Spring forward

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

OK, I’ve written about seasonal affective disorder before. Basically, for me, it’s just the blues when I spend too much time out of the sun. I honestly think that’s a big chunk of why I’m a gardener—I just feel better when I spend more time in the sun.

This year, I built my hoophouse for winter gardening, and then went right ahead and got caught up in other things and never planted a winter garden—even though I wrote about my plans in this column. So, now, I find myself without a garden and without a reason to spend time outside in these frigid temperatures. And so, my friends, I’m crabby.

But I do know one thing that’s incredibly inexpensive yet makes a massive impact on a person’s life: a coat of paint. So Kelly, Hunter and I put our heads together to figure out a color blue to put on a wall in my upstairs hallway, and there you have it: Instant mood enhancer.

I do realize, though, as I look at the colors throughout my house, that I do have a peculiarly Mexican palette. I love the bright, bold colors. This wall is a strident—pretty much Pantone—true blue, and I’d think it would look horrible on anyone’s wall but mine.

That lift reminds me that ever day gets a little longer. We’re only 45 days from the daylight saving time switch, and I know summer is on its way. Lots of changes going down between now and then—getting wood floors, teaching’s starting, my master’s begins, Tracie leaves, and Dennis comes back—things are actually kind of exciting.

And those lengthening days mean that soon I’ll be pulling weeds in the back 40. I think I need a couple new fruit trees as well.

But now I’m preparing for some real, heart-pounding exhilaration. In about an hour, I’m taking Hunter down to the DMV to take the test for his learner’s permit. I’ve taught a few people to drive over the years. This ought to be fun … for me.