Thankful that the storm has finally passed, I pull on some boots and walk past the Sweet Gum forest down to the small stream that follows the edge of the meadow. I hear it rushing before I arrive at its banks. From the vantage point of an old berm, I see the swollen stream racing by, bringing with it leaves and sticks. The temperature has risen to above 60 degrees and the ground has mostly thawed as my boots sink and squish with each step. The dark grey clouds above are racing and the wind is howling, sure to bring the arctic cold back in the days ahead.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Green Gadgets and Bunnies
On my way to work, I was listening to NPR on WHYY radio station 90.9 and they were discussing a new book called Green Gadgets for Dummies – You can listen for yourself by just clicking below:
http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/?rss
After the bunny invasion of our garden last year, John and I proactively purchased online a solar powered electric fence to surround both our vegetable and flower gardens. Our friends Margaret and Mike recommended the company and have had much success with this fence. I feel renewed inspiration and hope for our garden and can’t wait to start planning. Here is the site, if you are interested. http://www.premier1supplies.com/.
We already are using a solar powered electric fence (as pictured above) to keep the deer out of the blueberry and raspberry field but it is more minimalist.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A Morning to Behold
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Fox trot
A red fox trotted quickly along the border of the meadow, stopping only briefly when a scent caught his attention. He passed on through, crossing over the frozen water basin next door and then out of sight. Glad I caught a glimpse of him this morning.
(This awesome photo comes from http://www.dnr.state.md.us/mydnr/CreatureFeature/art/red_fox.jpg)
Friday, January 8, 2010
Winter Feast at the Hawthorne
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Joyous Camellia
Now that winter has taken its grip, I find joy in the blooming of our Camellia in our solarium. The blooms have been slowly developing for the past couple of months. Although it is a hardy hybrid, I brought it indoors to enjoy the show. I have kept the plant fertilized and well watered and finally this week it has started to bloom spectacularly. It is a broadleaf evergreen shrub native to China with glossy deep green foliage and it flowers through the winter and into spring. “According to the Chinese, the petals reflect the spirit of a lady and the holder of the petals(the calyx) represents the young man entrusted by the lady as her protector. “ It is given by young lovers as a symbol of devotion for one another.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Snowy delights
December has been an active weather month. In the Philadelphia area we had record snow with 24 inches and almost record rain, ending the year with 14 inches above normal. I find that snow brightens the landscape, highlights the beautiful structure of trees, dampens sound and captures the tracks and paths of the animals traveling through. I can't wait for more!