On the Bright Side: Bluebird in the Snow

Yesterday was an icy cold, snowy day for many of us here in the Southeast.Today our temperatures are in the 20s after an overnight low of 9 F. Yesterday's snow caused hundreds of wrecks and incredible traffic snarls. What was predicted to be a dusting for us turned out to be a 2-inch snowfall. That doesn't sound impressive; but within an hour, layers of slippery ice and compacted snow covered the streets. Many thousands left their offices and tried to get home or tried to reach their children at schools, only to be faced with impassable roads.

My own brother finally got to his home in the wee hours of the morning today. He had to park his car and walk the last mile. He was fortunate. Others spent a miserable night in their cars waiting for help. Even helicopters were sent to rescue some whose cars were stranded on the interstate.

Northerners may wonder how such a small amount of snow can create such problems, but here in the Deep South we are ill equipped without snow plows or snow chains for our cars. Some have 4-wheel drive, but even those vehicles had difficulty with treacherously slippery roads and routes blocked by accidents. We do have some trucks prepared to dump sand on overpasses, but yesterday it was too little, too late.

On the bright side: I was fortunately at home with a blazing fire in the fireplace. I was delighted to capture several shots of a bluebird who was eating berries from a tree near my kitchen door. He was a ball of fluff as he, too, was trying to stay warm:

Snow doesn't happen every year here, so I had to document the event. I put on two pairs of socks, sweat pants over my jeans, two sweaters, a thick scarf, a toboggan, and a heavy, hooded coat with a fury lining. No gloves, because I can't manage my camera with gloves. I waddled outside, and I was glad for my cane for extra stability. (Due to nerve damage, I still have not weaned myself from the cane, six months after hip surgery.)

I know that snow scenes around my garden are not very impressive, compared to others farther north, but here are a few shots I took as I briefly braved the frigid air:

The creature on the lower left, above, is an ancient rubber lizard that long ago was a plaything for my children. For over fifteen years, he has lain on a big rock in the front garden. He looks ferocious, but he only eats the bad guys. You may also be interested in my post from a couple years ago,  A Snowy Monster and Other Things in My Garden.

Now, I must get out some cooler clothes, as we are supposed to be up in the 60's this Saturday. Little bluebird, warm weather is coming!

Summer Views From the Patio

Fallen rose petals lie at the feet of an old rusty rabbit near the patio. Summer is here. Today the official heat index was 98 and felt hotter than that. I don't like summer. Voles have been snacking in my garden again. Today I lost two mature Nandina 'Firepower' shrubs to them. Mildew has found my dogwoods and crepe myrtles. Every year I try to persuade myself to love summer, but the best I can do is to tolerate it. 

Despite my perennial complaints, the garden doesn't look bad. We have had enough rain, and the plants are lush. The landscape is layered with deep greens and jewel tones. Even in the mornings it is too steamy to venture outside for long, but here is a report of what is happening on and near the patio:

Okay, I love summer, after all. Look at my red banana plant!

Above: Pink 'Anthony Waterer' spirea, blue flowering 'Lady in Red' hydrangeas, and common day lilies, which have grown here for over a half century, provide some nice color in the garden adjacent to the patio.

Hydrangeas are blooming now. 'Endless Summer' has striking blue color, proof of our acid soil! The variegated plant in the pot is daphne.

Some more hydrangeas — 'Waterfall' is an unusual one growing at the base of a dogwood tree:Annuals on the patio will provide color through the season, as long as I remember to water and fertilize them.The Talavera lizard above is a nod to the real anole lizards who inhabit the patio every summer. I took the first photo of the lantern below before I realized there was a lizard lookout perched atop the pole. Lou tells me he is there every day.

Something of an oddity, a white poinsettia, left over from the Christmas season, is spending the summer on the patio. It still has its bracts and is now putting on new growth:

One more thing from the patio: I have a little iron bowl ornament, and I have had a hard time finding the perfect place for it. Then one day recently I set it on my penny table, and now it has a home. It looks great with the pennies, and it allows plenty of room for a book and a very cold drink when I am sitting in the adjacent lounge chair.

 Be cool!