#shelfie #4seasonshelf

What's on the shelf today?

On the shelf today are early indoor planting stuff…

• seed packets

• pen & ink sketches of seed packets

• herbs in faux terracotta window planter (indoors)

• clean plastic containers for planting seeds

It's springtime, and the garden adventure begins again here in the Outer Lands Archipelago.

We still have a while until we can plant outdoors, except for certain crops that like colder temps, such as leafy greens, peas, etc., which don’t mind a little frost.

Farmstand Update: What’s In Season

It’s the end of March, and most local farmstands have only one thing as of yet: firewood (see below). But before you know it, you'll see early crops start to come in like rhubarb, asparagus, horseradish and many more bittersweet lovelies. Local chickens are already laying eggs. And fresh daffodils!

Local farm stand with firewood in early spring empty shelves.

~ Nan

P.S. The #SHELFIE short video above is part of the #100daychallenge and will be uploaded to the 4seasonshelf constellation of social media. I created it in Canva, downloaded it, and will send it up to each platform. I’ll also add gameshow sounds on those platforms because it’d be fun. Find and follow @4seasonshelf on your favorite platform!

How you dune?

Here's a photo of an ocean dune by the Incredible Mr. C, please enjoy.

Now, turn south and face the ocean.

Take a deep breath!

That gorgeous video was also captured by my husband. I invite you to take a deep breath and a little break from the news and the rest of your life from time to time. Wow, there’s a lot happening these days. Big stuff!

Fun facts

During the Ice Age of 30,000 years ago, the great Labrador Glacier came to a halt here at the ocean, leaving a ridge of moraines that form the Outer Lands Archipelago islands of Long Island, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape Cod, Block Island, and the many other smaller islands.

These sandy beaches have a lot of quartz — that magical stuff that pulses under pressure (e.g., see quartz watches). Combined with sea mist, it’s a very nice thing. A walk on the shore the cure, body and soul.

Many Atlantic Ocean beaches are accessible in two hours or less from major East Coast cities. Some ocean beaches are within New York City and accessible by bus or subway! (Shout out to Coney Island and the Rockaways!)

~ Nan

P.S. I shared the video on a small constellation of 4seasonshelf social media, too. If you found this post from one of those platforms, thank you for coming! Glad you could make it.

P.S.S. The video is part of the #100daychallenge, which as I’ve posted, I’m using to learn more video skills and to get 4seasonshelf (and myself) out there more.

Winter greetings?

Hello! Mid-winter greetings from the Outer Lands Archipelago, coastal New York.

Winter has been peculiar. Normally, temps are freezing here at this time of year. But not this year. It’s been in the 40s and 50s a lot. Is this another one of those new normals? We’ve can’t remember a winter like this. Spring bulbs are already coming up, birds are singing…

On the one hand, we’re grateful that it’s so nice out. But on the other hand, one has to worry about climate change. We’re saving on home heating oil, but the planet is going to hell in a hand basket.

What would it cost to switch to an electric heat pump? I don’t know. We should find out. It’s on my list.