Orchid

To counteract the mounting piles of snow outside I thought I would post a picture of what is happening inside. I can usually keep most plants alive, but have tried twice to grow an orchid and both times the effort has failed. This one was given to me as a gift last year, in bloom. I enjoyed the bloom, cut it off when spent, and hoped to at least keep the plant alive. Somehow I managed to do that and just before Thanksgiving I noticed the new bud! It took a month to bloom, but it was worth the wait. We have had an additional 16" of snow (8" today) with more snow predicted every day for the next 10 days. This continuous snow event is getting really old, really fast.

So, I gaze into the face of my beautiful reminder that things do grow, are green and pretty and that everything has its season.

Study in White

I told myself that I wasn't going to take any snow pictures this winter. Why remind myself of my least favorite season? But, during this massive snowstorm currently dumping white stuff from the sky and dumping and dumping and dumping, there are some views that can't be missed.

This is the back deck railing at 7 AM this morning


The same railing at 11 AM


The first pass at clearing the driveway. The snow measured an even 18". Dave has already done it again today and will probably need to do it one more time before night and again in the AM so I can go to work.


Just in case you can't figure this one out - there is a basalt fountain under there!


I hung snowflakes in the living room windows when I decorated for Christmas. Now there are fake snowflakes looking out onto real snowflakes.




There's a potting bench under there somewhere


The garden house cloaked in snow


And, my favorite - the little, metal snowman at the front door