Looking Forward

This one I'm going to save to remind me, in July (when it's 100F with 90% humidity), that this too shall pass.

After Winter comes

...the clean up!


The March storms moved the beach 50' closer to our house


tearing up the grass verge


wrecking the railings


and undermining this view-blocking very important notice.

Yet signs that Spring has arrived are all around


The crocus I planted out last year survived both squirrels and winter frost


These snowdrops in a neighbor's yard steadfastly pop up every March


The birds are singing, blue skies are back and I saw a pair of ospreys fly over Willow Pond.

Merry Midwinter

We did get the tree up this year - even managed to throw on lights and ornaments with the help of 6' steps. It's much taller than we envisioned when it was leaning against the others at Halesite Firehouse's tree sale... Next year, just to make our lives easier, we are going to measure the thing before we bring it home - it's either that or get an artificial, pre-lit, pre-decorated one!

Standing straight

I was feeling we'd hadn't accomplished much over the past season - we'd started half a dozen projects but none was actually finished - but one item we can cross of our list, with gratitude, is the fence on the south side. It's up, it looks pretty and it withstood 12+" of snow. You can read about the drama last winter here, here and here, or you can just admire the way the snow peaks on the flat caps look just like giant ice cream cones...

Cool House: the icicle edition

Absolutely, breath-takingly beautiful weather. Also damn cold. And if the cold doesn't kill you these babies might....

Blowin' It All Away

The fence that is. I wondered how long it would last and now I know. Despite valiant efforts by The Guy, and later by me, to shore it up, it proved no match for the blustery winds. Polly is wearing the "leash of shame" so she doesn't escape again. We'll have to make do until Saturday when fortress building will recommence.
Anyway, I shot this photo at sunset just to show the internets how beautifully menacing the clouds are. Enjoy.

Froggin' Winter Colds

I have a frog in my throat. I felt so good yesterday, cooked a damn fine meal, only had one bad coughing attack all day - I thought I was cured. Hah, little did I know this guy was waiting to ambush me at 1 AM


and his buddies are all hiding in the closet ready to jump out at a moment's notice.
Even if a feel like a wreck, at least I look better than The Guy who has a nasty case of conjunctivitis and should be wearing a patch so we don't have to look at (warning, not for the faint of heart, or stomach) this.
I'm absolutely, positively, completely done with winter and the viruses it brings. We've all had enough now. Move on.

Winter beach

Fleets Cove Beach before the snowstorm. Last week's snow has frozen on the sand and more is predicted for tonight. We're not even half-way through winter yet and I'm over it.

First Casualty of Winter

I looked out of the back door this morning and was surprised how light it was. Then it occurred to me that I wouldn't normally be able to see my neighbor's house from this angle, now I could see that, and a portion of the back yard as well. Hmm, yesterday we had an 8' holly bush outside the door but the combination of a heavy snowfall and ice temperatures have bent it into a 2' bush. I can't get out to see if it has snapped off or whether it will bounce back but I don't suppose it will be the last yard-related loss this season. Surprisingly the fence is still standing!