Winter never creeps in around here, like spring. Oh no. It crashes in like some rut-crazed buck, disregarding windows and doors and blasting through the house pell-mell.
I'm cold. My dog is cold. Hat on head, mocs on feet, flannel lined jeans, turtleneck, shearling vest... I'm still cold. My dogs just snuggle under the fleece blankets we provide for them. Spoiled pups.
Winter is to be borne, as if in penance - althought what I might have done to deserve this, I surely don't know. I'm counting the days to the solstice. Winter isn't even official until that painfully short day.
How short?
Twi: 7:29am
Sunrise: 8:01am
Sunset: 5:05pm
Twi: 5:37pm
Moonrise: 10:09am
Moonset: 7:12pm
(source)
And then I start counting for spring. Woe, that I live in Michigan.
I still have a few things to do in the garden. Now that the miniature roses have finally stopped blooming, I can get some mulch on them. The birdbath managed to find its way into the garage.
I did leave the two buckets with my hardy water lilies outside for too long. I noticed them yesterday and brought them in to the sunporch, noting that there was some unfrozen water at the core of them. And today when I went out there to see if they had thawed I discovered a rosie minnow that had somehow managed to evade my net when I gathered up his fellows. He must have made the scary dry ride from the summer water pot to the storage bucket when I moved the lily pot. He was swimming around inside the block of ice, where it hadn't frozen. So if HE didn't get frozen, maybe the lily root will be okay.
Only way to tell is wait for spring and see. Counting the days.
Those are great photos! Especially the one of your cute dog, I like light and shadow effect.
6 am and snowing, yippee. I may drive the dogs to the river park when it gets light, before work.
I have a barrel of goldfish that sits on my back deck until it starts freezing seriously. I just moved it inside....it is not large or deep enough to keep the fishies alive in winter. So, I have a barrel of fish in my living room. :)
Posted by: Carina | December 06, 2006 at 06:12 AM
Fabulous dog photo! I am counting the days to celebrate the solstice. Your words say it all--I agree, winter isn't official until that "painfully short day". We leave our goldfish (& koi) in the water garden and make a hole in the ice so they get air. We have a surprisingly good survival rate. Brrrr, it's cold.
Posted by: Judith | December 06, 2006 at 10:56 AM
Carina - That must make an interesting water bowl for your pooches! I don't have enough room to bring the pots in complete, so they get broken down into components...
Judith - I dream of the day when I have an in-ground pond set up. Until then it's barrels and bowls!
Posted by: Jenn | December 06, 2006 at 12:12 PM
Jenn - little terriers are great agility dogs, and when they're not, they have high entertainment value! I say try it for fun....if Bailey doesn't have focus now, he'll improve with classes.
Mostly, it's just a blast. Too bad you don't live a bit further north, I train at two places...the one in Hadley is very laid back and we have lots of fun.
In fact I'm about to head out there now....last practice before this weekend's trial.....
Posted by: Carina | December 06, 2006 at 05:52 PM
Laid back is where I want to start. There's a place in Novi that starts off with training sessions for 8 wks, and then has course time available.
I don't know of any place that is 'near' to me. It's going to be at least a half hour ride whereever we end up.
Posted by: Jenn | December 06, 2006 at 06:10 PM
I remember that feeling when I lived in WI: just counting days till spring. I have hardy lilies now too; hope they survive outdoors here
Posted by: Nelumbo | December 06, 2006 at 10:30 PM
Most of my life was spent in Northern Illinois, so my bones remember that cold! Austin has a comparatively mild winter - at night we have freezes, and there are cold, windy days, but not enough to make the ground itself freeze... that makes a major difference.
I hope your water lily makes it!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Posted by: Annie in Austin | December 07, 2006 at 08:59 PM
Hi Annie...
You guys get just enough winter to appreciate what we up here bellyache about!
The pot with the lily took three days to thaw. Sigh... we won't know until spring for that, but the fish is happy to be out of his ice bubble prison!
Posted by: Jenn | December 07, 2006 at 09:05 PM
I enjoy the rest we get in winter, but am ready for spring about the time that Christmas is over, which is, as you pointed out, just about when winter "officially" begins!
Posted by: Carol | December 10, 2006 at 10:09 AM