IT BE A FROST!

IT BE A FROST

It was cold enough last night to bring my Christmas arrangements inside so the vases did not freeze. I leave them outside most of the time because Rascal is really into flower “rearranging” which usually results in spilled water and broken pottery. And, sure enough, it was cold.

I remember one of my kids coming in off the bus one morning, grabbing my hand and taking me to a bush at the end of the sidewalk and exclaiming, “It be a frost!” She came from an island off South Carolina where, apparently, they had never had any frost! She was so excited to see the bushes and grass all covered with “white cold hairy things” that she picked up some of it to try to bring it to school. Of course it melted in seconds on the bus, and the other kids all laughed at her, but it still did not kill her excitement.
So there I was, freezing my butt on bus duty, when this little child came running up and pulled me to the end of the sidewalk. What, I wondered, will she do when it snows? To be honest, I did not care if I got yelled at for not being exactly at my post, I thought it was more important to share her amazement at seeing her first frost.
I thought about the thick layers of ice on the windows of our cottage in the Poconos and how I loved to look at the sun shining thru the patterns. I never outgrew my fascination with the patterns found in nature. I decided not to even try to explain how that looked. Maybe someday she will be where it is cold enough to see it.
So this morning there was a heavy frost here at Possum Lane. The barn roofs were white. Anna commented how beautiful the bushes were as the sun came up.

The ground level birdbath had a light cover of ice.
The newly planted pansies looked mighty cold but I know that by this afternoon they will be perfect once again. See the picture at the end of this post.
I went out to check on Aunt Alice. She was still beautiful with her blooms tucked under the leaves protecting her from frostbite.
The tall camellias beside the carport were still blooming happily. They have been showing off for well over a month now. See all the old blooms on the ground? The wind.
As I came back to the house, I noticed the shamrocks flowering in the little greenhouse. It was 55 degrees in there.
The geraniums and impatiens were blooming also. I know the pictures aren’t all that good, but the Plexiglas was a bit steamed up. Sorry. I wanted to share the moment anyway.
I know people think my “greenhouse” is a silly thing, it is so small. It has been called an eyesore by some. But I love to see the flowers inside there all winter long, especially when it is too cold for the camellias to be showing off out in the yard. Or when it is covered in snow… now that will make a fun picture!
The pansies about 2 hours later - the temp at about 58 degrees.