Yay! We made it to March!

This February has been one of the most productive February. There was lots to do like seed-starting and cleaning up the garden, that I didn’t feel bored one bit. The best part of this February was definitely the little day trip I managed to squeeze in.

Still, in some ways, the month still felt surprisingly long. There were days when the sky was gloomy and threaten to rain when I found myself wishing the month would end. Did you have moments like that during February?

Work had been busier than usual with a conference coming up in now a little over a month. With more and more individuals are registering online each day, I have been fighting to get caught up with making sure all the invoices were coming across right while trying to prioritize my time for my normal duties. I also found out I maxed my paid-time-off, so this forced me to take time off from work, which caused me to fall farther behind. I’m not complaining, I did enjoy the time off, just wish it wasn’t during my busiest time of the year.

I had to put my crochet hooks away for much of February as the seed-starting season ramp up. This year, I’m starting more flowers and herbs than edibles. I grow flowers and herbs mostly to get the pests off of my vegetables. The pretty flowers are just a plus to all the other benefits.

Over the weekend, I transplanted all of the vegetables because I was afraid it would get warm too quick. The vegetables I transplanted don’t like any temperature over 75-degrees-Fahrenheit. With half of the garden facing south and on a sunny day can register at around 80-degrees, I had to transplant them to the shady part of the back garden where it can prolong the grow season.

These pictures were taken about a week and right now, these shelves are looking a lot emptier as most of the seedlings can temporarily live outside while the temperatures are mild. This gives me more room to start more seeds.

The best part of February was the day trip. I drove about 30 miles north to a migratory bird refuge and spent a few hours bird spotting and testing out my new 150-600 mm camera lens. That lens is heavy, a few hours of doing handheld shots with that things left my left arm and shoulder sore for a few days. This lens is definitely not for everyday use because I would be exhausted carrying this lens around.

My favorite part of the trip was I got to spend the time alone. No one in the family seems to understand but I need time to myself. I can’t be always dragging someone along to places I want to go because we all have our own interests and I’m pretty sure I’m the only nature-lover in the family. My aunts would spend 5-10 minutes taking selfies and pictures before asking about the next meal. So the few hours I got to spend by myself was absolutely refreshing.

What I’m looking forward to in March is the spring equinox. It’s the signal that growth will accelerate. I discovered most of the plants and trees have broken dormancy, so it will be a matter of time before they leaf and flower and with most of the spring vegetables planted, I hope by the end of the month, I will have enough vegetables to not have to eat the stuff from the grocery store.