Happy New Year's 2008

2008 it almost here, I wonder if I will be able to stay awake to see the new year in..........doubtful :).

As seed catalogs arrive earlier and earlier each year I stack them up until after the first of year, three more arrived today, but after tomorrow I can start browsing, YEAH! Spring is just around the corner, right???? Select Seeds arrived today, it is my favorite catalog so I may have to look at that one tomorrow. We have a very quiet day planned, I am going to watch the Rose Parade start to finish on HGTV as they air it without commercials.

Have a happy and safe new year, I feel 2008 is going to bring some changes in my life.

Pretty Birds

Well, the Christmas rush is over. It was another wonderful holiday season with the one exception of my Dad's health. My 59th birthday passed with little fanfare, I wanted to get to Reiman Gardens and the butterfly house for my birthday but that did not happen with all the other things going on.

We have had one storm after another with ice, snow, rain and fog, what is next a tsunami? :)

I have noticed something at my feeders that I have not witnessed in all my years of feeding the birds, juncos are coming and eating out of the feeders, they have always been plentiful around here but they always ate off the ground, this year they are regularly at my feeders, I am not sure if they have gotten smarter or hungrier :). The Carolina Wren is still a daily visitor.

Merry Christmas 2007

Merry Christmas everyone!

Last Roses of Summer or First Roses of Winter

I didn't know what to name this photo, last roses of summer or first roses of winter. Since yesterday was the winter solstice, I guess I will go with the First Roses of Winter, what do you think?

Iowa is under a winter storm warning, wind warning, you name it and we either have one going on now or had one :), all these warnings followed several fog warnings over the past several days, the weather has not been good, that is for sure. It has just started snowing again and it is cold and windy.

Picture Taking for Christmas Card

Last Saturday I put some lovely holiday collars on the dogs and tired to get some pictures, they did not want any part of it, I did not get one decent picture.

We are under yet another winter storm warning today! Sounds like a good day to stay in for me, thankfully I have that option and that is exactly what I am going to do :).

We had some beautiful hoar frost this past week, but I was sitting at my desk at work looking out at it and was not able to get any pictures, darn it!

TGIF, Christmas Cactus, Begonias, Cactus Garden

Friday is finally here, it seem to be a long time coming.

My Christmas cactus is in bloom. I have several but my favorite is the old fashioned kind that has been around forever. I have a begonia in bloom as well. Last weekend, I had a bit a free time so I did a cactus garden.

Birds at the Bar

Last weekend during our ice storm the birds were busy at our feeders.........you can see the ice on the feeder. During a storm I usually fill the feeders several times, yesterday I think I either filled or dusted snow off of the platform feeders a half a dozen times.