January Snow Days

Snow is magical to me.  It quiets the world around me.  Though many find it hard to deal with I've always loved it.  The shoveling is left to those stronger in our home so I can make soup and maybe hot chocolate for the guys when they come inside.  My days of sliding down the hills with my children are over but it's fun to see neighborhood children playing and enjoying the school free days.  We haven't had many snows in the last few years so this recent snow was welcome in our home.

I'm not sure how much snow we received but it was reported close to 10 inches.

 

The birds are happy to have seed they can access.  Samuel and Grayden refilled this one a couple of days after the snow stopped as it was getting empty.  This is a very large feeder that our son gifted me many years ago.

Bird watching is wonderful on any day but is especially lovely when it snows.

The Nellie Stevens Holly is loaded with berries.  My Nanny always said when there are plentiful berries around the winter will be harsh.  Maybe she was on to something.

The flag has been flapping vigorously as our winds are blustery.

Tea is my favorite drink any time of the year but especially on these chilly winter days.  This little teapot was a recent gift from Alex and Miles.  They know their grandmother well.  I just love this sweet gift.  

The Wolf Moon has been shining brightly.  I do hope you have taken notice.  The shadows that it casts against the snow is quite lovely.  The moon is so bright it appears like another sun.  Of course the moon does not cast its own light.  Moonlight is actually reflected sunlight.

"The moon, like a flower in heaven's high bower, With silent delight sits and smiles on the night."

William Blake

I'll be taking a blog break from visiting and posting dear friends.  I hope to join you again in late May. I'll miss each of you!  Spring will be here before we know it!  Enjoy it all.

 

  

Summertime

Spending time outdoors every day plays an important part of my days.  Being a gardener there is always a reason to spend time tending to our plants and shrubs.  Whether it be pruning, weeding or just enjoying the beauty outdoors, it is my happy place.

While we were away through spring, I missed a lot of blooms that appeared this year.  Summer is hot and humid in Virginia so spending time in my garden has to be early morning.  

Grayden and I try to have Afternoon Tea on our patio.  The birds and butterflies join us.  I try to take my camera out with me to capture anything unusual.

Seeing a Monarch butterfly is so thrilling for us!  Do you see them in your garden?  If you plant a Buddleia (butterfly bush) you may find you see many butterflies.

One afternoon we spotted this Zebra Swallowtail.  He has never joined us before.

As you can see he has escaped harm somewhere in his life, but still so nice to see.

Even though I got a really late start at taking care of my garden, it brings me so much pleasure.  Do you find being outdoors for some part of your day is important?

  

Snowy Days

Virginia is not really known for receiving a lot of snow.  So most of us that grew up here delight when the meteoroligist mentions the word.  Snow has come to us for the last few weeks.  Some of us dislike it and some of us love it.  I happen to be a member of the latter group.  How about you?

I love how the snow quiets the world around me.  The hush that comes when it's snowing feels peaceful. 

My garden doesn't look particularly great this time of year, but when it's snow covered it looks better.

The snow covers up a myriad of things including all the leaves that have not been raked yet!

Grayden and I decided to "fly" away to one of our favorite places again.  If you read my last post we went to Colonial Williamsburg after not having visited for a couple of years.  So we took a little trip south there for a few more days.  And guess what?  It snowed there twice while we were there!

Bundled up with our winter gear,  we still were able to take our daily walks.

My favorite Compton Oak looking lovely as usual with its snow skirt all around its base.

This American Sycamore tree looks lovely against the azure sky!  There is a great variety of trees that are easy to see their form in winter.

It's always a pleasure to visit Colonial Williamsburg.  Each season reveals more beauty.  Thank you for visiting with us on this snowy afternoon.  Stay warm and cozy wherever you are!

This is March?

March is usually a slightly better weather month for us.  We can start working on clean up in the yard.  Sticks from the winter need to be picked up.  Final pruning of perennials is done and made ready for their spring awakening. I'm a gardener and am anxious to start working in the flower beds.  Obviously we will not be doing these tasks anytime too soon.

As pretty as the snow is, I'm tired of it.  

I know many of you have had a lot more snow and cold temperatures than we have. 

I love snow and long for it at the beginning of winter.  We didn't have any until February and it was beautiful.  Now it is March and I long for Spring.

  

If you are still reading this, I must apologize for my whining.  This is just how I'm feeling today. 

Birds II

Today was housecleaning day at our home.  When my husband retired two years ago, he started helping me with the housework.  He said he was able to retire, but I didn't.  So he felt it only fair to help out with things around the house. I know I'm very blessed in this regard.  Does your retired husband help with housework?  We have always worked together on projects so this is not particularly unusual for us.  I've been known to take part in some rather manly tasks around here. Now when it comes to cooking, I'd rather not have my husband's help.  He has many talents, but let's just say it's not in the kitchen!

What does this have to do with birds you may be asking yourself?  As Grayden was dusting he mentioned to me that there are many more birds in our home than I had put in the post on Saturday.  So I thought I'd share a few more today, if you don't mind.

First off, here are a few real birds that have recently frequented our feeders.

Now for some inside birds. I bought this little teapot in New England when our oldest grandson was small.  It was on sale and I wanted a teapot to make tea in while we were staying in a timeshare.

This little ginger jar was a gift from my sister-in-law many years ago.

Last year I won a drawing from Jeri Landers at hopalonghollowgazette.blogspot.com  Isn't she the most amazing artist?  Jeri is oh so talented.  Please visit her--she is so gracious!  As you can see she loves birds and critters. Hopalong Hollow is filled with enchantment.  She also sells her wonderful artwork from her online site and at craft fairs.  To learn more go to:
http://www.jerilanders.com/new_page_1.htm

These photos of Jeri's work do not do them justice. They hang in our Florida room that has eleven windows and even on cloudy days it is hard to photograph them without glare.  I love having them in our home and smile everytime I look at them. ♥