Ahhhhh...That's More Like It

We are finally back to normal January weather.  I wasn't sure I'd ever say this, but I'm really glad to see it.  I often wondered what it would be like to live in a climate where the seasons didn't change much and this winter (or lack of it up until now) was a sample of what it might be like.  It was pleasant in some aspects, but unsettling in others.

I'm used to snow.  And when it was near 50 degrees earlier this week with no snow on the ground, I found myself restless.  It was too nice to stay indoors and work on stained glass or the dreaded housework, but yet the nights were too cold to do any mortaring work on Castle Aaargh, so I would find myself at loose ends, wandering around wondering what to do.

The yard in early January

The dogs and I were having a wonderful time cavorting around outside, and if I would have known how much time I had to get the fall cleanup done, well, then I wouldn't have had to rush at all back in October and November.  We even loaded up a trailer full of rocks on Monday. I don't remember EVER moving rocks in January.  It felt good to hoist a ton or so; we had some smaller ones we wanted to move from one pile to another.  (I don't need a gym for upper body workouts, ha. I have my rocks.)

But, finally, on Thursday, we had a mini-snowstorm that dropped a little more or less than five inches.  Ah, yes, that's the way it should be.

 Snow, snow everywhere.

Ernie all nicely frosted

Snow transforms everything

Sudddenly the slightest bit of color just pops out of the white.

The ornamental grasses were bent but not broken by the dazzling snow display.

I was thinking how pretty a winter wedding would look down in the Formal Garden if the wedding party could stay warm.  The dwarf crabapple trees, 'Coralburst' were frosted just perfectly all around the dome.

I went overboard taking pictures from every different angle.

The trees were just perfectly dusted with snow.  Any little breeze and the flakes would sift off the branches with a shimmering sound.

There's that subtle touch of color again, a yellow cedar showing up on the other side of the dome.

From inside the dome the stone wall we started to replace last summer shows up much better in the winter.  And so does the red barn in the background.

I know, more of those crabapple trees, but I couldn't resist.  In spring, they are a gorgeous bubble-gum pink color, but I like the white 'blooms' too.

Summer is much more colorful, I wholeheartedly agree, but I need this time, too.  More time to reflect and recharge.

 Teddy and Pudding dogs and I can still do our walkies in the Back Eight.  The snow won't slow us down just yet.  It's got to get deeper before that becomes a true problem.

The scenery is all different now.

The trees are so stark and beautiful

Once again, the colors show up so much more vibrantly than before the snowfall.

 Our trails are still there, only now they are magically transformed.

  

 We have to make tracks before the snow gets too deep. 

It's great to be back to normal!