Happy New Year

The last sunset of 2011 was not terribly spectacular. No brilliant purples or flaming oranges. Just a bit of yellow in the sky as the sun sat upon the horizon and a little pink when it sank below.

I spent part of the last day of the year picking lettuce. It has been quite a warm winter for northeast Kansas and the lettuce has gotten quite robust. I worry that we won't use it all before it becomes too mature. Either I worry it will freeze or worry it will grow too fast. The greens -- kale, collards, etc. -- also got watered on the last day of the year. They looked a bit droopy.

The temperature got up into the 60s on the last two days of the year, so we let the fire go out. By yesterday evening, it was feeling pretty chilly in the house, so we lit it again and it has burned since. Warmth from one year into the next.

Now it's time for me to gather seeds and schedule my planting, starting with the brussels sprouts, which I will probably start indoors in late January for late spring/early summer maturation. Then I will do some later ones to mature in the autumn, after a couple of frosts, since that is when all the cole crops are at their tastiest.

Here is hoping your new year is an abundant one.