Things I Can Cross Off My List--but not in the normal way

So the mason bees aren't happening. I've just got too much on my plate these days. It's probably too late at this point anyway. Mason bees emerge from their cocoons about mid-March (now) and only live for a couple of months. By June they're all gone.

Right now my taxes and applying for a home loan are taking up all my mental energy and time.

I'm requesting some assistance in moving my Huge-o Leaf Pile to the back garden so it'll finally get done. My lawns desperately need mowing, and I thought about it yesterday and the day before--two of the first beautiful sunny days this year--but I didn't think it was really dry enough to mow.

"Maybe another day or two of sunny weather," I thought. And then it rained last night. Sigh.

On the bright side, this blog post has highlighted two things so far that I can "cross off" my list. No need to get the mason bees, or mow my lawns. (Though the mowing will have to be added to another list very soon.)

I've also decided I'm not going to start seeds this year. I am going to the Lane County Propagation Fair next weekend though. I'll probably get all inspired to start tomatoes and pepper seeds anyway, but my current plan is to buy starts for my container garden.

Speaking of container gardens, here's a container you may not of thought of:

(source: www.fungi.com)

Ali, my friend Tamara, and I are all going to a Shitake Mushroom workshop tomorrow in Cottage Grove at Cascadia Permaculture.

I wanted to say that the plugged log I get to take home with me at the end would be the first container in my container garden this year, but I thought of another.

I want to remind myself that while bringing flowers inside isn't gardening, it is enjoying nature and I do love bringing it inside with me.

These flowers were put in their "container" the day before yesterday.

Spring Equinox isn't until next week, but She sure has poked her faerie fingers in the Eugenian soil in my neighborhood. My magnolia tree is pushing out buds, and my raspberry canes are sporting teeny leaves. And so has my climbing rose bush, among other things.

I'm still sitting in front of my HappyLite (as I type this, in fact), but soon I'll be able to shelve it for the sunny months.

I'll be sure to post pictures and prose on the mushroom workshop next.

Thanks for stopping by.

***

p.s. And just for those of us still pining and thinking of Costa Rica, here is a short video on a great addition to anyone's permaculture garden: