Winter into Spring is a rite of passage for this desert gardener. Some of our kale is in its second year with long stalks. Kale planted in the fall of 2018 is maturing, providing a reliable source of greens for breakfast eggs. Our household is beginning to realize the vision of a reliable year round source of greens. On February 2nd, in advance of a cold front bringing rain, I planted lettuces, stir fry greens, arugula and purslane. On February 22nd we had that rare snow event, put the Solexx covers on the Earth Arch, drawing the high tunnel row cover closed. This kept temperatures ten degrees warmer for peppers and tomatoes on the following night of below freezing temperatures. Plants in the hugelkultur beds outside got covered with old bed sheets.  Late in February, with the help of my granddaughter Hannah, we assembled a balloon mapping kit from Public Lab, a community where you can learn how to investigate environmental concerns. I wanted to get a clear view of the food forest canopy, as well as the four arch structures on the property. This proved to be possible by launching at sunrise, when winds are light. By April, golden beets, kale and dill are filling in the hugelkultur bed. Tomatoes and overwintered bell peppers are producing fruit. The next challenge will be the onset of high heat in June through September. We were fortunate to have a mild May, due to the jet stream being forced south by the high pressure over the arctic. Of course, this meant Alaska was much warmer than normal, and the midwest and southern states suffered damaging rains and winds.