We are in Black History Month right now. Soul Train was a TV show that ran in the 70's when I was in my teen years.
I think the #2 definition of soul is a good reflection of the intense energy that was exhibited on this show. I loved the energy of the music and the dancing. I did not watch the show consistently, though, when I did watch it the energy was contagious!
A celebration of the soul embodied in this show is definitely worth showcasing during Black History Month.
As I was drinking my chocolate macadamia nut coffee topped with marshmallow whipped cream, I saw tree shadows dancing across the snow as the wind stirred up their tempo.
Turning the page on my Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening calendar 2026, I see the “Leaves that Please” of February. Tonight the full Snow Moon will rise, and tomorrow the question of the day will be : Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?
I think he will!
I finally got out of my house today. I ventured out within a 3 mile radius (or less.) While I was out I spotted 2 teenage girls that were both wearing pink oversized sweatshirt hoodies with these words on the back. I told them that I liked their hoodies, and I asked where they got them. They told me online at a website called dandyworldwide.com.
I found the website, and I found the “Words of Affirmation” hoodie. I would have preferred a crewneck with these words, but still I liked the words so much that I bought one in a navy color. I work in a school, and I love the messages that this will spread to everyone that sees it.
I don’t get anything out of advertising products other that a good feeling about spreading the word on a product that I like.
My husband shoveled our driveway yesterday. He said it is like blocks of cement out there. The temperatures outside have been varying between the mid single digit range with wind chill at zero or below, and when it warms up it reaches the low to mid 20’s. I have stayed inside cooking and baking. At least we have been well-fed.
I received a Spring 2026 catalog from Vermont Bean Seed company recently. I shopped for seeds and indoor grow lights yesterday. My intention is to give vegetable growing another try. I have been reading up on planting asparagus from crowns. I first read about growing asparagus last year in a Martha Stewart article. I learned that asparagus is a perennial vegetable, and this interested me since I have experience growing many perennial flowers. Yesterday, I ordered some asparagus crowns, a Sweet Purple variety. I hope to do the preparation work early spring. “Hope springs eternal…” (This is a partial quote from Alexander Pope 1733.)
Thinking about spring helps to weather the winter pauses. I hear there is the possibility of another winter weather system coming this weekend.
Stay warm and don’t hurt yourself shoveling!
I woke up very early this morning when it was still dark outside, though the whiteness of the snow made it possible to see. At this time of morning there was no visible bird activity. I was wide awake, so I made a black walnut banana bread, and drank some tea as it was baking. Eventually, I went back to bed, and slept for about an hour before the noise of bird activity woke me up. I went into the kitchen and was somewhat startled to see about 2 dozen cowbirds resting on our deck as close to the door as they could get. There were many more cowbirds resting in the surrounding trees and several fighting over the seeds in a couple of feeders.
My husband had purchased a small wooden birdhouse that is a seed feeder that he placed on the back railing of our deck. Normally many small sparrows play inside and outside of it eating the seeds. This morning many cowbirds were flocked around it. When I opened the door to scare the noisy flock they all flew away or up into surrounding trees. There was one exception, one cowbird was left stuck inside the little bird house. I called my husband to come see the commotion. I will let him decide what to do with the stuck cowbird. Perhaps it can eventually free itself.
Our regular backyard birds were still around. I spotted the cardinals, a blue jay, the visiting winter juncos, and I was delighted to see a cute little wren exploring the corners of the deck.
I was not delighted to see the cowbird flock. I used to see a few here and there in our garden many many years ago. They are not regular inhabitants here, and I have not seen any in a very long time. They are called cowbirds because they follow herds of cattle and eat the seeds and insects stirred up by the herd. They used to be called bison birds before many of the bison were killed off. The female cowbirds do not look like the males, and are very non-descript looking. They do not build nests, and they are called brood parasites because they will lay their egg in another birds nest. Often the other bird will foster the cowbird egg along with their own eggs. I used to read a lot about the different birds I would see in my garden.
It is still snowing and perhaps the cowbirds were brought here by this weather system. They will eventually move along, especially if the feeders are empty.
Enjoy the snow if you can, and stay warm.
It turns out that the humble beaver is on another much more valuable coin than the 5-cent Canadian coin I mentioned in my last post.
Some time ago I posted about a historic Myrtlewood coin made in North Bend, Oregon in 1933 when money was hard to come by.
Well, I discovered today that this was not the first time that Oregon made its own money. Look at the picture above and then look below at the information about this coin.
https://coinweek.com/oregon-5-territorial-gold-beaver-coins-move-over-pelts-and-furs/
Read the article at the above link to learn more about this coin.
In 2026 this $5 Territorial gold Beaver coin would sell for thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on its condition.
I will not bemoan the rain. It brings life to the pond and thirsty ground.
Looking out my kitchen window at the rain, I can see a gentle mourning dove take a dip among the bent-over dried cattail stalks, using them as a flotation pad. The grey and white juncos are all about enjoying the rain. Winter is when they visit my garden.
The thawed out ice in the pond and fountain makes the water more accessible for all.
While doing chores inside I ran across a 1989 five cent Canadian coin among the knick- knacks in a drawer. On one side is engraved a master builder beaver. This made me wonder how our local beavers (at Beaverdam Reservoir in Ashburn, Virginia) are faring this winter?
While attempting to answer this question with an online search, I discovered that the world’s largest beaver dam in the world is located in Canada. “Wood Buffalo National Park is the largest national park in Canada… having one of the largest freshwater deltas in the world- the Peace Athabasca Delta.” This quote is from the website: parks.canada.ca They claim it can be seen by satellites in space.
Now I can understand why the beaver is engraved on their coin, though, my original question about our local beavers remains unanswered.
I have not made any resolutions per se, though, I would like to remember to buy flowers more often to brighten the table on the cold winter days ahead of us.
Yesterday I made https://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/quakers-chewy-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies. To the left of these flowers sits a jumbo size Mason jar full of cookies I made from this recipe. The nuts was an optional ingredient. I added chopped pecans. I found my favorite wrap around bib apron the other day, which means I don’t have to change my clothes to cook and bake, so I hope to do more baking through the winter.
Early this morning I woke to a light dusting of snow outside. I hope the winter brings some beautiful days of snow, and yet not too much to cause big problems for travelers.
Let us celebrate the season for it is part of nature’s cycle!
As New Year’s Eve approaches I am thinking about the year ahead of us. This is when I realized that my birthday will be on what seems like an auspicious date–02/26/2026. I will be turning 67. At first this scared me a little, though I know God will be watching over me as always.
Do numbers and dates hold power? I am inclined to think they do when I look around at the news and advertising media.
I decided to look up the date to see what I might find. An AI overview stated that it is known for celebrations like National Pistachio Day and Tell a Fairy Tale Day. This information made me laugh and put me at ease.
Then I looked up the day of February 26 in history and was pleased to see that in 1919 The Grand Canyon was officially designated, in 1929 Grand Teton National Park was established, and in 1933 the ground-breaking ceremony for the Golden Gate Bridge was held.
Now, I feel relieved that when the day is put into a bigger perspective, the day will pass like any other day. Perhaps I will eat a pistachio cake for my birthday, and maybe a fairy tale will be told.
Smile and Have a Happy New Year!
movingforwardslowly 