Our last cold spell is this weekend, the blackberry winter. I got to the Murphy farmers market by 9 this morning to buy a bag of fresh crisp spinach and a huge head of butter crunch lettuce which will last one person two weeks.  Fresh greens go quickly and our small market has only two farmers right now.  My plan was to walk the river loop after the market but the wind picked up and a cool misty rain changed my mind.

I have "empty nest" syndrome again...........

I slowly walked over to the nest to check if the babies were still inside the nest and caught this one sitting on the edge.  When I came back with my phone it was hiding but I took the picture and as I slowly walked away it jumped out of the box and flapped to the porch floor probably thinking "monster alert!"  It hopped around the floor flapping but not becoming airborne.  I left it lone so parents could tend to it, took the Toyota and went to Lowe's.  Lowe's was so mobbed with mulch and plant shoppers I returned home.  The fence rails at the driveway corners are crumbling and I have a young strong neighbor up the road who will replace them as soon as I get the new ones.  During the week will be saner.  I'm happy that the babies are gone because the house probably be be stained on a dry day this week.  The pressure washing job Thursday was beautiful but must have caused panic to the wren parents.  No nesting happening now.  When the staining is completed and dry I'll have Charlie place the large geranium box back at the kitchen window.  That's the second nesting place each year.  We'll see if it happens again.  That nesting allows me to watch from that kitchen window how it all evolves.

After Sunday's and Monday's temperature prediction of low 30s I will transplant all the little potted greens and herbs into the lower garden and a few up in the raised beds. The temperature predictions keep changing.  The plants need to spread their feet in the soil and started growing. Potatoes are growing.  The sage plant that stays out all winter is full of new leaves and looking good.  We have a large Tom living in the downed branches of the oak that fell last year.  I watched him go in and every once in awhile he gobbles quite loudly.  He probably knows this is turkey hunting season.  No hunting of any kind allowed in the subdivision acreage. 

I did get my two-mile walk in around noon.  Very windy near the river and no rain.  

Friday I had my one year eye exam.  Cataracts have progressed a little but not enough to do anything yet.  Words I didn't want to hear but knew one of the times I would.  I need to update my prescription.  She said that she recommended I do it at last year's exam but I don't remember anything she talked about at that time.  It was ten weeks after Cliff passed away and I don''t remember much of last year at all.  So....my new glasses will be ready in about a week.  Then I can read the road signs again!  Also bought a good pair of over-glasses sunglasses with better protection than Walgreens glasses that I've been wearing and complaining about.  Now I have to update my single Rx piano glasses which are over tens years old.  After next week I'll be able to see the road and play my piano enjoyably again.