IF SNOW STAYS ON THE GROUND...

IF SNOW STAYS ON THE GROUND, it is waiting for more. That is what I have been told most of my life - or at least the part of my life that I have lived on the Eastern Shore - that would be about 46 years. It is stretching the truth to say that snow is RARE here - its not rare as such, but for it to stick around more than 2 days is rare. To have snowfall after snowfall is RARE. To have more than 2 inches is close to rare. Snow in December is rare - but, when it does happen, it is always a sign that we will have more snow and a long, cold winter. On a normal day, normal year, we have camellias blooming almost everyday. the bushes start in September and as the year progresses, different camellias bloom until the last one finishes in May. This year, the December and January camellias have either not bloomed at all, or have opened briefly only to be frozen a day later. Brown flowers are so sad looking, and I have several bushes of brown blooms. A few brave camellias have tried to open - this was yesterday - and, guess what? They are calling for snow again tonight. And freezing temps. Of course. Sigh. Also, we normally have pansies in bloom most all winter....... except when the deer eat them. So this year, I put up my "pansy fence, a piece of string tied from stake to stake, just enough to keep the deer from crossing - funny how that works - but the pansies are in sad shape. It has been fun to see the occasional bit of color in the leaves left over from last year because it got too cold and nasty (rain or snow, flooding, mud) to work out in the yard. Usually the first daffodils have just opened. This year, they are only a few inches out of the ground, and I was hard pressed to even find any buds. Huge sections of the yard have been underwater for so long, barely drying out between rains or snow storms, so they are now growing moss. Usually this is nice thick grass. Can you believe these will be beautiful digitalis in a few months? They got buried under a pile of snow and gravel from shoveling the driveway. Poor Punkin, it has been so wet, he hasn't been able to do his usual roll over- rub my tummy thing... Here he has closed his eyes in bliss of being able to roll over in the dampness, but not in a puddle. Remember his misery when he could not find a place to pee? Nothing like snow up over your hind-end when ya gotta pee!

At this moment, the sun is in and out. The feeders need to be filled, (see the goldfinches?) I need to run to the grocery store, finish a paper for my Planning Commission Certification, pack up a gift for a friend to take back to Turkey for his mother, wash the kitchen floor, get a shower and get ready for my Doctor's appointment to get my back straightened out - again... Sigh. And tomorrow, if the snow is not too deep, I will go across the Bay with a friend to bring his wife home. She just had some serious surgery - Stage 3 ovarian you know what. I refuse to say its name. My main job is going to be to fatten her up... she is down to 95 lbs. So, as you can see, life has gotten a bit hectic. My usual momentary escape has been to walk out in the yard and look at the flowers, feed the birds, rub Punky's tummy. It doesn't take much to give me a moment's calm... But the yard is so spongy and muddy, yesterday is the first time I have been out to what I call the back 40... it has been under water or ice for so long, and the mud will suck the boots off your feet. Don't ask me how I know, it is not a pretty story.

I am sorry if I have not answered your email or commented on your blog... my computer is bogged down in its own mud called old age, and I hate using the laptop. Be patient... that is MY life lesson right now - what's yours?

TURKEY TRUCK STRUT

A friend took this a couple weeks ago - back before the world became covered with snow- This is her neighbor's pet turkey sitting on their pick-up. I thought it was a real cool shot! Just had to wait until she found a way to jpg it small enough to put on here. My geriatric computer took 20 minutes to open it the first time! This one took 10 seconds! Enjoy! Great shot Lynn!

By the way, it is snowing again... thick and heavy, after .85 inches of rain over night. The temp has dropped 4 degrees in an hour to freezing. SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHHHHHHH. Everything is cancelled around here - again. Maybe I can get my taxes ready???? Clean a closet? Finish my homework? Scrub the ....

