Roadtrip, Work And The Doldrums

So, the madman says to me, “Do you realize that it’s almost February 1?” At first, I thought he was trying to tell me that we haven’t published a new blog since our road trip. But then I realized that he was trying to tell me that it’s time to work off the dark winter doldrums. The end of the Persephone Period is almost here.

We will again have 10 hours of sunlight. Plants will start growing. What a great time to start publishing again! It’s not that we haven’t been doing anything – we just haven’t been sharing. He says he is waiting for me to fully recover from my tick adventure; I say he embraced Pickleball.

Road Trip

Although we haven’t been publishing, we have been busy. Before we started our final garden cleanup, we took a Road Trip to the Southwest. As we usually do when visiting this area, we flew into Las Vegas, but instead of renting a car and getting out of town real fast we took in a couple of shows. Cirque du Soleil, a troupe I began following online during the pandemic, is based in Las Vegas and we were able to get tickets to a couple of different shows. (Incidentally they will be presenting OVO in Hartford in March if you don’t want to travel to Las Vegas.)

After a few days of bright lights and noise the madman was ready to head out, so we drove to Page, Arizona. Some of you guys might equate Page with the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell, but to the madman, it means dark skies and gorgeous slot canyons.

Slot Canyons

These sandstone slot canyons were formed over countless years by the effects of water and wind. Water from flash floods created narrow deep and winding fissures in the soft sandstone as it headed to the Colorado River. After the floods dried up, strong winds sandblasted the sides of the canyons making them smooth and creating intricate patterns. This process continues today, making these slot canyons an everchanging attraction. And what an attraction!

We visited a couple of the smaller canyons where the crowds are less and the tours more personal. The madman says you can’t go wrong with a tour of either Antelope Canyon X or Waterhole Canyon. Because the canyons are in Navajo Nation, visitors must be accompanied by a Navajo guide. Our guides were wonderful – they helped us see the real beauty of the canyons and learn about Navajo culture. And they introduced us to the Native American flute. As they strolled through the canyons playing this instrument, we were mesmerized.

Glen Canyon

Early one morning, we beat the crowds to the most famous site in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area – Horseshoe Bend. Here, the Colorado River created a 1000 ft. deep horseshoe shaped bend in the canyon. This spot is often referred to as the eastern-most edge of the Grand Canyon.

After gazing at one of nature’s wonders, we visited a man-made wonder – the 710 ft. high Glen Canyon Dam. Of course, the madman couldn’t be that close to the Colorado River without getting wet. So, we drove around Lake Powell, stopping for short hikes and walks in the water. We even took the time to drive out to Antelope Point one evening for some stargazing – remember, this is dark sky country, and the madman just sat and watched the stars.

Back To Work

Refreshed, we headed back home to finish our garden tasks. We started by preparing our frost sensitive plants for winter storage. Anything coming into shelter needs to be soil drenched with diluted Ivory liquid and sprayed with NEEM to keep insects at bay. And we aren’t just talking about a couple of plants here – the citrus collection, the cacti, all sorts of succulents including some large Euphorbias, tropical plants like the Brugmansia – actually the list is quite long, and the plants are numerous. We were busy and we beat the frost.

With the sensitive plants sheltered, we turned our attention to the vegetable garden. The peas that had been growing so nicely when we left were eaten back to the ground during our absence. The madman said, “Oh well, I guess we are gardening for nature.” I’m surprised he took the loss so well. We left the pea stubble in the ground and also cut the beans back to the ground. Both peas and beans are known as nitrogen-fixers. They add nitrogen to the soil, so we never pull them. But all the other spent vegetable plants were pulled out. This garden waste never goes on the compost – the madman always fears spreading disease. We removed the red plastic mulch from tomato beds but dug the organic mulches into the beds and repaired any damage to the woodchip paths.

New Season

By Halloween, the madman was ready to plant and mulch his garlic. And the garden season began again. We dug up the cannas, dahlias, callas and other flowering bulbs – they are safely tucked away in shredded newspaper. The madman planted the first of his seeds and by Thanksgiving we had pansy seedlings growing under lights – remember the Persephone Period begins November 9 so he grows his seedlings under lights.

As Christmas approached, the seed catalogs began arriving and the madman ordered his onions from Dixondale Farms and his potatoes from Fedco Seeds. And, of course, random hot pepper seeds appear in the mail on a regular basis. The madman is back doing his thing. We are scouring our seed catalogs for both old and new varieties for our summer gardens.

So far, we have had lots of animated discussions (I can’t believe he wants to encroach on my flower beds!) As you can imagine, these discussions require lots of hot cocoa. And I think we need some right now.