so depressing I am glad I found a way to turn it to something good. I am very much looking forward to taking Astrid outside. She’s been hooked up the trainer for so long I will have to relearn what to do when I pedal and actually go somewhere! We had some terrible wind too. March can be really gusty which is great for kite flying but not so great for other things.
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What a great thing to do with the miserable-news-bearing newspapers. You are awesome (as usual)!
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Jenny, aw shucks, thanks 🙂
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