the ice-ing on the cake (brrrr!)

 It's 3 degrees outside, down to -4 tonight!  Brrr!  We are having periods of flurries, and still have snow on the ground.  It's so pretty.

back pond

lots of sunny days...

...and beautiful sunrises.

I love them!

The initial snowfall was pretty powdery, and we've had a little bit of melt, so animal tracks have been  hard to identify.  There are four separate lines of tracks below.  At least one rabbit, not sure of the others!

at least this one's easy!

Even in the cold, bright sun makes icicles.

The tree branches are covered in a heavy frost.

The kittens have been glued to the windows, watching the birds.

Animals are still active outside.  Sometimes we see them...

...and other times we catch them on the trail cams (you can expand these videos to make them easier to see!).

bobcat

coyote going out on the back pond ice!  

We've got plenty of food out for the strays and the birds, including a heated water bowl.  We're hoping that it's cold enough to KILL ALL THE TICKS, but not so cold that the animals are injured!

Meanwhile, we're staying inside as much as possible.  We've just celebrated our 2nd "fun" holiday of the month, Nothing Day.  We had to watch a show about nothing (Seinfeld), learn about something that we knew nothing about (competitive dog grooming with dyed fur), and bake with an ingredient that I knew nothing about...in desserts, anyway.  I chose sauerkraut, and make an old Depression-era recipe:  sauerkraut chocolate cake.  Looks normal enough...

...until you look a little closer.  That white shred is a long, disgusting strand of sauerkraut.

The recipe recommended pulverizing the sauerkraut, which I didn't do because my food processor bowl was in the dishwasher.  I will admit that you could not TASTE the sauerkraut, but the long strands threw me off.  If I had pulverized it, I think it would've been an amazing cake.  Todd loved it!  Another successful holiday!

Until the cold breaks, we're staying inside.  Working inside, exercising inside...

I'm on the exercise bike, and Barnabas is waiting impatiently 

to be fed.  I'm getting the long stare...

...and enjoying the OUTSIDE views...from the inside.

Stay warm!!

first snow glow

 First snow!  First snow!!

The day before, it was so warm that I was still seeing bees and butterflies.  It was almost too warm for our bonfire!

you've got to have marshmallows!

Then...temperature drop, and winter wonderland.

Even as a child, I knew that there was something special about the first snowfall.  The crisp air, the silence, the clean white landscape...and now that I'm older, I love the atmosphere that it creates within the house.  This weekend, there were lazy late breakfasts with two cuddly kittens and homemade quilts...

...long knitting sessions...and there's nothing better than a good book by the fire.  Winter always brings amazing sunrises/sunsets, too.   

For me, winter is a time to recharge, to release expectations and to slowly form new intentions.  I have greater focus and more compassion for myself. Gone is the persistent pressure to go go go. I let myself read more...knit more...and take long afternoon naps if work permits.  I bake bread and make thick, hearty soups.  I've always preferred winter clothing and love my hand-knitted sweaters and jeans.  It's a wonderful time.  Then, when I start feeling restless...when the cold begins to wear on me and I'm tired of grey and brown outside...it's usually about time for spring.

We're all excited about what the next months will bring.

Have a great week!

weather blues, tiny shoes, southern views

 New fence goes up...snow comes down.

The precipitation and the low temperatures (a new record for so late in our area) were quite an unpleasant surprise.  I had pessimistically given up hope of salvaging anything, but Todd convinced me to try to cover a few rows.  "Army tents" sprung up in our back garden, and it was quite appropriate, because we were going to war against this weather.

No sooner had we finished...

It was brutal!

Despite temperatures dropping to 29 degrees, and thick, wet snow blanketing everything...we had no casualties.  Even the apple tree blossoms, which completely withered in last year's late freeze, rebounded.  What a relief, but what a lot of work!  Not to mention the work of dragging as many outside containers of seedlings into my grow room.  They were grumpy with the low temps, but everything has perked up again.

After the stress of the sudden storm, it was nice to get away for a day.  We had the requisite pie for Todd's birthday...

...and took a short jaunt to Louisville, Kentucky.

The Falls of the Ohio, starting place of the Lewis and Clark Expedition...

Huge rock outcroppings...

...embedding with plenty of fossils!

A trip to the Conrad-Caldwell House, ten thousand square feet of fanciness.

I loved seeing the leavings of former occupants.  Old credit cards...

...custom-made Louis Vuitton doll shoes...

... and dusty, stained monogrammed linens.

I wonder what they would've thought about us traipsing through their halls and studying their things?

After, a nice walk around Old Louisville and peeks at the manicured gardens.   

Lots of friendly faces!

I was glad to get away, but in a bit of a rush to get back.  This is a really busy time of year.  So many seedlings have to get planted, and quickly.  Plus, weeds are coming up in the established beds.  I have to weed them and lay down a suppressive layer of mulch.  It's a lot of work, but I get little hints of the possibilities.  I was admiring the back/side garden and considering its progression.

April 2019:

April 2020:

April 2021:

All will burst into bloom within 6 weeks, but I'm really enjoying the gorgeous shades of green and various textures!  All I did this year was mulch, and it performs beautifully on its own.  If I get the spring work done, then I can relax.

Have a great week!