
but last week’s blanket kept a few things from freezing, all melted yesterday, and today, December 26th, I gathered

spinach, tiny turnips with edible greens, parsley, and carrots.

Last week, I made scones for the first time, with handfuls of summer Juneberries from the freezer. Not too sweet, whole wheat but not too heavy, they were pretty fabulous.
I’ve been anxious the last few weeks to take the final photos and see what a year looks like here.

See the "Kitchen Window" link, upper right. The light and the cropping aren’t entirely consistent, but the pictures serve their purpose, and a few things surprised me.
The length of seasons seems to be about right in north central Ohio. Just when I’m certain I can’t bear another week of brown, Spring begins. And when I’m about to go mad from all the green, along comes Fall. (I never tire of Winter’s white.) I was tickled to look over these pictures, count the green ones, and see that the trees are in leaf just about half the year, 26 weeks.
Although I’ve lived through a few decades in this region, if you had asked me when my world goes green, or when autumn colors peak, I probably would have been off by a few weeks. It will be nice to have this record to refer to. Looking over the year, I’m surprised at how quickly the big changes take place, the canopy closing in and then later falling away within a couple of weeks.
I lived far to the north for a few years, where Winter lasted many months, Spring progressed with alarming speed, Summer was sweet due to its shortness, and Autumn was just an agonizing prelude to Winter. It would be interesting to see a year in other parts of the world.