Saturday--

We had a good rain yesterday--lasted most of the day (in waves) and wasn't hard or driven by wind. The temperatures are supposed to drop throughout the day but I don't have anything planned for outside. I got the bird feeder trays cleaned up and refilled so they can find some food. Have you all had robins that normally have migrated by now hanging around? We have--lots of them. I wonder if the unseasonable temperatures have confused them as it has some of the plants. Two thirds of my seed orders are in. I think I will start a couple of tomato varieties and one of the peppers next week. One tomato is a small patio variety which I can keep under lights and the other is a type that tolerates low light levels which might make it a good one for our south window. The pepper is the same--likes low light. Maybe start some greens also. I can keep them in pots for early eating.

We watched the Martian and both of us are somewhat underwhelmed. I liked the book much more. The characters were better developed in the book and the movie lost much of the ingenuity that ran throughout the book. Mom's damning with faint praise assessment: they could have done it much better.

Leigh at Five Acres and a Dream posted some comments that resonated here. We aren't nearly as far along as she is in eliminating plastic though we have much less than we once did. Mom never did like plastic drinking glasses so over the years we have eliminated those. We have gradually converted to using glass canning jars and other glass containers for much of our refrigerator and freezer storage. I have been threatening for several years now to start canning much of our tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes. This year because our freezer space is getting so tight I plan to do just that. And I hope to branch out to other veggies as well, home grown and from the farm market when it is in season. We have become increasingly unsatisfied with what we get in the supermarket.

An amusing little post about an obscure revival of an ancient religion in Iceland. And it isn't Nordic in origin.

And for a not so amusing boondoggle--new U.S. Navy ships that can't handle heavy seas and rough weather. Surely this isn't the best our tax money can buy. FUBAR.