Bitter Cold but Fluffy White Snow for the Holidays

Another year has just about finished and I truly don't know where it all went. Now my thoughts are turning to spring although that's a long way off. It will be months before I can get in the garden again however, I can dream of what I'm going to do. Soon the seed catalogues will begain to arrive then the planning and excitement will really start.

This month we finally had the bonfire to burn up a lot of wood from when the old extension was torn off the house and the new larger one put on. It was quite a big fire although there is nothing to compare it with in this picture.

The nights have gotten dreadfully cold this past while. Temperatures going down to -14C. Not a big improvement during the day either. There had been no signs of the smaller birds for ages and I was wondering what had happened. This past while though they have arrived at the feeders....chick a dees, and juncos. The evening Grosbeaks are here in a good size flock.


We went to the Goodwill recently as we hadn't been there in a while. I found a few lovely items.
It seems so much is made in China these days so I was delighted to find these salad plates made in France.

And these terracotta sugar containers made in Portugal.


And this little cutie....who could resist!


Xmas Eve we had friends here in the afternoon for drinks and finger food. I had been up since 4:00am cooking and preparing for it so needless to say by late afternoon I felt exhausted. Everyone was gone by 5:30pm and by 7:00 I had my pyjamas on and was settled down to watch a movie. A half an hour into the movie I said to himself "I'm going to bed, I can't keep my eyes open." So that's exactly what I did.

Malachi under the tree.


Snow fell on Friday which made everything look like a Winter Wonderland for the whole weekend.


Part of the garden.


I got lots of great presents. My granddaughter gave me these Fairy Doors which go at the base of tree trunks. Needless to say, I'm charmed with them. She knows that I believe.

Well, that's about it. I hope you all had a wonderful Xmas.

It's Beginning to feel a lot like Winter.

Himself arrived home on Thursday. I could tell that he was thrilled with the decorations so I was glad that I had done it all. We were watching the news just after supper and there was an interview with someone from Environment Canada talking about a Weather Bomb that was hitting the maritimes. We didn't give it much thought really until a short time later we heard a roar like a freight train coming at us. We both looked at each other and then realized it was wind. The house shaking at times and the trees (there are many around us, some about 50 ft. high, were literally dancing.) Then we lost the power. I said to himself, "What a terrible first evening home, you're having." We didn't get the power back until about 12:30 the next afternoon. I can tell you, you don't realize how much you would miss electricity until it's gone. Then in the middle of that night I got up for some reason and saw that one of the Xmas trees was flat on the floor. CATS!! Well, I just had to leave it as I wasn't going to try to put that up again with just a flashlight in hand. All is back to normal now.

Then in the middle of the next night the fire alarm went off. The two of us literally flew out of bed. We could smell smoke so searched the house for anything a miss. Nothing! We're pretty sure that there was a back draft in the wood stove and it drove some smoke out into the room. Still it was a scary moment.

We've been having cold temperatures lately with a brush of snow now and then. The Juncos and Chick a Dees are showing up at the feeders now that the cold weather is here. I've not seen a squirrel but hear them chattering over in the woods. I figure they must have quite a store of food otherwise they would be at the feeders.

And so, a few pictures.

The Tree Fairy. She only comes by this time of year.


One of our handsome boys.


Our teddy bear cat. He's a cuddler. I figure this is what bliss looks like.



Jays in some snow flurries.




Woodpecker.