Hepatica nobilis!

One of the wretched things I learned today is that there are many scientists who think Omicron originated in mice, that mice caught Covid, created variants, one of which was Omicron, and gave it back to us. 

Speaking of mice, my new trap is in the exta. The idea is the mouse smells the wonderful chocolate sauce you can see on the underside of the yellow lid, now accompanied with wonderful peanut butter. The mouse climbs the black ladder, walks over to the black plank, and walks under the yellow lid to get to chocolate or peanut butter. The plank tips, the mouse falls in, freaks out, calms down, and eats some seed while waiting for me to discover she is in there. A Youtuber named Shawn Woods thinks it is the best thing ever. My mice think it is garish and weird looking and aren't going near it. 

New shoots! And I believe this to be Hepatica nobilis because I planted everything with its little tag by it, like someone putting a card up in a museum. Should this survive rabbits or slugs it might grow into gorgeous flowers.


"One of springs earliest woodland wildflowers, and always considered one of the most beautiful, Hepatica is quite common in eastern woodlands. The blooms vary dramatically in color, and range from lavender to white to (rarely) pink... Hepaticas are usually the very welcome first color in the spring woods, blooming through the leaf litter long before trees leaf out. Each plant is approximately the size of a healthy African violet, and they spread quite rapidly. An easy-to-grow must-have species for all shady gardens."
THANK YOU KATE!!


Our Hassle Free Homecare guy hung up some bird feeders under my deck. Eventually the birds will discover them and can eat without the hawk watching, and I'll get to see them from my home office. 

In addition, he connected two panels I put together. Now they screen the AC from my view. I spent years trying to grow something to screen it, which was terrible, because nothing like that can grow in that area and I tortured plants in the attempt. FINALLY this year I realized that there was probably something else I could do and discovered HVAC screens. But for some dumb reason, connecting the two required screwing new holes through metal. When the ground is no longer frozen I'll fully install them and take a picture. 

The stone store did not have the 24 inch by 72 inch flat stone I am planning to use to put my little chairs and table under the deck on. The snow storm messed up shipment from Pennsylvania. Next time. 

While he was here I wore an N95 mask but I didn't tape it. One of the bands snapped, ruining it. The next one was tight and uncomfortable. I understand assaulting teenage girls working in stores and immune compromised people who ask you to wear your mask now. Why I even understand carrying around a giant gun to compensate for a teeny 

Quesidillas are so versatile and so delicious and I'm so glad I make them now.