Iced Over

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful is the state of our yard right this minute.  I like to walk around and survey the property in it's winter beauty.  Amazing how different the place looks from season to season. 

I am beginning to feel bad for the trees.  Our pines have lost branches.  I also discovered something disturbing, the lilacs were budding out.  Buds!  Real honest to goodness, green buds are encased in icy bulbs on the tips of the lilac branches. 

A benefit of the snow fall is that all the weeds in my garden are mostly covered over with the blanket of snow, ice, snow we've just received.  The tall weeds, which I neglected to remove from my once upon a time flower garden, are now feeding our population of birds with their bountiful seeds.  This makes me happy.

The house itself is warm and cozy.  I do need to pull my boots on soon and attack the icy snow layer that is covering the veranda.  Cesar worked on it yesterday while he was home.  Today is another day, and he is back to work and the temps are rising.  As the snow melts off the roof it drips and falls onto the veranda below.  We end up with standing water between the outside wall of the house and a barrier of snow and ice preventing the water to flow off the veranda to the ground below.  Leaks slowly find their way to the windows on the first floor.  Not good.

Hugo had no school again, third day in a row.  He is pleased as punch to be home.  Go Fish, books galore, and Lego Batman are his best friends right now.  I may have to drag him kicking and screaming to Preschool tomorrow, or are we in for more snow?  His friend Parker is due to arrive any minute.  Ruth Ann has to work + she is bringing me milk and bananas so I don't have to go out at all!

Time to pull my boots on.

p.s. Our plow man showed up at 4 o'clock in the morning.  How do I know this?  Marlo, who I had thought was sprouting one molar, was up half the night with 4 molars poking through her gums!