A Snowy Monster and Other Things in My Garden

When I woke up yesterday morning, this is the scene that greeted me outside the front windows:

It was a perfect snow for several reasons:

1. I was off work, so I could stay home to enjoy it.

2. There was enough snow to be beautiful but not enough to block roads; so those who had to get about could do so safely, as long as they drove carefully.

3. It will all be gone soon, as spring-like weather is forecast for this weekend.

I quickly pulled on warm clothes and got my camera. I spent the next hour or so wandering around, snapping photos. I was euphoric over the snow which outlined the tree branches:

The old oak tree behind our house is a survivor. It was once a magnificent, perfectly formed tree, but its top was ripped away by the tornado that came through, exactly twenty-one years ago. I thought it would die, but it has surprised me!

I headed for the front garden, and for a moment a snowy monster gave me pause. Then I recognized an old rubber lizard, who has lived in my garden for about fifteen years. He's rather large, and the older he grows, the more life-like he becomes! Below the lizard are various garden ornaments.

Here's a scene from the lady garden. The snow brings out the lady's true nature: rampant and unruly!

And some views of the woodland garden:The tree with the birdhouse is a trident maple. Winter highlights its lovely peeling bark.

I was feeling artsy with my new camera, so I enjoyed taking shots featuring snowy patterns:

Despite the snow, I saw signs of spring, as well as the last remnants of last year's dried seeds and blossoms:After traipsing around in the snow taking all these photos, my hands were freezing! But no problem. Another nice thing about the snow is that it inspired Lou to build a fire, so this is what was waiting for me when I finally went inside:

Stay warm, and may all your monsters be made of rubber!

A Dinosaur Egg in the Fall Garden

A long time ago when my son Josh was four years old, dinosaurs roamed our home. They were made of rubber, but that was beside the point. Tyrannosaurus Rex, Brontosaurus, Triceratops and many others engaged in mighty hunts and battles across the bedroom, down the hallway, and even into the far corners of the kitchen.

One day Josh came into the house, his sweet round faced flushed and his blue eyes shining.

"Look! It's a dinosaur egg!"

He held up his hands. In his palms rested a great, egg shaped rock. It was smooth, and it did look like a dinosaur egg, even to me.

"I'm going to let it hatch!"

I thought about that.

"Well, Josh," I said, "I think dinosaurs take a very, very long time to hatch. Why don't you put it back out in the yard, and you can check on it from time to time. But I think I read somewhere that dinosaurs can take years to hatch."

Josh was satisfied with that, and he returned his prize to the woodlands. I don't know how often he checked his egg, but eventually he grew up. Dinosaurs were forgotten, and guitars and girls and the price of gasoline became more important.

But it all came back to me when I found a great, egg shaped rock in the woodlands. It hasn't hatched yet, and I decided to put it on a chunk of wood, to make a rustic pillar, marking the back entrance to the woodland garden. I just hope it's not Velociraptor that eventually comes out!

The egg isn't the only thing that's making me smile recently. After our droughty September, I was afraid all the leaves would turn brown and fall off the trees, without going through the usual color changes that bring so much pleasure to me this time of year. It's true; the colors are more subdued this year, and many leaves do have brown edges. But when the light shines through a certain way, the colors still take my breath away.

Here are some scenes from the fall garden:Top: The blue bench stands out against fall colors in the front garden. Middle: Forsythia beginning to change colors; A view overlooking the woodland garden from the front drive. Bottom: A view through the arch by the patio; A wooded hillside.

Some pretty fall leaves:Top: Dogwood, cornus florida. Bottom: Japanese maple leaves beginning to turn; River birch leaves against the sky.

The 'Waterfall' Japanese maple in the woodland garden is amazing. Below, the top photo shows this tree as its leaves began to turn at the end of September. The bottom photo shows the same tree this past week.

More colors in the fall garden:Top: Euonymous alata; oak leaf hydrangea. Middle: Winter kale; purple aster. Bottom: Moonvine, my vote for most romantic vine!

And finally, here are scenes from the woodland garden:

As fall turns toward a busy holiday season, my hope is for every day to hold a blessing for you, and may you be content enough to receive it!  Deborah