Pre Spring

                     It is Pre-Spring here in the Willamette Valley. The clouds are higher and break more often. There is sun on greening grass. It’s been hailing pretty regularly. The English Department all stood outside on Monday afternoon, looking at the bare fig tree. It’s coming, we agreed. There may still be snow—the hope for a snow day never fades until May—but Spring is coming.

Signs of Pre-Spring—one of the Willamette Valley’s many seasons:

1. Snowdrops and primroses
2. Hail and sun, hail and sun
3. Green grass, growing fast
4. Eggs, both brown and white
5. Mud
6. Very thick moss on the trees
7. “For rent”  signs
8. Long, slow steady days in the classroom
9. Seeds sprouting in my classroom—broccoli, leeks, tomatoes
10. The Book Frenzy is this weekend.
11. Witch Hazel and Forsythia bloom
12. High skies, huge puffy clouds.
13. Mushrooms are growing on the storm windows.

A Winter Pizza

Pizza is an easy dinner if you are making the bread dough ahead and keeping it in the fridge full time. You just need to make sure it isn’t oatmeal raisin dough.

Take half of the dough from the bowl and spread it round on a pizza pan. Let is rise for 45 minutes.

Slice an onion thinly. Chop up some good olives and garlic. Sprinkle both on the dough and cover with grated cheese—cheddar and mozzarella are best.  Add about a teaspoon of thyme to the surface.

Bake in 400 degree oven until almost done. About four minutes before it is finished, cover with chopped arugula and slide back in. The last few minutes cooks the greens as well.

Let rest for a moment before slicing. Eat.

Seeds begun