cabin fever, waiting for spring

Wondering ...anyone else gazing out at your sleeping gardens........ wishing for an early spring?

Yes, but I'm not feeling as melancholic as your picture.  

Spring. Will. Come.   

It's far to early for me to be having cabin fever. I should probably sharpen my ice skates.

Ah GWN, my garden looks quite similar, except I still have corn stalks poking through the snow because I didn't get the garden completely cleaned out.    (had to use the snowhead now that he is back!)  However, I am keeping myself occupied working on my Spring garden layout in Excel.     Keeps me cheerful in spite of the -40 wind chill.

GG

Despite all the trouble we had with freezing water pipes and dangerous roads, I still love winter and am far from tired of it. The only thing I'm looking forward to with hotter weather is springtime gardening. And even that ... well, I just like this pause in the year, when the earth takes a few moments to regroup and gather its energy again.

Marc Iverson wrote:Despite all the trouble we had with freezing water pipes and dangerous roads, I still love winter and am far from tired of it.  The only thing I'm looking forward to with hotter weather is springtime gardening.  And even that ... well, I just like this pause in the year, when the earth takes a few moments to regroup and gather its energy again.

+1

GWN, That is absolutely beautiful. It looks so restful, and rest is good. The problem we have here with the mild winters is that we have the urge to garden 12/365. Not healthy for the soul, me thinks.

Marc Iverson wrote:Despite all the trouble we had with freezing water pipes and dangerous roads, I still love winter and am far from tired of it.  The only thing I'm looking forward to with hotter weather is springtime gardening.  And even that ... well, I just like this pause in the year, when the earth takes a few moments to regroup and gather its energy again.

+1

sanderson wrote:GWN, That is absolutely beautiful. It looks so restful, and rest is good. The problem we have here with the mild winters is that we have the urge to garden 12/365. Not healthy for the soul, me thinks.

This is my third year back with snow, I spent 15 years on coastal Oregon, only getting snow every 5 years or so and only for a few days.
The past few years I have really loved the snow, and winter, but this year I am struggling.  I do winter activities, such as snowshoeing and fully appreciate that I could not do that without snow.

I am going away for a few weeks this year in February JUST to keep from planting my indoor seeds too early, which I do every other year.
GG, I really need to do that spread sheet thing, I had mapped out the garden on an online program, it was just too hard to work with. Perhaps I need to make out a map that I can print out each year  and pencil in.
I guess I just love gardening so much, I clearly could do it all year.  I am currently experimenting with windowsill planters, trying to grow basil and spinach.
So glad that everyone else seems to like the break.. I guess I just need to "get a (winter) life" 

GWN,  I'm not saying this is what you have.  But, others may feel like you do and not know why.  A trip to the south may be just what you need.

SAD is a real condition.  In 1970-71, I lived at Fort LEWIS Sill, WA, near Tacoma, for one year during the VN War.  The lack of sun and warmth really bothered me.  I was young, had other coffee drinking officers' wives to play with, 2 kittens, new marriage, so one year zipped right by.  But I felt I could never live that far north on a permanent basis.  It rained a lot, and summer seemed like it was only for 3 months.

Winter in Fresno, CA, if we have long stretches of rain, or worse, fog, I start to feel blue.  A drive above the fog line or over to the coast really helps.  Now that I am retired, it's not so bad.  I think there are a few reasons why I can now tolerate short, non-sunny days better.

http://psychiatry.yale.edu/research/programs/clinical_people/winter.aspx

Thanks Sanderson.
I guess perhaps I do have a little of that, however we get more sun here during the winter than the Oregon coast did.
I work as a medical doctor and see the effects of SAD a lot this time of year... IT IS a particularly tragic time of year ... I guess perhaps that is the other reason I miss my garden so much, for the rest of the year it is MY source of "therapy"
I do find that enjoying the fruits of my summer garden DOES take the chill away, as well as planning for next year.
I live in a remote area, which is wonderful, but most of the locals go away for the winter, I guess I am beginning to see why.   

We have a doctor in the house! Too bad you can't take a January vacation and work as a substitute in some southern US state!

Or go visit southern gardener.  I bet she'd let you play in her garden!

Boffer pointed out that I meant Ft. Lewis, WA, not Ft. Sill!! Thanks Boffer.

I have a family member with bad SADS. She's incapable of admitting anything is wrong or seeking counseling or medical help, though, so she won't even attempt treatment. She's just locking herself in her room for days at a time now. I wish I could help. But though you can chase someone into a hole, you can't really chase someone out of one.

It really sucks. This person is the same when it's sunny, to a less obvious degree, always letting her random moods determine her outlook and behavior. But throw early sunsets and foggy weather into the mix, and it becomes a season-long moody funk. *sigh*

I've always admired people who don't, I'm not sure how to say it, "carry their weather with them." If they have a bad time at work or school, they don't take it out on others. If they're feeling sad, they don't necessarily try to hide it, but don't invest in making other people sad too, a la "misery loves company." If they're angry, they don't add up the roster of good things they've done and feel they "deserve" to or have "earned the right" to be nasty. People who just keep an even keel and don't subject others to their moods and punish them for them. Who don't have to count as the only real person in the room.

Well, enough of that. One of the worst things about SADS and related neurotic behavior is that if it is poorly managed, it drives others to sadness, and does its best to keep them in it, too.

I had SAD for about 30 yrs, since before I knew there was a name for it. Actually this is my first winter without it.  The way I coped through the winters was with trips to Florida, St. Johns Wort, lots of exercise & full spectrum light bulbs, all beginning with the time change.  I still exercise and use the light bulbs in winter, 2 at home and 1 on my desk at work.

