Hello Folks! I hope this post finds you all well. After a few days of warmer temperatures, another cold front has moved in. The forecast over the past few days changed somewhat and seemed to vary from website to website. Last night the forecast said 2-4 inches of snow beginning after 7 AM.
The above photo and several below were taken at 10 AM. Not too much to be concerned about at that time.
I checked the forecast again and this time it said we could expect up to 7 inches…
At about noon I needed to leave. I went to turn the furnace down and as I looked out the back door… WOW! It had snowed A LOT in two hours!
Pulling out of the driveway onto the street, it appeared not too many people had been out. The wind was blowing a little and what tracks would have been made earlier were already covered up. I had two places I needed to go whether it was snowing or not. Driving down the streets in town was one thing, but when I came to a highway that had not been graded… That was a whole different story. The snow was coming down pretty good and everything was white. I could barely see tracks on the highway but I eventually made it to my first destination. I was supposed to drive a tractor around 12 miles away on the other side of town. Any of you who have ever tried driving a tractor on a slick surface knows that is a bad idea. Needless to say, I didn’t make it very far before I chickened out. I got back in the car and ran a few errands in town and went home.
At about 5:30…
It appeared it had stopped snowing but when I went outside it was drizzling a little. I normally measure the snow on the back porch railing but since the wind had been blowing there wasn’t enough to measure
I had put out more feed after I returned home and the birds were happy I did. The Junco’s and Cardinals are the main birds that eat under a maple tree in the front yard. I saw a pair of Nuthatch one day and they are always fun to watch.
No sitting on the front porch today…
A male Cardinal was resting in the Dogwood behind the house so I had to get a shot.
OH, the darn sparrows! Neglecting to clean out and cover the holes months go when “I should have” has made a cozy place for the sparrows over the winter. I didn’t cover the holes because it got cold and snowed and I felt sorry for them. I seem to have a feeling when the Martins arrive they may experience some resistance. Well, the plan is to clean out the house at least a month before the Martins arrive and cover the holes. Maybe that will encourage the sparrows to nest elsewhere.
Most of the Oxalis have went dormant, but the Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae in the big pot came back to life already. I hadn’t been giving them water so they would go dormant but when I was taking photos I saw these had sprung back into action. I don’t especially want to water them because the two bigger dormant Amorphophallus bulbs are in the same pot. I gave them a little water since they came back up hoping it won’t affect the sleeping Voodoo Lilies. You never know. Maybe they will come up, too.
Sorry, I haven’t written to much on the blog lately but I am at a loss at what to write about. I have been working on the plant pages to the right a little but I am not sure if I will be able to get all the plant pages finished by the end of winter or not. I still have maybe 100 or so to add plus updating as I go down the list. I haven’t even started on the wildflowers!
I think that is all I needed to say so I will close this post. I hope you are all well and staying warm (depending on where you live). Be safe and stay positive.
The Belmont Rooster 
It’s a colourful post this time, Lonnie, what with the cardinals and that amazing purple oxalis at the end. Winter isn’t just grey and white, is it?
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Hello Kate! The colorful birds are definitely welcome this time of year. All the birds are so busy and happy being given their seed. The colorful leaves of Oxalis are also is a treat during the “boring” winter months. The plants are anxious for spring as am I. Thanks for the comment!
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Hi Rooster! Your snow pictures remind me of what the weather SHOULD be like here now. You would not believe the weather we are having – literally I have been gardening in a light jumper & temperatures are around 12degrees. Obviously it’s lovely and all the bulbs are coming through, but in Feb & March we can easily still get snow and then all the natural rhythms are mucked up for the rest of the growing season.
The red cardinals you have are very beautiful- I do love to see them. They remind me of a nature book I had as a kid that had a whole page on them. They do look so regal to me. Are they permanently there or do they migrate? Those oxalis look pretty big, I have only ever seen small ones – are they inside or out?
So What plans do you have for the ‘yard’ In the coming year? All the experienced gardeners say this is the time to plan, but I must admit I’m more of a “think it: do it” gardener! Which is why my garden is a bit jumbled I guess. But today I am at least going to plan my seed sowing & also get all the yucky wet leaves into the mulching pen I have bought.
