The wintertime blues are real. The holiday spirit has up and gone and springtide is just out of reach. I’ve always found February in Montana to be the toughest. You know there’s going to be more snow, you know there’s going to be more temperature drops and you know there’s nothing you can do about it. All you can really do to get through the next few months, besides binge Netflix, is to just dream about Spring.

I’ve spent the last few days out in my greenhouse working to get 700 tulip bulbs into pots. Now, 700 doesn’t sound like a lot, but trust me, it is. There’s just enough cold weather left in the year for the stratification process to be complete in order to see a sea of red in the flower garden come spring, making the cold days in the greenhouse worth it.

Of course, my dreams of spring are practical as well. With the price of fresh produce not coming down anytime soon, I plan on working my tail off this year to grow more of my own food. Some seeds have been hard to find. Some of what I normally order is already out of stock. I did however, have a bit of luck.

Somehow, I was able to secure a couple of packets of San Marzano tomatoes and some Musquee De Provence pumpkins. All in all, I’m happy with my seed purchases this year and I’m grateful I was able to find some of my favorite varieties still in stock.

Speaking of still in stock, the time is coming to add to the flock. When I first started out on this homesteading venture, chickens were the first to arrive. Never did I realize how appreciative I would be for their presence here. As we have all seen and felt the price of eggs skyrocket in the store, I’ve been fortunate enough to have the ability to supply my family with fresh eggs throughout the winter.

Now, when I say I’m only adding five new chicks to the flock this year, that’s obviously a number no one should trust. Five chicks can easily turn into 10 chicks, it has happened before. It’s not my fault, it’s just the basics of chicken math. Even in my mid 30s, once I walk into a fed store in spring, I instantly turn into an unchaperoned kid at a birthday party.

Reach Miriah at [email protected].