"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!  

frost embossed

We've had some wonderfully chilly days lately!  Bright sun and blue skies make it feel like quintessential Indiana winter weather to me.  Although we're currently caught in the "frozen vortex" (temperature this morning when I woke up and briefly considered - and discarded - the idea of going to the gym:  -5 F), there's still a lot of beauty that comes along with the discomfort and inconvenience of the cold temperatures.

Last week we had such a heavy frost that it almost looked like the aftermath of an ice storm on the branches and weeds.

Aren't they gorgeous?  We've had some beautiful sunrises, too...

...that make even the slick ice of our apartment complex parking lot look appealing.

I am not immune to the dark days of January, though, that definitely curtail our hiking...and I do miss seeing a little color.  So I always make sure to buy a hyacinth.  They're amazing! You can probably find one - vase included - at your local grocery store for around $4.  Select one that isn't too close to blooming so you can enjoy it longer.

When the flower dies, don't toss the plant...just clip off the stem with the spent blooms and keep the greenery.  It will continue to live and look pretty for another week or so.  I love it!

We're mainly staying inside and not venturing out unless we have to, and our cats are enjoying every beam of light they can find.

I worry about outdoor animals, though.  At least I can rest assured that some are definitely keeping warm and toasty during this weather.  Before the worst of the cold snap, Todd and I were out hiking and saw plenty of beaver signs...

...and two dams.

They're industrious little things!  Here's a time-lapse video that shows one hard at work.  I miss seeing the beavers that worked in our South Carolina pond...

...but hopefully we'll find a property with a pond this spring, and perhaps we'll have a whole new family of beavers there!  Fingers crossed.

Have a great week!

The Big Chill

Happy New Year!  Todd and I celebrated by putting on our pajamas early, hashing out resolutions together, and sharing olie bollen - one of our new traditions.  It's Dutch for oil sphere - think tiny, fancy donut holes.  I first read the sanitized version of the tradition: The round shape symbolizes the end of one year and the lucky beginning of another.  The real tradition, though, is much more interesting. Perchta, an evil goddess, would fly with her evil-demon posse to collect tributes of deep-fried dough (my kind of tribute!) from Germanic tribes.  Perchta had a penchant for slitting open human bellies, but those who proffered olie bollen were saved...the fat in the olie bollen was greasy and caused her sword to slip, which saved their lives.  I certainly don't need the specter of a sword-wielding demon goddess as an incentive to make donut holes.  Still, I was disinclined to fry, so instead made four small round sweet cakes in my mini pie pan.  They were delicious!

Winter has really set in here now.  No snow, but with temperatures dipping into the twenties or even the teens at night, it finally feels like a new season.  I love the cold.  In the early mornings, I open the french doors to feed Clotilde, and the cold air hits me.  It's so delicious and fresh.  I love my quilts, hot water bottles, knitting, flannel and fleece pajamas, cozy hoodies, warm gloves, hats, wool socks.  I love bundling up for chilly walks, like the one we took yesterday.  I have to grab this season while I can.  Already I see very early signs of spring, and know that we will probably start warming up again in 4 - 6 short weeks.

Some early spring bulbs are already coming up!

Early-blooming magnolias are already budding!

And more...

The paper bush shrubs have their flower heads already, and the branches are growing and splitting.  They'll be blooming in a few weeks.

Of course, camellias are blooming everywhere, dropping petals and flower heads in a very pleasant way.

At least lots of plants are in their "hibernation" phases.  I love seeing those dried leftovers, too.

And, of course, winter berries.

We have our usual suspects for this time of year...roving flocks of cedar waxwings!

Some of our old friends were just congregating outside of my office window...bluebirds, cardinals, chickadees, and so many phoebes!

It's always a pleasure to see them...and plentiful evidence of beaver activity, too.

Todd and I are going to get as much outdoor time as possible before the dreaded summer heat returns!

(Borga too!)

I've been doing some various textile work - a cross stitch winter scene, and making long, even lines on my sampler quilt.

Meanwhile, the Christmas decorations have come down and I'm looking forward to a chilly and peaceful January.  I've got my usual set of resolutions, more gentle and forgiving than my usual:  LOSE 'X' AMOUNT OF POUNDS!  OUTLINE THE WHOLE BIBLE!  LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE!  I'm focusing more on small, attainable goals that will help me to become a better person.  Todd and I anticipate making a great deal of changes in 2018, so I'm more focused on:  breathe, relax, focus on each day as it comes.  A few years ago, I made a 'vision board' that is very applicable to my 2018 goals.

Health.  Home.  Creativity.  Animals.  Textile work.  Self-expression.  Outside, outside, outside.

Here's to a happy and productive 2018!