No Elf, No Shelf

 Why are winter sunrises so much prettier than other times of year?

Even after the flamboyance of early sunrise has flamed out, the beautiful pastels that remain are views that I look forward to every morning.

We've had our first snow!  It wasn't much...a brief spitting, then sun...but it was enough to muck up the roads for several hours.  Claudia makes an appearance at the end to remind me that any type of snow = a wet food treat!

We're still hiking most days.

It's peaceful.

Winter is a great time to turn an eye to things that get overshadowed by their more appealing summer cousins.  Fungus, for one.  Not only is it nice to see a bit of color, but amazing to see things thriving in the cold.

ganoderma resinaceum, taken earlier this fall but still around

chicken of the wood, so named for their "meaty" taste

mycena inclinata, maybe?

Pretty patterns in wood...

...and interesting land formations are other things that just get overlooked in other seasons.

Even a nice blue sky, so common in summer, is appreciated more now during the grey days of winter.

The kittens really appreciate it when the sun peeks through!

photo taken in late October

It's almost Christmas!!  I will admit...I dropped the ball this year.  I missed my early November Christmas planning when we were in Missouri, and I never quite got back to it.  I meant to put the Christmas decorations up on December 1st, but we got sidetracked...then it was my birthday, and now a really busy time for work.  Since we'll be gone on Christmas day, I decided not to do my usual whole-hog routine. So we didn't...

Obtain a Christmas tree...

...and decorate it.

No advent gifts, no daily Christmas cookie...

No Elf on the Shelf.

No Christmas choirs, no decorations, no Christmas movies, no nothing.  Zip!  It suits me, though.  I like to absolutely burn myself out on something, take a break, and then go crazy again.  I'm such an all-or-nothing personality type that I truly prefer it this way.  I do the same thing with music, books, and movies/T.V. shows.  I'm taking a break this year, and next year it will be a Christmas bonanza again.  Hooray!!  

The kittens are feeling pretty festive, though.

Happy holidays!!

"I'm not dead yet!!"

Looking around at the bare trees, colorless grass, and grey sky could lead one to think that we're in the "dead zone" now and for the next few months, but that's not completely true.  There are startling flashes of green and evidence of life all around!

I ignore moss most of the year, but it's easy to appreciate it in the winter.

Putty root orchid leaves start poking out when everything else looks dead.

Green ferns abound.

There's even a bit of red, like this very tiny maple tree that continues to brave the cold.

We've had some unusually warm (near 60 degrees!) weather here lately, and it's had an amazing effect.  We...have...flowers.  In December.

Snapdragons are starting to bud out again!

Roses!

Creeping Charlie!

My parsley is still going strong.

Real, actual flowers...this veronica persica is actually blooming.  

Dandelions too!

Other "proofs of life" are more commonplace.  At the lake down the street from our house, the beavers have been busy.

A big pile of sticks and freshly-disturbed mud shows us where some of them are living.

Beavers don't hibernate, so I'll be watching to see more signs of activity!  

Animals that do hibernate in the winter...these cats.

On some of these darker days, it looks pretty appealing!

Have a great week!  

two shakes of a lamb's ear

 It's getting chilly.

ice on pond

frost on lamb's ear

Even though most mornings are frost-free, we're still in that inevitable plunge into winter.  Leaves that remain on the trees are decidedly dead.

It's kind of tough having a December birthday...it's usually too cold and wet to do anything outside.  Here's the sky the day of my birthday this year:

We had a million indoor activities, though, including a trip to the local bingo hall, where I was one number away from $200!

I made my own cake, as usual.  For the first time in a few years, I made an ice cream cake.  They're so easy to make!  A scaled-down brownie recipe, baked in a loaf pan...frozen, then frosted...frozen, then layered with ice cream and whipped cream.  Delicious!  

The kittens love having us in the house so much during bad weather.  It's a prime opportunity to beg for food.

I keep food on my desk for Calliope, but Barnabas wants a taste too.

And...you know.

Besides these "wild animals," we're still getting lots on our trail cams, although mostly deer...

...and this rapidly-growing buck.  It's hunting season and I frequently hear shots from the forest...I'm glad that he's been able to stay safe!

After getting hours and hours of groundhog footage by the white barn...

...we moved this camera to the back field.  I'm looking forward to some new animals, maybe even a bobcat!

We'll see what turns up...have a great week!  

guess who's coming to dinner

 We aren't having as many days like this as the season progresses!

turkey vulture pair

It's overcast and chilly.  There are a few seed heads still hanging on in the garden...

milkweed

...a few bits of color still to be seen...

...still a few really late insect eggs, now devoid of hatchlings, decorating the screens...

leaf-footed bug eggs

...but after the leaves fall and before the snow starts, it's a pretty drab landscape, and we're staying cozy indoors.  Thankfully, there's plenty to do during this busy season, and speaking of thanks...

...we had our usual turkey feast this year with so much food that Todd has had Thanksgiving twice a day for 4 days now and still has another day or two to go!  

Claudia was concerned that we wouldn't have enough food, so she wanted to contribute...

She was so busy bragging about her big score, though, that she didn't notice that this mouse was playing possum.  While she was preening, it popped up and streaked off the porch.  Oh, well!  Claudia should be very familiar with possums and their ways...one visited her 'house' one night this week for a friendly visit, but she chased him off.

Drama!  

Other than Thanksgiving, recent bakes include some delicious pumpkin muffins...

...and a confetti layer cake with a lot of sprinkles.

I've had some time to deal with a few cat dramas, like cat-proofing their favorite cuisine, my house plants (with some bitter apple spray).  They had to inspect it...

...and then ignore it.  Maybe I'll be able to have house plants after all!  I've also tried working on the kittens vs. Calliope dynamic...

...but she remains defiant and grouchy.  They'll work it out, I guess!

Lots of sleepy kittens during these dark days.

Well, inside.  Outside, Claudia is still busy, busy, busy!

We, too, will be pretty busy over the next few weeks.  We've got Christmas prep to do with cards and decorating, birthday stuff, holiday orders increasing for our business, and then holiday travel...the New Year...a week of rest, and then a big multi-day toy show in mid-January to prep for.  I struggle mightily with the hustle-bustle of Halloween through New Years and I am always exhausted by January 1st, but at least it's a good month to be quiet and cozy by the fire to recharge.  

Bosewichte 2018

Cats get it.  ;)  

Have a great week!