It’s Melting – and Melting

Although I am still surrounded by lawns and fields of snow, the sun has been shining with the predictable result. The snow is melting slowly and almost invisibly.

Melted snow is running off and down the road. Have I ever mentioned that we live on a hill? Some of this water is actually coming from the hill that continues to rise behind our house.

Is this water from the invisible melt beneath the snow, or is it coming from one of the many intermittent streams in our field, sometimes flowing  just  beneath the surface?

One April when two four year grandsons and I went off for a walk we never got further than this ditch filled with running water. Dams and boats and a busy waterfront were constructed. There was mud and joyful shouts of ‘Gooey! Gooey!” I had to hose the boys off before I could bring them back in the house.

My husband got this frog’s eye view of the rushing water that gained volume and speed before  plunging into the culvert.

As warm as it has been during the day, the nights are still clear and cold. The maple sugarers rejoice.

A Winter Walk Makes a Promise

Highbush cranberry berries

There is very little color out in the snowy garden. These last scarlet berries on the highbush cranberry (a native plant)  are a dramatic exclamation.

Seedcase of the tree peony

I guess I didn’t do all the necessary dead heading last summer. This seedcase was left on a tree peony, a remnant of the last season.  But look . . .

Tree peony buds

could these be buds on that same tree peony? A promise of the new season?

Lilac buds

The lilac buds are beginning to swell and shade to green.

Rhodendron buds

The buds on the Boule de Neige rhododendron leave no doubt that spring is coming.  Only 29 more days to go.

Our First Winner is. . .

Rose of Prairie Rose’s Garden in Central Illinois. Rose has won Nan Ondra’s book, The Perennial Care Manual, and 2 dozen CowPots!  Congratulations!  When I get Rose’s mailing address I’ll send them right out.

Now, since this is my Second Blogoversary, Storey and CowPots are offering a second chance to win in a drawing.  This time the book is Right Rose, Right Place: 359 Perfect Choices for Beds, Borders, Hedges and Screens, Containers, Fences, Trellises, and More by Peter Schneider who has 1200 types of roses of his own and has written extensively about roses. There will also be another 2 dozen CowPots made of composted cow manure that will make seed starting especially nutritious this spring. Just leave a comment this week and I’ll have another drawing next Saturday, December 12.  Who will be the second winner?

First Snowfall 12-6

The snow had been falling on and off all day yesterday, but it didn’t look like it was really going to stick – until late last evening. This morning we woke to 4 sparkling inches of snow, so I think this qualifies as our first snowfall. The plows were out last night as we prepared for bed, and out again this morning so the roads were clear for church goers. A beautiful way to celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas. To see who else might be having snow as winter proceeds check out Nancy Bond at Soliloquoy as she hosts The First Snowfall Project.

Henry went out to feed the chickens and saw a mess surrounding the compost bin. He peeked in.

There was our local porcupine!  He had pulled out enough compost to climb in through the bottom to sun himself on top of the pile, protected from any wind by the sides of the bin. I can’t believe this small pile was generating any real heat, but at least it isn’t cold ground. Do you think he has taken up permanent residence there?  How valuable is porcupine manure? Do you think he has been around long enough to earn a name?

I want to explain one thing. You can see paper plates tumbling out of the bin.  I got these biodegradable sugar cane plates for Thanksgiving dessert. There is a limit to how many dirty dishes my kitchen can handle at once!