Winter Wonderland - Febr 4, 2012

Winter Bones of My Shade Garden
Do you see the Sandhill Crane?

Solitude and Peace

Winter bones in my largest flowerbed . . .
(left to right) Red Twig Dogwood, Harry Lauder's Walking Stick (corkscrew tree),
birdbath, trees, sundial. 

Look closely . . . Snoopy hugging fire hydrant!

Accolade Elm Tree

Happy Ground Hog Day!

According to all ground hog reports, we have 6 more weeks of winter.  In Lincoln, we are still waiting for winter!  The past month, the weather has been more like early spring or early fall . . . temps in the upper 60's and low 70's.  I am a snow lover but have not complained about the mild weather.  My only concern is that the snow does not wait until April!  We have had a couple of dustings of snow (an inch or less) and even one 6" snow, but none have stayed around for long.  Tomorrow night could bring us up to 3 inches of snow.

Below are some of my feathered and furry winter friends, who are even more beautiful when they are backdropped by snow.

Red Headed Woodpecker

Grackles . . . not a bird we care to see hang out in our yard . . .
but loved the lineup on the fence!

Sooo cute! 
One day, I will get a picture
of the beautiful, black squirrel that lives in the area.

This is January???

It's very hard to remember that it is January 4th when it is 61 degrees and a window was open for a while today!  Tomorrow is to be 62!  This BEAUITFUL weather finds me wanting to plant rather than finishing clean up of my flowerbeds! 


Nebraska's saying is, "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will change!"  What's not to like about our winter so far?  Even though this weather is perfect for my daily walk, I really DO miss the snow . . . and so do my perennials and trees!  They are sooooo confused!


Snow will come sooner or later . . . let's hope it is sooner (January or February) and not later (April or May)!


In the meantime . . . I'm making a list and checking it twice . . . of flowers and shrubs and trees to plant in the spring, which is March . . . or is it January?!?

Did the beautiful, mild fall temps,

which lasted into the end of November,

lull me to into thinking that

maybe, just maybe,

winter may not come to Nebraska this year? 

It helped me procrastinate, for sure! 

But along with the prolonged, warm temps,

the past 2 months have been filled

with a more important priority . . .

family and friends!

As I think about what is left undone . . .

tulip and daffodil bulbs I wanted to move . . .

a cranberry bush that needs to be dug up . . .

trimming of a few perennials well past their time to be green . . .

a few leaves to rake up . . .

I’ve decided,

I’ll think about that another day!

There still will be days

when clean up can be done.

But for right now,

I’m sitting here with a cup of coffee

enjoying the view of

snowflakes, the size of silver dollars,

floating down from above! 

Is there anything

more beautiful . . .

more relaxing . . .

than enjoying God’s handiwork?

I think not.

Fall's Beauty & Clean Up ... 2011

My shade garden . . . . waiting it's turn for clean up!

Almost too pretty to disturb.

Red Twig Dogwood and Varigated Reed Grass . . .

Red Twig Dogwood . . . a real "show off" in winter's snow!

Put to Bed for the Winter . . .

Iris Bed (stone edge) & Raised Veggie Bed (wood edge)

Last Hoorah!

Upon returning from Oklahoma City this week, I found these miracles of life . . .  inspite of 2 nights of freeze while we were gone.

Enjoying the "last hoorahs" as I put the yard "to bed!"

Grandma's Blessing . . . Still Going Strong!

And Peace Rose . . .