hairy peri

 A couple of weeks ago...snow!

Borga was not too keen to go outside...

...despite the lovely views right outside the front door!

More rabbits!

The weather warmed a bit, but we still had ice.

  

This ice on the back pond reminds me of hives.

Comparison picture from when I was in the emergency room with fire ant bites!

It's warming up lately, and the ice and snow have melted away.  Even with the frost, there are signs of spring!  Daffodils are coming up.

I almost didn't see these subtle changes, because I've been really sick, which is why I've missed a few weeks of posts.  Horrible insomnia, middle-of-the-night panic attacks, skyrocketing anxiety, rashes, and nausea that left me bed-bound many days (so...much...nausea)...all related to extreme perimenopausal hormone fluctuations.  File this under Things You Should Know Before 47 But Have Never, Ever Heard Of, I guess, but my doctor told me that this is completely normal and happens to many women.  Being fairly sick for half of every month for the past two months doesn't feel normal, but hopefully I will get things sorted out soon.  And bonus...my finger-in-the-light-socket anxiety made me so jittery and panicked during my sick weeks that I had to get out of the house, no matter how terrible I felt.  I've taken many, many walks in the past few weeks, in all weather.

It was an absolutely miserable time, but I felt a little better in the cold air, and I did get to see some interesting things that I would've missed otherwise.  

This really cool fungus is Amber Jelly fungus, otherwise known as Brown Witch's Butter.  Witches are notorious for stealing milk from cows at night (according to legend), and this fungus is "formed" from the spilled drops of milk as they hurry away.  Although it doesn't look very appetizing, Amber Jelly fungus is edible, although fairly tasteless, and mainly used to add "texture" or bulk to soups.   

There are lots of beech trees around here, and I've seen this incredibly black mold on many branches.  It's Sooty Black, and it feeds on the honeydew (sugar-rich secretions) of the insects and aphids that frequent this type of tree.  If you see Sooty Black, you've got pests.  

Despite the cold, ferns are starting to peek out of the dead leaves.

I'm going to keep an eye out for more green growth!  Meanwhile, we're continuing to enjoy beautiful skies...

...and sweet cats.

Calliope has been kind of smug about my sickness, because I've been sleeping on the couch for most of the past six weeks (erratic sleep + nausea = must...be...alone) and she loves to sleep with me there.  Here's hoping for a better month this time around...have a great week!