# spring is here



## rob (Mar 1, 2010)

Thought this might be fun, what was your average high temperture this week?
Eastern Iowa will be 42 degrees on Thursday


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## St Allie (Mar 1, 2010)

25 degrees celsius and 95% humidity..

Allie


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## rob (Mar 1, 2010)

St Allie,
That is like 80 degree. do you have a fall and winter season?


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## Wade E (Mar 1, 2010)

48* today but very windy.


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## St Allie (Mar 1, 2010)

yes it's coming..

we are on the tail end of summer, I've just picked all the apples and pears.. and there is still half a tree of late peaches to pick.

courgettes /zucchinis are still producing and I just planted a late crop of gherkins.. I think we have about 6 weeks left of reasonable weather before the rain and wind kicks in.

Auckland is considered a 'temperate' climate, however this year we've had massive fluctuations closer to 'semi tropical'

Allie


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## arcticsid (Mar 1, 2010)

Our high in the last week was like 25F, still a little high for us. Been a strange winter. We'll have snow on the ground till like the very end of April but we are on our way. Our fellow members on the East coast of the US have had so much snow they will probably be having snowball fights for the Fourth of July!! LOL


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## arcticsid (Mar 1, 2010)

What is a courgette G, it's a type of squash?


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## St Allie (Mar 1, 2010)

it's a zucchini Troy, also known as a small marrow.. you pick them when they are about 6 inches long.

slice them and cook them in butter.. they are divine!

or make pickles or salsa out of them.. 

four plants will feed you through summer plus enough pickles for the entire winter.

they are an amazingly productive plant for very little work.

Allie


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## rob (Mar 1, 2010)

St Allie,
how cold will it get there in the winter?


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## arcticsid (Mar 1, 2010)

A met a gal from church who loved her Zucchinis, she would slice them thin, sprinkle them with her secret salt and dehydrate them and snack on them like a potato chip.

They were outrageous, a great way to preserve them, like you say, they grow like crazy.

My neighbor loves to grow his "zukes", but like cabbage, the Moose go nuts for them and will break down his fence to get at them!!


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## St Allie (Mar 2, 2010)

they make an easy pot plant Troy..

bring them inside at night if you are worried about the moose.. or stick them on your roof out of harms way, as long as they are well watered, they don't care!


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## St Allie (Mar 2, 2010)

rob said:


> St Allie,
> how cold will it get there in the winter?



absolute max for cold is during spring and that will hit zero.We get maybe 8 frosts a year in spring? ( and we complain bitterly! )


winter averages about 10 degrees celsius, so very warm compared to you guys.

no snow in aucks .. no shovelling walks or worrying about chains on the car.

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Mar 2, 2010)

Our high today was 61. First day of March! What the...? The last two weeks of February we were in the 40's and low 50's. 
You have to remember I'm talking the Northern Rocky Mountains, spittin' distance from Canada. My neighbors, 180 miles to the east, are still ice fishing. We're boating. My stupid iris are starting to come up! It's nuts!
The REAL sign of Spring was the %&#@@! spider I found in my sink this morning....


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## Leanne (Mar 2, 2010)

Here it is just wet!


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## xanxer82 (Mar 2, 2010)

36 Degrees F. in my town in Maryland.
Still huge piles of snow everywhere.


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## MN-winer (Mar 2, 2010)

Okay - I just have to jump in.

Its 15F overnight and 40 for a high today. The warmest in 5 months. We have 3 feet of snow still on the ground and lakes still are driveable on. 4 feet of ice in the north, 3 in the south. 
I've got 4 kits eyed up this year and I'm going to try my luck with strawberrry wine this year when we can pick them in June 

One of my favorite dishes with Zuccini is slicing them the long way, with summer squash (crookneck), peppers. I marinate them in olive oil and canadian seasoning (salt, pepper and garlic), then I cook them in the oven or on the grill, sprinkle with Gruyere cheese. Yummy!!


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## Old Philosopher (Mar 2, 2010)

MN Winer, I almost moved to Minnesota, instead of Montana. Glad the coin came up heads, now. 

Re: zucchini. 
We like to take the small ones, no more that 2" in diameter, and cut rounds 1/4" thick. Sauté them in olive oil, sprinkle them with cracked pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese. When the cheese has melted a bit, flip them over just long enough to brown the cheese. Yum!


