What I woke up to Saturday morning....

I awoke early Saturday morning to find our yard looked like this.... a winter wonderland.

Birdhouse covered in snow.

Sugar coated chestnut tree.

 Lace-like Japanese maple.

Birch tree looking beautiful.

A snow capped garden urn.

Snowy terracotta warrior.

 A bit of a dusting on this head.

 Pompom pine tree.

 Another birdhouse.

 Our neighbors gorgeous horse 'Darlin'.

She was happy to see me but not too impressed with the snow.

 Oh, is that breakfast calling?

 Sir Wyatt under our weeping birch....he loves the fact that it isn't snowy under there.

One of our lanterns and a view of the front steps before I put Christmas away for the year.

I'm enjoying the snow but hope it doesn't last too long.  Makes getting around difficult in this part of the world.  Cheers, Barbie

Harbingers of spring.....

I love to see the snowdrops start to poke their tiny heads up from the frozen ground.  They always make me think that spring is not far away.  

The Snowdrop

by Nessie Gell 

A fresh new snowdrop greeted me

Amongst the leaves beneath the tree

That delicate and tiny flower

Braves frost and raid and snowy shower

To tell us Spring is nigh 

My garden soon will bloom again

In summer sunshine, gentle rain

With pansies, roses, hollyhocks

But none can bring such joy to me

As that tiny snowdrop ‘neath the tree.

I love this photograph, the church in the background is so striking against the tiny flowers.

Snowdrops come in many different varieties some of which have chartreuse green centres.

It's so amazing how they have multiplied to carpet the ground on this gorgeous estate.

Poking themselves up at the base of a tree.  What a stunning contrast!

Hope we get some snow this weekend.  We haven't had any this year so far. 

Cheers, Barbie

my newest obsession...

I talk with the moon, said the owl
While she lingers over my tree
I talk with the moon, said the owl
And the night belongs to me....


My latest obsession is.....owls.  They were everywhere this past Christmas season.  Owl ornaments, owl pillows, owl artwork, owl jewelry only to name a few.  My husband started collecting them over 25 years ago but only kept about 5 or 6 of the original ones he had.  They were banned to our upstairs bookcase for many years but I never had the heart to ask him to let any of them go.  Well, this fall to his surprise they all migrated down to our dining room table for a visit.....  A few more were purchased over Halloween.  They then took up residence on my kitchen island for an enchanting owl Christmas and seemed to multiply daily.  Even our Christmas tree had a few owls perched in its branches.  

This little guy or gal? was heard one evening out in our front yard recently.  I'm not sure what variety he is but he sure is darn cute!

What a privilege it was to hear his soft hooting and then to be able to get close enough to take some pictures.

More on my other owls on another post.  Cheers, Barbie