Six More Weeks...

So, Old Punxsutawney Phil proclaimed there is to be six more weeks of Winter. Six more weeks of cold, snow, sleet and ice will smack the country. Six more weeks of...hey, wait a minute! Do you mean we have had the start of Winter already? You could have fooled me! Here on the Bayou, it seems like Spring started at the end of Fall. With the exception of a few minor cool snaps it has been relatively warm. Today, for instance, reached a balmy seventy-six degrees. Could Old Phil possibly be wrong? Or could Winter be on delay and suddenly we will experience the bitterly cold weather that February and March usually bring? I am betting we do see some cold before all is said and done. I am so ready for a bit of cold..I miss it.

Still when out and about today, I noticed all the hints of Spring! One of the most prominent is the Oxalis. The tiny, pinkish-purple flowers that emerge with the first tinge of warmer weather. These normally are found deep in the woods under the canopy of trees but I have carefully transplanted them into the yard. Now, they grow abundantly in every nook and cranny that is not cultivated. Their tiny bulbs multiply with great rapidity so now, I am almost inundated with a sea of pink! I love them!

A lot of folks do not know that Oxalis are the one and same as Wood Sorrel. Yes, that "obnoxious weed" is actually a very tasty dish! The tiny tubers are edible much like a potato and the Wood Sorrel greens can be added to salads or soups! When dried these leaves make a sort of lemony-tasting tea! You should try it sometime! Why even Jane Powell foraged for Sorrel in the much loved musical, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"! That said..it must be tasty! Personally, I think the tea is the way to go if any wish to try it. The leaves are a bit tangy and a lot of folks have the notion that the oxalic acid found in them is toxic! Happily, though, this is not a threat! You would have to ingest a massive amount of the leaves to ever be adversely affected. A little known fact is that a lot of the foods we eat every day contain oxalic acid. Brussels Sprouts, Spinach, Broccoli, Grapefruit and Chives are just a few crops that possess just as much as the Wood Sorrel!

I must make a confession here, though. When I planted the Oxalis in the yard, I had no idea that it was edible! I just adored the pretty little pink flowers! Their bright little faces always made it seem as if Spring was just around the corner! Now who do I believe...Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow? Or the Wood Sorrel that saw fit to put forth its delicate little blooms? My goodness! It is the first week of February! Do you really think Winter is over? Stock up the woodpile...the cold is coming!..........Maybe.