Warmer Days

No more snow here, thank goodness. We have had warmer days lately, with temps even up in to the 60s. While so much of the country is buried under deep snow, we have had nothing but rain for the past couple of days. Taking a look around the garden yesterday, I found daffodils and other spring bulbs sprouting, (daffodil sprout in photo at left), a cheerful sight after these past weeks of dreary, cold snowy weather! Bird photos below were taken after the snow in mid-January, other photos taken yesterday, click to enlarge.

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Male Cardinal on Redtip Photinia shrub

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Female Cardinal, Junco, Male Cardinal

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These colorful Heuchera plants, aka Coral Bells, are a welcome sight in the garden this week. Love these plants, they even look good in winter!

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‘Georgia Peach’

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‘Marmalade’

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‘Silver Scrolls’

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Meanwhile, inside the house, I have my shelves and lights set up and am just about ready to start my seeds. I’ll have about ten flats this spring, an assortment of annuals, hopefully ready to set out by sometime in April. I know we have quite a bit of winter left and I have heard that we might even get some more of the white stuff this coming week, but it sure is nice to look through my seed packets and start planning my flower beds now. I think I’m looking forward to spring more this year than I ever have!

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Southern Blizzard

Snowmageddon. Epic Snow. Southern Blizzard. I am sick of snow! We normally have a few flurries here and there and maybe a couple-inch snow once or twice over an entire winter here in our area. Only three weeks into the winter season, we have already had snow 3 or four times! We had a white Christmas here for the first time in more than thirty years, and right now we have almost a foot of snow! It started snowing a little past midnight last night, and this morning, we measured 11 and a half inches on the ground, with much deeper drifts. We’ve had flurries off and on all day, so it’s probably a foot by now. No power outages so far for our area, but the trees are bending under the weight and we are still under a winter storm warning until tomorrow morning. And, oh joy, freezing rain and sleet is expected as well…
Here are a few snapshots I took from the windows and porch — the snow is too deep to venture out into.

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A chickadee on a snow-covered suet feeder earlier today.

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Looking across to the woods from front yard.

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Snow-covered outdoor furniture.

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Gazebo covered in snow, note all the birds in the surrounding trees.

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Snowy woods.

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Snowy hemlock, buried front steps, slope behind house.

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Only 68 days till Spring!

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Gray Days

The birds are the only colorful thing outside lately.. It did warm up a little yesterday and today though, enough to melt the snow and ice except what’s left on the north side of the mountain. It’s supposed to be much warmer over the next few days. I hope so — I’m restless and tired of this cold weather.

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Male Northern Cardinal below the bird feeders

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More Birds

Lots of birds at the feeders and around the yard lately. Click on the photos to view larger versions.

Female Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

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Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

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