Last spring my wife surprised me with an early evening airplane ride over Charlottesville. We flew over Carter Mountain where the apple trees were in bloom, past Jefferson Vineyards and Monticello, and then over to Pippin Hill and Bundoran Farm. It was amazing! All this snow is making me wish for spring again.

One year ago we adopted Sid! He was being fostered locally, but originally came from a small shelter in Pulaski County. Hence, his formal name, Sidney Pulaski Radifera. Other than some very intense guarding instincts which we have yet to manage, he has been a great addition to our family.  The girls adore him and he is a loyal, playful pup. Now if we could just get him to let people into the house we’d be all set!

This past Christmas we spent some time in NJ with my in-laws. As we were admiring the beautiful Christmas tree, my father-in-law grinned and asked if we liked the okra icicles. I had noticed them but had no idea they were actually made from dried okra. My in-laws, amazingly resourceful and crafty, actually grew the okra, dried them, painted them and rolled them in glitter. I didn’t get a photo of the entire tree but there were about a dozen “okra icicles” and it looked really beautiful. So for you crafty gardeners out there, here is a project for you!