My Wish for You

Fresh Air for a Fresh Perspective

I took a hike along the Lower Yahara River Trail last week. We're having mild weather lately in much of the Midwest--mild for us, anyway. The day of my hike, the high was around 40F, and I actually felt warm, wearing my parka and winter boots.

I know some of these photos look cold, but it was very comfortable, after weeks of below-normal temperatures in October and November.



Part of the trail includes a long boardwalk bridge with excellent views of Lake Waubesa. It's now one of the favorite hiking/walking areas of many Madison and McFarland residents. I've posted about this trail before, showing what it looks like in autumn.



The view was rather misty, likely because of evaporation from the warmer air.



I was surprised to see these people setting up for ice fishing, as it was rather late in the day.



Waterfowl tend to congregate in the area where warm, moving water empties into the lake from the Yahara River.



Were these ducks finding fish, or other tasty morsels, just below the surface of the slushy ice?



The view to the southwest portended a pretty sunset, with light clouds on the horizon.



Higher in the sky, the moon stood watch over the beautiful day. It felt great to move comfortably outdoors, and to get some much-needed fresh air.

Herbs, Lettuce, and a Repurposed Plant Stand

It's winter, but that doesn't mean the end of growing things, even in a cold climate.



My daughter was ditching a wine rack that she didn't need anymore, so I asked her if I could repurpose it. She said, "sure." So...



I planted some lettuce seeds in window planters and put them in the bottom. (I need to thin them out, but otherwise, they're growing well.)



I thought about doing something with the wine holders, but that would block the sun from the lettuce. Stay tuned for future ideas, or please share them in the comments.

Most of the herbs are taking off, too...

parsley

chamomile

cilantro

oregano

dill

I placed the plant stand in a south-facing window in the sunroom. The room is only partially heated, so it's a little cooler in there than the herbs would prefer. But there's plenty of sun! As the days get longer, I expect even more success.

How about you? Do you grow herbs and edibles indoors during the winter?

My #Shortdays Challenge

Are you on Instagram? I'm finding it's a fun platform for sharing the simple little pleasures of life.

To encourage myself to appreciate every day instead of wishing away and crabbing my way through the winter, I started my #shortdayschallenge on Instagram. I'm challenging myself to post one special thing every day, from November through February.

Feel free to join in! I'd love to follow you on Instagram, too. My handle is @plantposter. What's yours?

It's amazing how special each day is when we make an extra effort to see and appreciate the simple gifts around us.