Rain!

For several hours last night we had what we call a "gully washer." Around eighty thousand gallons of rain has fallen on our property during the past twenty-four hours. That's about three inches over our three and a half acres. This afternoon I was able to get out in the mist to take a few photos. 

Here is an interesting sight in the Lady Garden: 

It is tree branches reflected in the bird bath!

Wet brown leaves still cling to some oak trees. Winter does not want to go peacefully. The air is very cold.
And the sky is dreariest gray, but if you look carefully fresh buds are swelling along the branches of these trees. The rain helps these little buds grow.

The earth is sodden and foliage dripping everywhere I look.top: foliage of climbing rose Zephirine Drouhin; clockwise from above: loropetalum; columbine; nandina 'firepower'; autumn fern

Some parts of our state to the north of us had snow today. I am glad ours was only rain. It's time to go back inside the house, where Lou has built a nice fire in the fireplace. 

Eighteen days till spring!

A rare sight

For those of you who are buried under snow so deep you can't find your car, please forgive me. This is a snow post, my chance to wax poetic about the frosty landscape outside my door. Forget camellias, daffodils, hellebores, and other harbingers of spring. We have snow! Winter does exist in Alabama, and rare proof fell from the sky for several hours today. Just a reminder that the land does not belong to spring. Yet. 

I have seen two great snowfalls in my lifetime. Once in 1963 and again in 1993. Today didn't compare. I think we got about two inches. The roads were warm enough that it didn't stick to them, which is good, but the snow rapidly adhered to grass, shrubs, and tree branches. So here are my winter wonderland photos, and if you are from some place like Canada, Alaska, or Washington DC, you may look the other way.the parking court in front of housea view across the front lawna view of the front gardenanother view of the front garden
the driveway
a view of the woodland gardenwoodland rabbitevergreen treesa frosty birdhouseRed berries still cling to dogwood by the patio.small pine tree frosted with snowwind-chime in the lady garden

holly and camellia in the snowpath in the snowy woodsNow, time for some hot chocolate! Everybody stay warm.  

Deborah