When February passes next week, so too nearly all days when the sidewalk needs salted. That’s a sign that spring just might be on its way to Angelkeep. But as the idiom goes, take that with a grain of salt.
Some would speak up and say salt should never be applied to ice on cement walks as it can deteriorate the surface of the concrete. True, you get some bad with the good. Angelkeep remembers more than one slip-and-slide, some of which resulted in a fall. Angelkeep factors in cost parameters. After too many decades of repeated salt applications, a sidewalk might need replaced. Compare that to the cost of repairing bones, and suffering from icy falls, and you get the Angelkeep justification for salting the sidewalks freely to rid it of ice and snow.
Salt is a necessity, even though cardiologists convinced Angelkeep years ago to drastically limit its consumption. Salt’s useful indoors and out. The Old Farmer’s Almanac encourages salt in a myriad of situations.
“When windows won’t open and salt clogs the shaker, the weather will favor the umbrella maker.” That’s almost as true as “Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.” By the way, rice added to salt will keep the salt freely flowing in the shaker, the rice too plump for the holes. Mom’s remedy, not Farmer’s Almanac. “When it rains, it pours” –Morton Salt.
Deer know the advantages of salt. Angelkeep, due to the fact it has no natural salt lick for all of the visiting deer, provides a large salt block. The deer remember. They return almost daily, and if corn has not yet been spread for deer consumption, most will not leave without a few tongue licks on the salt block sitting atop an Osage orange tree stump.
Mom left behind a briny pickle recipe. Breathtakingly salty-sour. Yum! Best with peanut butter on a Saltine.
Soon spring will arrive. The first sign of spring is not really Angelkeep’s first crocus but Angelkeep first weeds. Angelkeep adds early weeds — dandelion greens — to a morning skillet of scrambled eggs and mushrooms, sans salt. Angelkeep’s driveway is some of Wells County’s finest crushed stone, quarry-mined between Bluffton and Murray. It’s amazing how many weeds can thrive in a six inch layer of stone.
Weeds grow in the cracks cut in the concrete patio. Expensive weed killers work, but so does salt water. The Almanac suggested boiling salt water. Angelkeep found that frigid salt water repurposed after making homemade ice cream kills weeds. Boiling water from cooking ears of sweet corn quickly scald-kills weeds on the edge of flower beds before the sun sets.
For that last February cold spell’s sore throat, gargle salt water. The Almanac swears by that, Mom swore by it in her day, and Angelkeep finds it a soothing respite, if not a cure. Salty pretzels or chips perform the same temporary relief, but with calories.
Freshen smelly sneakers with salt sprinkled inside for twenty-four hours. Salt absorbs in many ways. Angelkeep should test that with those men’s garden and patio slippers before they begin to offend the neighborhood.
The Farmer’s Almanac suggests a mix of salt and vinegar to polish brass. That’s good news for firemen wishing to keep the retro firetruck and equipment gleaming with its brass accessories and handles. Angelkeep has preserved old brass outdoor entry light fixtures. Angelkeep takes the opposing view on brass surface delight. We opt for rich decades of patina built up on the surface of the metal. Patina requires no persistent polishing, unlike shiny brass or copper. “Salt and Light” –Matthew 5.
Angelkeep covered its Christmas tree with silk roses, a longstanding tradition of keeping the tree glowing until Valentine’s Day. Some roses are two decades old. Almanac suggests freshening, cleaning, and dusting those silk flowers by placing them in a paper bag with several tablespoons of salt and shake gently for two minutes. Who knew?
Gardeners salting slugs requires a strong stomach to view the effect of their demise. Talk about rubbing salt in an old wound.
February’s end means a few afternoons of grilling a steak and reheating baked potato halves over the coals. Both are best topped with a pat of real butter and fresh-ground coarse sea salt. Cardio-unapproved. But “Wit, without wisdom, is salt without meat.” – George Horne.
“With all your offerings you shall offer salt.” – Leviticus.
“Salt is good.” – Mark & Luke.
Mr. Daugherty is a Wells County resident who, along with his wife Gwen, enjoy their backyard and have named it “Angelkeep.”
