The Mountain Thymes

I realize winter is necessary in some growing zones, but this has been such an easy winter to get through.......... so far.  We've had a few very cold dreary days in December and January but they were short-lived.  Daily I note the morning low and afternoon high temperatures on my calendar.  In the past couple of weeks temperatures have ranged from high 60's to low 70's.  We've had renewing rain showers so the streams are running again.  More birds and deer are being seen wandering through the forest.  "False" springs cause trees and shrubs to set buds for blooming. These warming spells followed by cold bursts confuse animals, insects, and plants.  They confuse me, too.  During the cold spells, I bake more, brew up more soups, crave  chocolate, gain needed winter weight for insulation.  I even knit hats. This is my kind of knitting.  This hat pattern calls for size 13 needles and a skein of bulky yarn.  You can knit off and ...

I enjoy my morning coffee as much as I look forward to an afternoon glass of red wine and even on a brisk winter morning, I step out onto the porch (usually barefoot), coffee in-hand and greet the day.  I've found that like wine connoisseurs, serious coffee aficionados are drawn to  coffee label designs and descriptions and slogans.  My palate finds flavored coffees and creamers distasteful.  Recently while eating lunch at The Coffee Cabin in Blairsville, GA, I overheard the owner explaining the caffeine difference according to bean color.  The paler the coffee bean, the higher the caffeine.  The process of roasting burns off the caffeine. Coffee studies have found that drinking coffee in moderation boosts memory, concentration, and mental health. (I just failed that coffee test as I had to return to the article twice to recall what I just read!)  Like wine labels, coffee descriptions make you feel special about your choice.  Words like full-bodi...

Are you aware that grapefruits have eleven sections?  Just food for thought.  I've been cooking all afternoon and just took a grapefruit break.  It was a perfect day to make a hearty chicken soup with root vegetables and a big pot of chili.  It's cold here today.  Temperature was about sixteen when I got up at 5:50 and we had three inches of soft fluffy snow.  Sunrise looking down Clay Durrett Rd.  Not a spectacular sunrise, but serene.  Three inches isn't much but it's enough to hush our mountain.  Our high was 26 with bright sunshine and a brisk cold breeze.  My garden resting under the blanket of snow.  In a few months there will be peas in the ground and the start of cold weather greens.