Anyway keep warm & stay positive yourself 🙂
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Hello Debbie! Nice to hear your bulbs are coming through. How exciting! You are right, we can still get a lot more snow. My sister reminded me that the first day of Spring is next month but that only sounds good. The Cardinals are here all year and they always look beautiful. The Oxalis triangularis have small leaves but the subspecies have the larger leaves. They are AWESOME! Maybe I can send a few of their rhizomes when I “eventually” send your seeds. I have the seeds ready I just keep forgetting to mail them. I keep the Oxalis in pots outside even though they would do fin in the ground. I let them go dormant in the house then they come up when they get ready in the spring. If you keep them watered inside they will keep growing though. I wanted the Oxalis tetraphylla (Iron Cross) to continue growing but they went dormant because I wasn’t keeping them watered… As far as plans for my ard go, I am kind of like you. I don’t make plans really until I see what is available at the greenhouses. Hopefully, I will have a vegetable garden again this summer. I am keeping plenty warm and I am always positive. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
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Ha ha it’s funny you say about adding oxalis rhizomes to my seed package as I was going to ask you that – 2great minds! – but I didn’t want to nag about my seeds 😉
That would be amazing if you could Though 😂
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I like the “two great minds” part. I have three pots with the Oxalis but the leaves in the bigger pot seem to be bigger even they are all the subspecies. I will see what I can do and HOPEFULLY I can send them this week. Add it to your prayer list not just your wish list. 🙂
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It’s amazing to see your almost monochromatic landscape, and then the bright red cardinal. All so different from anything we experience here.
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Hello Jane! We have had plenty of snow and I am ready for some green grass and leaves. The Cardinals really stand out against the white snow. Almost eye-popping. Come for a visit and play in the snow! Thanks for the comment!
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You shouldn’t try to drive a tractor 12 miles in a snowstorm. Good thing you gave up on that idea.
We got about 3” of snow last night. A little more is on the way. I am glad it won’t go down to the sub-zero range next. We might even go snow-shoeing Monday. Have you ever done that
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Hello Jim! After about 100 feet down the highway, I could clearly see what could happen if I continued. That was an experience I didn’t think I needed. The long-range forecast keeps changing every day and from evening to morning. I have never been snow-shoeing but it sounds fun. I wonder if I can find some on Ebay. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
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I’m like you, I feel sorry for the little sparrows. I found myself purchasing another bag of birdseed this weekend since the extended forecast looks like Old Man Winter will hang around for a while yet.
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Hello Laura! I buy birdseed in 40# bags at the local feed store. I think they custom blend it to what their customers like. I was in the part of their facility one day where they mix cow feed and they were mixing a batch of bird seed then they put it in 40# bags. They mix in more sunflower seed than you normally find at retail stores. I was reading on All About Birds the types of seed local birds prefer and their blend is pretty good. Even though Spring is right around the corner, we will undoubtedly get plenty more snow and ice. I hope all is well with you! Thanks for the comment!
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Wow you have had enough snow already! My husband buys huge bags of seed at our feed store too. They always look so hungry. If they eat all the food they sit on the window and tap on the glass…..true story!
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Hello Diane! I think we have had enough snow for sure. Sounds like the birds have you trained. Thanks for the comment!
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Sorry your winter is taking its toll Mr R.. but good to see that you are feeding the birds.. I hope your plants survive .. There is only so much snow we can take..
Thankfully this year we have not had only a few flakes that didn’t last long in our neck of the woods.. But its only Feb.. We got hit last year mid March..
Sending well wishes your way.. Stay safe, keep warm.. 🙂
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Hello Sue! We are having a white winter for sure but I am not going to complain. All is well. The inside plants are doing fine or have gone dormant. We have to wait until spring to see how the perennials have fared but I am sure they are OK. Last winter was cold and we didn’t have the snow for protection. I am keeping plenty warm. Thanks for the comment.
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You are most welcome 🙂
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🙂
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Glad you were able to safely complete most of your errands while leaving tractor driving for a better day. Love the photo of the Cardinal, and I do so admire your barn – handsome structure. 🙂
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Hello Judy! I was talking to an “older” farmer on Sunday about the tractor. He said, “OH, I have had plenty of experience with that. You can’t drive a tractor in the snow and ice on a highway.” There are a lot of Cardinals here over the winter. I think they congregate where food is available. I like the barn, too, but it needs some repairs. Grandpa used to have another one here that was built with square nails… He and a brother-in-law tore it down on another farm and reconstructed it here using the same nails. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
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