Being Festive outside!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas this past week and here's Sam wishing all a very Happy New Year!!!

The good news is the snow has melted enough I have gotten about 85% of my measuring for the winter finished. I think I have just 2 big jobs left and one small project to measure. PHEW! Once I get those done...it can snow all it wants. I think we're supposed to get some snow this evening which shouldn't accumulate too much. I think at this moment, it's projected to be about 2 - 4". That's A LOT better than the 4 - 7" they were forecasting last night.

I hadn't had a chance to post my window box all dressed up in its winter garb yet. I think this one blows away the one I had last year.

I thought it was so cool, it didn't even need a bow. I used some white pine roping that I took apart and some variegated boxwood, both of which I bought. The rest of the box came from my yard...I used Cedar, Norway Spruce, Eupatorium seed heads, Sedum, spent Hydrangea flowers, and the spent plumes from my Japanese Silver Feather Grass. The Ivy hanging down was left over from the summer box. I'm very curious to see if that actually makes it through the winter. I might run out there and take some cuttings to use around the yard.

The latest fish update from Lake Larson is everyone appears to be doing well! The ice melted and I can really see everything in there. They are swimming around(granted a little slower) like they normally do and I haven't seen any casulties. I did see two good sized mosquito fish swimming around. I have noticed that the hundreds of them we had as we went into the fall are missing. I bet the koi and goldfish have eaten them. That's okay, I was getting very concerned about their numbers. That's the circle of life, I suppose. I may take some photos of them today.

Let's see...Eric continues to get better. There's nothing big ro report on him which is a good thing. He's got about 2 more weeks before he can drive. Being house bound HAS to be driving him nuts.

Here's the news on the newest addition to Garden Consultant HQ I have been waiting to add. We're hoping to get a little male rottie in the next month or so. It's not for 100% certain yet because we need to make sure the litter's personality will match what I would like to do with him. But the lady who owns the mom told me she doesn't see any reason why the temperment wouldn't match my goals for obedience and working him. So, if all goes as planned - Deerwood's Larson Bravo Zulu; call name - Lars will join us the first weekend of February. Here's the link to the litter so you all can see!

http://www.esmondrott.com/deerwood_L.htm

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Don't get me wrong...I love snow. I'm probably one of the few people in Rhode Island who does like snow and hates a snowless winter. But, the timing is all wrong this year! Mother Nature was a little too eager for my work schedule.

Indoor Gardening takes over

I didn't want to make that last post an enormous one but I have some neat things happening indoors!

PAPERWHITES!!! Personally, I can't stand their scent. But this time of year, I'll tolerate it.

Here's the first of this year's orchid crop. **grin** I'll have to keep my eyes open for other buds coming.

The winter garden

Holy White Christmas Batman! I can't believe we've had this much snow this early! I don't remember EVER having this much in December this long. I'm kind of panicking because I don't have any of the measurements done for my winter projects. I normally do them all this month but I took a week off for the surgery and then it snowed the following week! UGH! It's starting to melt now and this rain tonight will really help. I should be able to head out this coming week and go out to do most of them. I feel like a complete grinch that I want the snow gone. After I get my measuring done, it can snow all it wants!

But I got some great frost photos of the yard the second week of December. I had gotten up early and had an opportunity to run outside with my camera:

(That fern photo above and the hens and chicks below are my favorites!)

Update on Eric

My last post I made a comment that Eric has going to go in for more back surgery. December 3rd, we went up to New England Baptist Hospital in Boston and he had his spinal fusion revision to remove a broken screw in his lowest level (L5-S1). Apparently he had an area in his first fusion that never fused completely after all of these years and that caused the screw to snap. All this time I thought it was doing crazy things like building Lake Larson which caused that screw to break. The surgeon said that it was the non-union in his fusion, nothing he did caused it to break, and that Eric will be close to 100% once this revision fuses.

So, he's going to be laid up for the next two and a half months and has to take it easy for the next year before he can carry on normally. But he's doing really well and getting stronger every day which is awesome! Thanks everyone who has wished him good luck and an excellent recovery.