This year I think the main differences are due to more fruits & veggies in my diet from following Dr. Joel Furhmans books and, along with my normal house plants, I'm growing veggies in a bay window in the house: 
  

GWN, you have a greenhouse.  Are you growing anything right now?  If so, can we see some pics?

CC

Marc Iverson wrote:

Well, enough of that.  One of the worst things about SADS and related neurotic behavior is that if it is poorly managed, it drives others to sadness, and does its best to keep them in it, too.

+1 When you care about someone, it can hurt.  I have someone close, but one step removed from me being able to help.  

CapeCoddess wrote:I had SAD for about 30 yrs, since before I knew there was a name for it. Actually this is my first winter without it.  The way I coped through the winters was with trips to Florida, St. Johns Wort, lots of exercise & full spectrum light bulbs, all beginning with the time change.  I still exercise and use the light bulbs in winter, 2 at home and 1 on my desk at work.

This year I think the main differences are due to more fruits & veggies in my diet from following Dr. Joel Furhmans books and, along with my normal house plants, I'm growing veggies in a bay window in the house: 
  

GWN, you have a greenhouse.  Are you growing anything right now?  If so, can we see some pics?

CC

Glad you found a solution. There is help, maybe not a 100% cure, but the person needs to realize that there is a problem and want help. I'm off to the sun in the garden, even though we have Hazardous air quality warning. I've had good intentions to work outside for a few days but the air has been too bad for me.

Ah yes, I guess I see it all the time, depressed people who will not come to terms with it. This is a video created by the world health organization.
video on depression
This Video, is about the most incredible one I have ever seen for explaining to people how to recognize depression. It is an animation comparing depression to a black dog.
The very cool part is that it talks about treatment in very real terms, such as exercise, Or learning how to talk to those you love about your feelings. It is not all about drugs.
I think that the one thing you can do for people who refuse to see their problem, is to drag them out daily for a very long walk. I have heard it said that exercise is the most underused antidepressant, and food is the most over used anti anxiety med.

I find that as long as I get lots of exercise every day I am fine.
CC I DO have a greenhouse, but I turn off the heat in the winter, it is just too expensive to use, and in my house I do not have any real south facing windows. This past summer we have closed in our porch, and IT has a south facing window, but as such the room is not heated because it is not insulated so I am trying to grow some spinach out there, but it is taking its own time.
I just came in feeling much better, I have drawn a map of my garden to start to make plans, AND I turned over my compost pile which is inside my hoop house for the winter.   

The mind does tend to follow the body, and the body does best with good exercise. I always feel better and happier when I move around and do physical work more.

I've been eating so much heavy food this holiday season that I'm finally starting to just flat-out refuse all the treats being offered. Enough is enough. I'm going to start eating more summery food, like salads. There's something about winter that makes it so satisfying to eat big, hot, high-calorie meals. But it can so quickly become a habit.

I had been hoping for better growth from my winter veggies to spur me into a massive greens-eating season, but they've all been content to stay looking like seedlings for months now. They'd better shape up come spring, because I never promised free rent.

Ah Marc
I am sure you shall be surprised as I was in February last year the remarkable progress my greens had made under the cover of snow.
I had the best spinach of the whole year then.  I have chosen to leave them under the snow in my cold frame, until Feb, JUST in case we get a cold snap.

Marc Iverson wrote:

I had been hoping for better growth from my winter veggies to spur me into a massive greens-eating season, but they've all been content to stay looking like seedlings for months now.  They'd better shape up come spring, because I never promised free rent.

My chard, kale, collards and spinach, also.  Just sitting there except for the chard I started from seed 2-15 and planted in April.  I think the lack of sunshine on those boxes for 3 months just slows thing way down.

I was out in Tee shirt and jeans yesterday afternoon ..lovely pleasant day out of the gentle breeze. It didn't last though by dark it was dropping to almost freezing and then it started to rain and blow
in at 60 MPH or so.

 So no cabin fever here ....the cobwebs got washed , blown or charmed away by the sun .

Piccies to follow in a day of so of what I've been up to over Christmas.

Yesterday the temp's in the 4os, took a trip out to the compost piles.
Stuck a thermometer down and it read 48 deg F..
Played a little with the newer one I'm building up.
I did try something I have been wanting to do for a while, fall leaves in a large garbage pail, shredding with a weed whacker.
This worked fine for me, at least it will keep me from buying another piece of stuff

Just thought you'd all like to see how I've avoided cabin fever by putting on the oilskins , flippers , snorkel tube and face mask .

It's been raining almost non stop for the last four days , so hidden away in the outside office building I cut up some wood and converted the now redundant BBQ stand in to the fire box /smoke chamber of the cold smoker set up by making th close fitting door and fixing it in place in between reductions in the pouring rain .

 At the top of the post are pictures of the cheese and salmon that I've gently smoked .

 I smoked  five blocks of the cheese for four hours  first to get an idea of how well the smoker preformed as you can suspend the smoking for a day or so if needed providing you refridgerate the cheese in the meantime.


Then yesterday I smoked the salmon after coating it in virgin olive oil .



The salmon was cured first in 50 /50 salt & light brown sugar for two days and then washed off and patted dry with kitchen towels and left to glaze for another two days in the refrigerator .  Weight loss was 466 minus  68 gram so well within in the smoking range preferred losses .

It was finally  finished ( smoked for five hours )  last night then cooled & wrapped in foil and placed in the fridge to mature .


Late this afternoon we had our first samples of home smoked food . Verdict :-
They were very  yummy & moreish , especially with some of our HWB preserved crystal lemon cucumbers & red and green tomato sweet pickle .

 More of this will be happening.





 It's been nonstop rain for the vast majority of these  last few days