FEB 7th SNOW, Part 2

Well the sun came out today... but the temps were in the teens when I awoke. After feeding the cats, I wandered out with the camera. The snow wasn't deep, but it was crunchy underfoot. I say it wasn't deep, but that's because I stayed out of the drifts. Mostly it measured between 4 and 5 inches, not much when compared with our friends to the west and north who got up to 3 feet! Anyway, here is a tour of the yard... well, let's start on the carport - my van is covered with snow. I shoveled and swept off the steps about 20 times to keep them clear. It was a losing battle. The barns were coated with snow dust. Actually, I think it looks pretty. My first stop this morning, even before I took out the camera, was my official CoCoRaHS precip measuring cylinder. I am supposed to use this for measuring the water content if the snow. It was frozen solid to the post. I should have taken a picture of it before I brushed all the snow off. St Francis looks a bit chilly. I need to remember to put fresh water out. The Buddha is not in as big a blanket as last week... This camellia next to the house is so tall, it is over the roof - but not today! Today it is over the driveway! And the birch tree is leaning to meet it.This one is normally 12 feet tall, I had to bend over to get past it. There are frozen mini ponds and rivers all around the place. My neighbor behind me called yesterday and said he had a moat around his castle! I can see I need to cut back the Bayberry. The Nandina still have a few berries, but the birds are working on them. This is Ice Angel, the camellia. The Grackles and a few other birds that can squeeze in with them found some old seed on the driveway and their feet melted the snow. It is cold. It is icy - but it is beautiful.

2nd SNOW - Part 1

THIS IS OUR SECOND MAJOR SNOW for this year. This does not happen around here... It is AMAZING! Anyway, as a record of THIS one - here are a few shots from earlier today - back when the snow was just starting to stick. Mostly, tho - notice the FLOODING - the lakes and streams in my yard from the 2 inches of rain over night. That is the same 2 inches that gave Delaware and NJ 2 feet of snow. Then, to give you another idea - snow on a window? HERE? Well, if you look real hard, you will see a cardinal sitting on a bush outside my window. It is still snowing as I send this - we have about 5 inches. Oh, and this little turtle is a boot brush!

FRIENDS and BLESSINGS

FRIENDS AND BLESSINGS, they are pretty much the same thing, don't you think?
We all have many, many blessings; many of us don’t realize how blessed we are. In fact, many of us spend much of our lives looking at what we don’t have and miss all the wonderful things we DO have because we seem to be stuck on the Pity Pot with our eyes shut. I have been given so much… no, not tons of money, I don’t drive a Rolls Royce, or have my own private jet – not even a little Piper Cub. Do they still make those? I don’t live in a mansion, McMansion or otherwise… but I do have one thing more valuable than that Rolls or Cub or McMansion… I have some darned good friends. You have seen this fellow before… he goes by several aliases – no, not because he is hiding out – mostly because he has quite a sense of humor. But the best thing about him is – if you need something, and you say so – he is there.
I have learned to keep my mouth shut if I have an idea about making something, building something, fixing something or just doing something. I have learned if it involves his Tractor, do not joke about it! When we were anticipating the last snow storm, I jokingly told Pat he could come down and plow me out. I live a half mile away. Never for a moment did I think he would actually DO it! So, there I was happily shoveling away… well, OK, maybe not so happily, but shoveling, anyway… and I heard this loud noise coming up the street. There was very little traffic, you see, with 9 inches on ground that usually only gets a dusting or 2 in a snowy year! The next thing I knew, there was Pat and his buddy, John Deere, scooping and shoving the snow out of the driveway.
Just to let you know what kind of guy he is – he did 2 more driveways on the way home. How’s that for a friend and neighbor?
You might remember Pat built my Stand-Uppity garden, too… and when I asked him to pick up some lumber for me (he has a pick-up) so I could rebuild my little lean to I keep a wheelbarrow and some lumber in (and a possum sleeping place) – he and his Princess showed up and he rebuilt it for me! Then on Friday, I was in the process of changing the lock on my back door – the old one was getting confused, locking us out and not locking us in, sometimes not even letting us close the door… Pat showed up and drilled a new hole and put the lock on. Just like that. Stopped whatever he was doing when the phone rang, hopped in his jeep and here he was. What can I say????? Well, besides, THANKS! How blessed I am to have a friend like Pat!