The past few days I have gotten myself embroiled in these discussions concerning our country, the impending war with Iraq, patriotism, etc. It's almost February. According to the books (remember, my flowers don't read the books, and I tend to think the fairies are illiterate) my snow crocuses and FINALLY my Hellebore's should be making a show. How I wish now I had a witch hazel to comfort me in these frigid temperatures.

The catalog's are coming fast and furious making my mouth water with teasing temptations of plants that I know I can now no longer afford to purchase, but wish never the less to attempt growing. Everything from daylilies to Pulmonaria's and Verbascum's and I have discovered someone who carries 'Red Dragon' Persicaria.

Yes, I am starting to awaken like the sleeping bulbs and corms and tubers that lie under the soil and leaves with my drowsy fairies.

Since reading about the lateness of flowering of my beloved Hellebores, I am now at peace with them. I don't have the green flowered early blooming variety, and even though Mary Emma does, it's way to cold to go and lift a clump at the moment.........

And the catalog's keep coming. Seed catalog's that alas I stack up and don't open because I don't have enough cleared out spots for veggies and such. If I want a kitchen garden, it will take quite a bit of planning and work to bring it to completion. I will concentrate on my flowers, sedums, grasses and shrubs instead. And the ever present need to clear out my lower woods.

I look forward to talking with you all about the impending failures and accomplishments of this new year we've slipped into. I hope all of you have the time to share the same with me. I can't hardly wait for first show so that I can share with you all the magic and wonder that still captures my heart and soul up here where I live. It's almost February, friends. The month that drags us to the soil and doesn't let up, just before we break, and before we know it, it will be March and spring will be more evident in arrival.

thanks for this opportunity to share a few musings on this miserably, foggy, gray, rainy COLD day up here on the ridge, back in a soaked, cold fairy holler, overlooking where English Mountain SHOULD be but we're totally covered in thick, cold fogs even to the pastures surrounding me where I see the faint shapes of frolicking deer oblivious of me watching them thru the cleaned up chain link fence that divides me from the pasture they're playing in today, over here in EAstern Tennessee zone 6b