Time passes

Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen.

Willa Cather, My Antonia

It is nearly the end of January.  I finally got out yesterday and worked  an hour or so.  It is quite disheartening to see what the dry wind and biting cold and freezing weather for days on end have wrought. Unfortunately, the sun was bright and although the temperature was in the 60's, I was sweating and hot.  I guess the sun "allergy" is not going away.

The front yard "project" is at a stand still. The weather has been just too cold and windy to work outside. 

All of the California poppies and most of the bluebonnets I potted up in November have died.  I had even covered them lightly with leaves thinking that would protect them from frost.  We really didn't have too many days of frost.  More of bitter cold (in the teens and below freezing) that is really winter weather for our part of the country.

We can only dream of March and April bluebonnet survivors

The dry freezing temperatures is the culprit.  This happened years ago when we had dry and low teens and single digits for about a week. That was the only time I remember bluebonnets succumbing to the cold.

There are lots of California poppies and bluebonnets sprouting with warmer weather. It would be nice to get some rain.  I guess I am never going to have that "perfect drizzly, chilly, wind free day".  

Right now, the temperature is 45°. The wind is out of the north and bitterly cold. Not a good day to putter in the garden.