It was about this time of year, probably in 1962, that I was laid up with a bad case of the flu and the neighborhood kids were playing in the empty lot kitty corner from my parents’ house, after school. All I could do was stand at the window, and watch the fun from a distance.
By Saturday I was feeling better, but when I got out of bed and looked outside, it was snowing. There was a foot of snow on the ground, too.
I should have taken this as a sign, and moved back to California when I had the chance, but I didn’t, and I’m still here, waiting for the snow that’s supposed to come tomorrow. I might point out to the weather gods that there is already snow on the ground here, and it’s been here for a month, so I really don’t need any more. It won’t do any good, but I thought I would mention it just in case.
Some flowers here are a month or more behind their “usual” time (if there is such a thing), but Cyclamen coum is showing some color, more or less on time. This plant is self sown, the ants doing the work, as always. (Also visible are grape hyacinths, in this case Muscari heldreichii, nibbled by rabbits.)
Here is Galanthus ‘Cordelia’, not totally in focus. This is one of the “Greatorex Doubles” raised in England in the early 1950s. Probably only interesting to me, but that’s the story of my life, now.
In keeping with my (undeserved) reputation for the tasteless and controversial, here are a couple of educational videos. When I get tired of watching seeds germinate, I make educational videos.
The following cactus autopsy may not be suitable for some viewers.
the miserable gardener 
I see Opinel knives are the preferred tools of the trade on cactus post mortems. So what does the insides of Echinocereus look like when it’s a vivisection? My dark side is dying to find out.
If it’s a vivisection, just green stuff. Not all hollow like this dead one. I rarely have the opportunity to slice into a living one, but hail occasionally puts holes in my precious cactus. Very annoying, but at least you can see inside…..
Opinels are pretty great. Cindy carried one around with her all the time, kept it razor sharp. I bought my own a couple of years ago.
Hopefully your old snow melts and this one does with it. If it doesn’t sublimate, it should pay off. But I feel your pain with packed icy snow staying put. (just very needed thundershowers down here, but probably some wet snow later)
It’s pretty wet, and not very cold outside. Only thing I have watch for is the conifers getting overloaded, cypresses in particular.
I love to learn and you are a great and humorous teacher. thank you, Jeanne
Thanks.
I can only imagine how badly that smelled.
Funny, it didn’t smell at all. Of course, the spines are such that one is unwilling to get one’s nose too close.
Thanks for the educational videos; autopsy was disturbing but enlightening. Und I did enchoy it.
We aim to please. (No, not really; if that were the case there would be no blog.)
Maybe more autopsies in the future. Nature is trying to tell me something but I’m not paying any attention. What would be the fun in that?