down time

Winter is one season most indifferent to a gardener. We dream, we plan, we think, we talk, but we rarely get to dig and work and tend. Much of the plant growth is hidden away, in roots and bulbs, in the need for dormancy and quiet.

This winter I started knitting my first sweater and I like to think that this calming activity (except when I drop a stitch or get out of order on my stitches)is a good winter substitute for gardening.

The rain has kept me mostly inside. Yesterday morning, I forced Franklin on a short walk in the rain. The temps were in the high 50s (F), and I knew it was our only window for him to get some exercise. But I felt guilty about it. He was a good soldier. I was a bad dad.