It's cold, there's still 24" of snow on the path to my henhouse, and there are icicles longer than my daughter hanging from the eves. A perfect time to think of spring and to apply the lessons learned from this winter.

I have two main projects for this coming spring - first I'm going to take the trees we're felling in a week and log them up - but this year, I'm cutting them MUCH LONGER - a full 26" long, which is 2" shorter than the depth of my wood stove. Less stacking, less splitting, less work. We had cut them to fit either my fireplace or wood stove - 14 to 16" - forget that. The fireplace is great, but I'll re-cut some already split stuff for upstairs.

The second project is to get my garden started MUCH earlier this year. I've got a bunch of old windows, I'll be laying out coldframes in my basement shop soon and starting my herbs indoors this year.

What's your spring looking like?

Heard you are supposed to get a bunch of snow next month!!!

My plans are the same as you! After piling logs in with 4" overall left in my stove I am cutting / splitting them this year to fit in all the way, and my first stage burn wood will be the only short stuff to help breath a little better to get it going.

I also have about 5-10 small pines (5-10" around) i dropped and need gathered to add to my other 5 or so pile.. I hope to have 20 or so I can cut in half, and make a lil shooting area out of or something like that, a fun project

My spring will mainly consist of wiring my garage, insulting it, drywall, and the same for my pump house. Digging my trench next week probably, and then electrician will wire me up.

We also are having a roof put on our front deck so I can store firewood on it now for next winter! And also the area next to my mud room (on the deck in the back) will be getting a roof extension too so I can put all my patio stuff under there for winter/snowy season.

Get my suburban running again, and pull out a bunch more stumps *FUN*!

Lots to do

Regarding the earlier garden... have you ever tried Winter Sowing? It works very well, esp for the early crops. Some people direct-sow in the ground (usually milder areas where the ground doesn't freeze badly), but most use containers left out in the open and just transplant the seedlings. To me, the biggest advantage is not having to harden them off before putting them in the ground -- I always end up accidentally leaving them out at night, or too long in the sun during the days.

It's not so great for the tropicals like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, or the seeds that rot fairly easily like corn and beans. But for the cool-season stuff you can start sowing in containers on the kitchen table when it's too cold outdoors to do much, and put the flats or containers immediately outside, exposed to the weather, and be that much further ahead when spring arrives.

Trudi Davidoff's WinterSown site: http://wintersown.org/

Winter Sowing FAQs at GardenWeb: http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/wtrsow/

Sue

Martin, I am beginning to wonder if spring will ever arrive. If it does DS and I will be enjoying the great outdoors. Camping, scouting, hiking and whatever else we can get in to. I plan to put up a storage building and clean out the garage sometime this spring/summer too. Last summer was a bust due to a death in the family, massive flooding, and excessive rain. A garden would be nice too.

My spring is going to consist of school, work, and as much kayaking as I can fit in. My drypants should be here in the next week, and then any weekend over 40 degrees can be a kayaking weekend!

I'm also attempting some indoor gardening, trying to get some basil and rosemary growing. We're in a small, poorly lit apartment, so we'll see if anything survives.

Here in W. WA: six straight days of mid-50's days, mostly sunny and clear. We're not used to this, it's like being a bat knocked off its rafter and forced outside into the bright sun. Spooky for February, when it's usually pouring rain.

Sue

Wife is planning the garden / drawing it out, and figuring out what I need to make *grin* for this year.

We just got some more snow though!

Why would you want to insult your garage??? Whatever did it do to you???

I plan on getting outside a lot more. More overnight hikes, a lot more kayaking (maybe combine the two), and geocaching. Winter lost its magic for me a couple years back. Its pretty, and I dont mind being outside when dressed for it-but the camping out overnight, and the cold, well, I am no longer as easger for winter as I once was. Bring on the spring!

I`m thinking while I`m doing those other things I`ll be insulting it often oh and probably insulating it too!

Funny, for me I miss winter drives, and exploring!

The wife and I just took a drive up 5 miles and turned around because the road got questionable and no more civilization in that direction for at least 75 miles. I miss my "road" legal jeep.. so that's what I plan to have for next winter! The ATV and off-road-only jeep have their purpose but in winter leave me riding alone... luckily my wifes old car is a 1994 Wrangler and we`ll make it more off-road worthy for next winter explorations! Adding the winch that I've had in the garage for a bit will at least add piece-o-mind, especially coupled with the extension, snatch-blocks, shackles, shovels and tree savers. Can you tell I`ve been stuck in the snow before? L O L!!

I just purchased a pressure cooker, a book on canning and preserving and another book on Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning

Add to that, finaly ordered the book Deep Survival. Looks like reading is on my agenda this srping.

Buckeye