The solstice has passed and dark days will begin their gradual winnow toward spring. It’s beautiful in the gardens, something I do not like to admit, at least in early November when everything is brown and the only garden tasks are those that involve clearing dead debris. It’s easy then to forget that snow brings a different sort of bloom.
The house is full of savory smells–stuffed mushrooms baking, pineapple wrapped in bacon, caramel covered grapes dipped in chopped peanuts. And I even made two-layered jello shots with Framboise in one layer and vodka sour in the other. They taste alarmingly good.
Bluejays take advantage of well-stocked feeders
Cardinals always add a flash of welcomed color.
The garden light.
The Rose of Sharon seed pods filled with ice and snow.
The side garden.
The entrance garden.
Ewok or panda????
Snowing street.
Just before Christmas we experienced three days of freezing rain. The last day piled too much ice onto trees and wires and more than 500 thousand households lost their power, mine included. But the ice was beautiful.
Frozen Holly
Garden337 
So lovely! What a treat. I’ve never had pineapple wrapped in bacon, but I can smell, taste, or imagine how succulent sweet! Such a beautiful sight to find your post, here on New Year’s Eve!
My friend / doctor is asleep on the couch, Fred’s asleep in bed and I am taking a “nap” until midnight, to wake their butts up to toast, ring in the new year. I am happy to think of you my friend, the most beautiful, talented, teacher I know. I hope your 2014 gives you the best there is!
Happy New Year, Patty!!! The pineapple wrapped in bacon wasn’t as fabulous as I had hoped. Perhaps it needed more bacon-y crunch. I do need to get up there to see you, but I want to take the ferry over so I can load the car up with rocks. 🙂
Your garden does look beautiful with all that snow and the icicles but I would rather look at it in your garden than have it here. what amazing birds you have.
Chloris
Thank you, Chloris. Most of the birds I get are house sparrows, but juncos, nuthatches, cardinals, and bluejays also visit. In the spring migrating thrushes, warblers, several varieties of native sparrows, grosbeaks and indigo buntings stop by.