my empty begging bowl...

"even in my empty

begging bowl

a piece of hail"

~ haiku by Santoka

.....a gift from nature in my sleeping garden

.....hello hyacinth!

these old bones.......

we've had unusually cold weather for this time of the year.....already down into the teens at night....and the wind....it'll sure put some pep into your step. as i stepped out into the garden to check on my bird feeder i could hear my cat purring....it took me a minute to figure out where he was....hidden in the vinca.... in a patch of sunlight.
he didn't feel it was necessary to get up and greet me....as he usually does. i guess his old bones are feeling like mine in this frigid weather. we're both moving kinda slow.........

someone's confused......

i spent much of my afternoon belatedly tucking my garden 'chillrens' in for

the winter. even with the icy wind i enjoyed puttering around ....thinking

of plans for next spring.....and look what i found....

this is such a poor picture that i really hated to post it here.....but.........

my jackmanii clematis is BLOOMING....

.......on december 5th!

someone's confused......
and this time....
it's not me!

singing to my soul.........

i sit…quietly reading….on this pale winter’s morning….when i am drawn back into the present by the vociferous singing of a male cardinal......perched on a skeletal limb of my hydrangea bush. how can i even explain how this birds "singing" gladdens my soul…so reminiscent of warm summer mornings…his brilliant red a spot of glorious color in my sleeping garden…what an amazingly beautiful gift i have been given this day... to visualize summer as i hibernate in the overpowering grey of winter.........