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?