As a side note, I saw a black swallowtail caterpillar in the fennel on November fifth, the week after the snow. We are in cleanup mode these days and have started a big leaf and grass compost pile. I am leaving more plants standing in place this year to provide habitat for wintering ...
I thought it would be fun to have a more “authentic” experience of staying in one of these historic homes, but it turned out it meant really cramped quarters where mom, Sylvia and I essentially played Twister to maneuver around each other in the bedroom and that we had to escort mom i...