JINX! This ought to bring the winter :-)

Earlier this year, after we got a few inches of snow in ... was it November? ... I picked up a new snow shovel. My old one was heavy, rusty metal, and I actually ditched it last spring.
Today I took this shot of the still brand new shovel next to a beat up pot of hyacinth bulbs that were left out from last spring. They have no idea that it is January - even though they are completely without shelter.
I've considered taking this picture for a few days, knowing that the it would be the one thing that would shift the weather patterns back to the way they should be (I'm not really that delusional, it just seems that way). I'm thinking how nice it would be to put away a brand new shovel in the spring without worrying about scraping off any muck or salt.
Judging from the way things have been going, it won't be very long before we'll have lots of herbs popping their heads up, and lots of herbal news to speak of.

For those of you who have never been in Hershey, PA I thought you might like to see what the streetlights look like. Some are like this, some are plain brown, and some are silver with no "ribbon". I've loved them since I was a kid - even though I really prefer Wilbur chocolate from Lititz (they supply Godiva!).
We drove through Hershey on our way to do some shopping for Molly's birthday, and I snapped this shot.

Only a few more days until the deadline for the March/April issue of The Essential Herbal. We've gotten some really unusual articles already and the Yahoo list put together a great feature on edible flowers.
I absolutely love the week before the deadline, watching the items stream in, considering how it will all fit together, and wondering how the potpourri that is the magazine will shake out again.