Still Snowy after all these Days

     Someday.  Someday the snow will melt.  It must.  It should.  Maybe.  Till then, I still make my trek over to the park to look at my cold frames.  Expecting some miracle.  Hoping for salad greens begging to be taken for a ride.  I am led to believe that five or six feet down the earth is at a steady temperature of something like 50 degrees.  Isn't that the driving force to geothermal heating fields for homes?  If it were 50 degrees, I naively expected that heat to migrate up to the surface when protected by a cold frame.  In my dreams, the snow on the frame would melt from the slight heat within, then the open glass would allow for solar gain and the plants would be happy and I would be happy.  Somewhere along the line I was mislead, for alas, that has not been my experience.

Bellevue Park Gardens 2/2/2011

   On Wednesday, January 26th, we received 10.4 inches of snow.  A lot of it is still here on February 6th. The picture above shows the park gardens on 2/2, a week later.  Still plenty of snow, cold frames still covered.  A closer picture of that same day below

Bellevue Plot #84, 2/2/2011

   Hardly any melt whatsoever in the week.  Certainly no reason in my mind to disturb the snow cover.  Plus the fact, it was cold, baby, cold.  So maybe another day would be better.
    Another day has come.  And gone, and then some.  This morning is February six, a beautiful day.  Blue sky, no clouds.  Great morning to go to the park.  The temperature is even above freezing at 9:00 in the morning, a minor miracle.  I will be able to take off the glass tops, look around, maybe even have an early February salad.  After walking the dog, and still with damp shoes, I hop in the truck, ride over to the park, and there it is.  A parking lot still covered in snow and ice.  Ruts from some other vehicle that have turned into perfect training runs for the luge team.  Still a landscape of snow.  My lonely tracks in the snow from days before nearly gone from the wind trying to erase all evidence of my prior visit.  Well here I am, I might as well go visit.

Bellevue Plot #84, 2/6/2011

   Looks nearly identical to the picture from 2/2.  A little snow has melted from the box, hardly any from the low frames.  Not much reason to pull off the snow.  Let things sleep.  Today is supposed to be 40 degrees and partly sunny.  Tomorrow 45 degrees and partly sunny.  Maybe tomorrow will be the day.  Maybe.  Wishing and hoping.  Still snowy after all these days.  -  George