New Farm Ridges Brahms Piano Concerto Nr 2

I could not help having a wry smile when I found the same kind of post around this time in the last year. I have plowed some portions of garden for farm ridges where I would plant vegetables in a month or two. Exactly, it was a week or so earlier last year. Possibly, the delay is due to the cold snap which has lasted since the end of last year. Terribly cold. It is much below the freezing point every morning and the ground is always frozen early in the morning. 

I still need to make the ridges for spring potatoes. They should be planted by the end of next month or the potatoes won't grow large before it gets hot. This year, together with compost made from pulled weeds and vegetable remnants, rice bran has been put into the soil. It is believed to work not only as a fertilizer but also as a soil conditioner. As you may know, there are a lot of spicies of bacteria in soil, which help the vegetables grow well. Rice bran augments growth of such bacteria flora in soil. Some farmers use fermented rice bran which works rapidly compared with raw rice bran. When raw rice bran is put into the farm, it will be spontaneously fermented and become easier to be absorbed by the vegetables/bacteria.

The agricultural ecology is a profound science. Interesting to study.   

In this winter, it has been too cold for any vegetables to grow as expected. Fava beans plants have been damaged by the low temperature. They have been covered with non woven fabric sheets in addition to grass mulching. Any beans are rather resilient against cold snap. But I don't know if they will survive or not yet since I have never experienced this aberrant weather as a farmer. The forecast says this cold wave may persist until next month. This extreme of weather may be a phenomenon due to the climate change, I am afraid.

No much work in the garden yet. Spending a lot of time surfing the internet and making some comments/posts mainly regarding medical system and politics. Even more time watching youtube clips purposelessly. I am interested in journey to the places I have ever been to in the past. Not very productive way of life.

Listening to music known or unknown to me as well. I happened to come across with Brahms Nr2 piano concerto played by Pollini with accompaniment of Wien philharmony. The conductor was Abbado. I was immersed with the works by Brahms in my student days, whether chamber or orchestral works. I was attracted by his two piano concertos those days. This performance was recorded in late 70s. i can't remember it right but this must be one of the performances I liked then. Both Pollini and Abbado were young, needless to say. They have lived their lives as successful musicians. Abbado has died years ago while Pollini is still alive at age 81 years now. I felt as if I met old friends after a long absence in fact. The cello solo in the 3rd movement is hauntingly beautiful. I used to practice that phrase for myself those days. I would go on a journey to look for music like old friends.