Chrys and Bill in Ithaca

San Diego, California

In early February we flew out to California to see Monica and Matt. We hadn't seen them since their wedding in June 2011! Monica was about 4 months pregnant in February and just starting to show in this photo. It was really great to see them again, and also to get away from the frigid upstate New York winter for a few days.

Sandstone cliffs at Torrey Pines State Reserve

Roadrunner! That coyote's after you!

(Look closely - he's just above the center of the photo)

From Balboa Park you can see the mountains to the east of the city

In a hollow baobab tree

Silly Billy

Crazy tree trunks

In southern California, fantastic flowers....

.....bloom on trees in February! This is one of the reasons I love So-Cal.

Matt's mom Liz was also visiting that weekend.
We drove about 25 miles inland to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

The safari park is about 300 acres and surrounded by a huge wilderness area.

The park is big enough, and California is warm enough, that the

animals have lots of space in a fairly natural habitat.

(Prey and predators are separated by fences)

The park also runs a breeding program to help increase
populations of endangered species in the wild.

Winter in Newfield NY

Back to the black-and-white world of the Northeast US

Our black-and-white dogs blend right in

Oscar loves to roll in the snow

First Annual Seed Swap in Ithaca

In late February about 100 people came to our first annual Seedy Sunday, and the workshops were standing room only. Clearly this is something people here are interested in so I'm going to follow up with a seed-saving demonstration garden at Cooperative Extension and run some seed-saving classes this spring and summer.

Petra Mann-Page from Fruition Seeds, Naples NY
brought seeds to share and also taught a workshop on
saving seeds from biennial root crops like parsnips.

Tim Springston from Oxbow Farm brought lots of his seeds to share.

Tim does a lot of his own seed breeding as well.

I had a little station set up where people could

sow seeds and transplant seedlings to take home.

Dippikill, Adirondack Mountains

Our friend Sharon organized another great ski weekend at Dippikill Lodge,

in the Adirondack Mountains.

Bill, Tom and I skiied the 10-mile Botheration Loop. The last time
we skiied this loop in January it was about 5 F, but this time it was
really warm, in the 50's F. We skied in shirt sleeves and no gloves.

On Botheration Pond

Summit of Balm of Gilead

From the top of Dippikill Mountain. This was a hard-won view -

we carried our skis most of the way up and most of the way down

due to blow-downs and excessive steepness.

In the Greenhouse

Our salad greens in pots sustained us all winter, and the fava bean plants started flowering in February.

Waiting now for spring to plant them outside and start gardening again!

Crimson-flowered broad bean (aka fava bean)

January 2013

Together again! My three siblings and I haven't breathed the same air since Christmas 2008, just before Bill and I moved to Ireland. From left: sister-in-law Martha, brother Tom, brother Keith, sister Eileen, me and Bill.