Sow There!

My partner and I have a saying: “Change the channel."
When one of us is in a surly mood that has absolutely nothing to do with the other person, that mood can be infectious.
One or the other of us will say “Can you please change the channel?”
It's easy to change your outlook if you make the conscious choice to do so.
It just takes a few clicks of the brain to the right or to the left.
We live in the Avenues and took a walk on one of those bright days after a rainstorm.
The air was chilly and there were wide puddles on the pavement.
A driver in a small pickup came barreling around a corner near Enloe Hospital. He drove straight down the middle of the road, sending muddy water throughout the street, then slammed onto his breaks erratically.
“What a jerk,” I said.
The driver left the pickup askew, the front end jutting out into the street. He jumped out of the car and slammed the door, taking off running at top speed toward the hospital.
My initial response of disdain turned to sadness as my mind flashed scenarios about why he was in such a hurry.
Tommy shook his head and said “Oh man.”
We kept walking quietly.
“I’m glad that isn’t me."
“Ditto,” he replied.
Living near Enloe Hospital, we hear the whirring blades of Enloe’s helicopter several times a day, the ambulance sirens and the now familiar honking of the fire engines from Station No. 2.
Those sounds are just part of living in the Avenues and I try not to think of how those sounds represents someone's life in chaos.
But seeing this guy racing to the hospital was difficult to shake off so easily.
“Hey, let’s change the channel,” I said.
“Maybe he was running like that because his wife is just called and she’s going into labor.”

When you just gotta scratch
I’m certain I’m not the only one who has that garden itch right now.
Similar to other types of itches, it’s a bit uncomfortable.
I know the best thing to do is wait it out.
Encouragement arrived when the first batches of tomatoes sprouted in the window sill peat pellets. This lead me to scour all my seed packets and look for directions that gave the go-ahead to plant 4-6 weeks before the last frost.
It’s important when written instructions justify your frenzy.
My west-facing windowsill is crammed full of pie tins filled with the round, brown mounds.
I’ve considered moving some of my house plants outside to clear more room for the new “nurture-lings.”
The official date of last frost is nebulous. My rule of thumb is that is falls around my birthday (April 30, for those of you who are saving their nickels for my birthday presents). But my experience has been that it is nowhere near frosty that time of year.
A reader sent a note this week about using plastic containers to start seeds indoors.
One method is to use the clear plastic containers that the grocery stores provide when you purchase the "Live Lettuce Plants" or the containers of strawberries,” the reader wrote.
“These containers are usually 4-6" tall and can easily handle six or more peat pots. You don't have to keep the plants indoors as the containers act like a miniature green house, condensation for watering, warmth and protection from frost. Pricey but can be reused many times,” he concluded
I could also see using those plastic containers that contain salads.
But wouldn’t it be so much better if Tommy would get to that project where he used the old window frame in the back yard to make a cold frame?
Hmmm.

Free treat
I’m a big fan of Sierra Nevada Brewery’s landscapers. I’ve interviewed the gardeners in the past and would rate them top-notch.
The field on the southwest corner of the brewery, at Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, has glorious poppies blooming right now.
This year someone planted some tulips (and something else bright and cheery) right near the intersection of MLK and 20th Street. A big thank-you to whoever planted them. The brewery obviously should pay you more.