It's not the snow...

it's the cold of this winter that is getting to me; the sea-saw of temperatures, the icy roads, the uncertainty of whether we will get hit by the next storm. There has not really been a major snowstorm but the sheer number of days with ice, sleet, snow showers and days when the temperature has not got above freezing is doubtless responsible for many a case of cabin fever this winter.

On Wednesday morning we woke up to see what resulted from the overnight ice storm.

 Colors in winter can still provide good contrast and maybe inspiration for a quilt color scheme.

 See the small icicles on the pagoda? I keep my one azalea bush netted up all year long to protect it from browsing deer. Speaking of which I opened the front door around 9.30pm a couple of nights back and disturbed a small herd of at least six deer right in one of my front garden beds close to the house and driveway. They scattered upon hearing me but doubtless they came back and are there on many nights.

 Alas, it looks as though I will have to be replacing this once glorious rosemary bush in the spring. In 14 years I have always had a rosemary bush in this location - this is only the second one and it was particularly vibrant and well sized.

The English ivy is longing for the more agreeable English weather. This too is a plant I have had for many years - growing confined in a pot right on the black tarmac driveway it puts up with a lot but I am dubious as to whether it will come back to life in the springtime.

This scene made me think, just slightly, of Henry David Thoreau. I call it "two trees diverged in an icy wood".

On Sunday the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter. Looking on the bright side, gee, only six more weeks and we will be done with it!