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## MN-winer (Mar 2, 2010)

Old Philosopher
I wish my life was as simple as flipping a coin. I guess I can leave anytime but my paycheck needs to stay in MN to support the family. ha ha

Winter does get a little long, but now with the sun out more we can see the end of the tunnel.

Montana sounds nice. We may have more lakes but the scenery is probably better in Montana.


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## Old Philosopher (Mar 2, 2010)

MN-winer said:


> Old Philosopher
> I wish my life was as simple as flipping a coin. I guess I can leave anytime but my paycheck needs to stay in MN to support the family. ha ha
> 
> Winter does get a little long, but now with the sun out more we can see the end of the tunnel.
> ...


The winters can be gruesome here, don't get me wrong. The MN lakes and canoe trails were a great attraction. I've been to the Boundary Waters, and a few other lakes. But I was raised near the Cascade Range, and I do like to be able to look _down_ on 100 foot trees occasionally. <big grin>
(Check out my photo album here. )


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## Boyd (Mar 2, 2010)

24 degrees in Mankato, Mn right now.

Just checked on my buddy in Haver,Mt. 20 degrees there and foggy.


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## gregmg (Mar 2, 2010)

Daily highs are in the 70's here. I've already seen bud break on a few varieties.


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## Racer (Mar 2, 2010)

We saw 35º F today. I'm glad to see the ice break but don't want to see bud break till April. Last frost dates near the end of April make me too nervous when the temps. start to rise too much this early in the year.

St. Allie how have the grape vines done for you this year?


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## St Allie (Mar 2, 2010)

Racer said:


> We saw 35º F today. I'm glad to see the ice break but don't want to see bud break till April. Last frost dates near the end of April make me too nervous when the temps. start to rise too much this early in the year.
> 
> St. Allie how have the grape vines done for you this year?



Hey Racer, thanks for asking..

looking good.. I took off any fruit that formed as I want the vines to get a headstart on their root systems..

will get some pix for you soon.. just juicing apples and pears at present.. it's a mission!

Allie


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## Old Philosopher (Mar 3, 2010)

Boyd said:


> 24 degrees in Mankato, Mn right now.
> 
> Just checked on my buddy in Haver,Mt. 20 degrees there and foggy.


It was 51 today, on my side of the mountains. Havre's a little drafty.


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## MN-winer (Mar 3, 2010)

Boyd said:


> 24 degrees in Mankato, Mn right now.
> 
> Just checked on my buddy in Haver,Mt. 20 degrees there and foggy.



Boyd - I hear they have a nice LHBS in Mankato. My Brother-in-law from Waseca goes there all the time for his kit supplies.

I imagine today will be a nice day down there for you - maybe 50?


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## Boyd (Mar 3, 2010)

There is a LHBS here but they don't stock a whole lot but will order for you if you like. I'll buy there if they have what I want in stock.

Quicker to order from Midwest.

There is another at Pine Island and two in Rochester.

Pine Island gives a discount if you have a member card.

Didn't get to 50 but with the sun a coat was not needed.


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## Leanne (Mar 3, 2010)

Still wet here.


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## Old Philosopher (Mar 3, 2010)

I just hope Spring actually gets here before there's nothing but bare ground where my winter wood supply used to be. Gettin' pretty low....


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## rob (Mar 3, 2010)

going to prune my 3 year old vineyard this weekend....its exciting...hoping for enough grapes to make 250 to 300 bottles in August


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## arcticsid (Mar 4, 2010)

hit 40 today, Sunday were looking at -20F, go figure, I wish i had buds growing!.


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## Larryh86GT (Mar 4, 2010)

I took this picture this morning of a brave daffodil getting ready to bloom in front of a neighbor's house. The daffodils in my backyard are still under a foot of snow. Spring really is on the way.
Larry


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## Old Philosopher (Mar 4, 2010)

*April Fool*

This is a photo of MY daffodils who thought it was safe to bloom last April!
Mother Nature sure fooled THEM!





"Spring" around here is only a date on the calendar....


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## skiboarder72 (Mar 4, 2010)

Larryh86GT said:


> I took this picture this morning of a brave daffodil getting ready to bloom in front of a neighbor's house. The daffodils in my backyard are still under a foot of snow. Spring really is on the way.
> Larry



Wow thats impressive! I lived in Rochester, NY for 13 years before I moved down to SC here and my flowers aren't even that high yet!


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