Snow + Sun = A Pretty Day!

One of my favorite sights of winter is to look outside and see the sun sparkling on the snow. It appears to be a myriad tiny diamonds shining in the sunlight. This particular morning, December 6th, was just such a morning, so I grabbed my camera and headed outdoors.

The lightest of powdery snow could be seen glistening like a shower of jewels, blown gently by the wind and visable only against the background of the red shed. I tried to catch the sparkling snowflakes with the camera, but wasn't able to. Just a few specks are visable here against the large red shed and barn. Click on the photo to see the snowflakes better.

Murphy is almost always outside the back door, ready to walk us to the barn where the rest of the barn cats are waiting for breakfast. If you click to enlarge this photo you may just be able to see the sparkles on the snow. They show up in the larger version, but unfortunately a lot of detail is lost in the smaller pictures.

After their tummies were full the kitties found a sunbeam to bask in. There's Cleo on the left, Finnegan is the handsome white fellow in the middle, and Pete is on the right. In between are three of the kittens.

There's the man of the house, on the left, filling the outdoor furnace.....

.......and collecting the mail.

The tractors, machinery and hay wagons are snow blown in the old, sagging shed.

And Pete has found a nice spot to sit and soak up some sunshine. Do you see those icycles on the porch behind him (to the left of his head)?.........

Here's a close-up looking toward the shed I was just standing next to when I took the photo of Pete. I've been experimenting with the different modes on my Canon SLR (Rebel XTi). Here I was trying to freeze the dripping water using a fast shutter speed in the TV mode. Fascinating and fun, but much practice is needed to gain understanding and experience. A good tutor wouldn't hurt either!

The gourds still sit on this windowsill, needing to be replaced with some evergreen branches, if I can pull myself away from the camera and take the time to do some outdoor Christmas decorating.

There's the old barn and shale bed looking picturesque in the morning light. Can you feel the crispness in the air? It was pretty chilly!

At the feeders in the front yard a Blue Jay cracks open a sunflower seed

And the Mourning Doves take their turn too.

Sometimes they're even willing to share the space.

I went out again later in the day, when the afternoon light was casting that lovely glow over all, and now the Sparrows were enjoying the leftovers on the tray.

The snow-covered pumpkins are still so pretty that I've been reluctant to cart them off to the compost heap, but sadly, they must go. This orange one looked like a basketball! I really enjoy the fall decorations and don't like to hurry into Christmas, but it's time now, I know.

On this lovely afternoon they were encased in ice , and the sun glistened upon them, giving them a beautiful orange glow.

Back in the warmth of the house the Columnea is blooming! An elderly gardening friend gave me this cutting in late summer and I'm loving it! It's a new plant to me and I had no idea it would bloom now. What a wonderful surprise! It makes a lovely hanging plant so I want to move it to a hanging basket, or find a hanger for the pot it's in.

Aren't those blooms pretty? They add a bit of cheery bright color to the house.

Jasmine watches the birds busily eating, and sometimes squabbling at the feeders.

And little Miss Hanna has also learned that this is a fascinating way to pass the time.

You'll notice she now has a new name, and there's a funny story behind how she came by it.....

Kylie and Ko had each picked out a name but couldn't agree on which one to choose. They were watching this funny Swedish movie one night last week and there was a beautiful dog in it named Hannibal. It was some sort of collie mix with very similar coloring to Finch (the name Kylie had chosen). The owner had intended it to be an attack dog, but it was very gentle. Kylie said to Ko, "That's what Finch would look like if she were a dog." Ko replied with a smile, "And Hannibal would be a really funny name for such a small kitten." Then as the story moved along they learned that Hannibal the boy dog was actually a girl dog! So that clinched it. The same mix up! So Hanna(bal) she is! :) I know, I know....we were cringing too at the suggestion of "Hannibal" for a sweet little girl, but "Hanna", on the other hand, is pretty. We can live with that :)

Our New York winter appears to have set in. Last week was a snowy one with school closings on Monday. Today we had an icy mix, with rain last night and this morning. Walking to the barn on the ice was precarious, but was made a little easier by a path of wood ashes sprinkled by my sweet husband. I appreciate all those thoughtful things he does :)

Have a great week everyone!