Well, you're right Jan, we got a nice storm yesterday. Conditions were very dangerous, and luckily Mr. Suzanne has been watching all the survivor shows on the Discover Channel, just in case he wanted away from the homestead! The storm has passed and it's a beautiful, sunny winter's day. The snow is blindingly white. I haven't checked yet to see if it's the "sparkling diamond white" variety that makes a moonlit night so magical. You've heard, I'm sure, that Eskimos have something liek 50 words for snow. That involves denoting which type of snow it is - slushy, gritty, sparkling diamonds, fluffy, etc. I don't Andie - when I lived in Texas I found the continuous cold, rainy dampness to be much more bone chilling that a cold, crisp winter day in the midwest. Unfortunatley for me we sold the snowmobile at the end of last season, so there's no flying over empty cornfields at 70 mph! Now, THAT'S FUN....and yes we dress in clothing that leaves you toasty warm even at below zero temps.

Thanks TMFF. I've been birdwatching (and listening) on our 35 acre property since we moved here in l981. This is the first time ever I heard it! Hopefully it will be a regular during the migration. I wonder why its shown up now? I suppose there are too many variables to really know why. Anyhow........it was very exciting!

Thanks tmff! This is so exciting. They just started coming to our property last year. I've been hearing them singing a lot, but they are soooo hard to find. I wish my pictures were clearer. I usually keep my telephoto lens on my camera all the time, because I usually shoot things further away. But this guy showed up about 2 feet outside my window and I was afraid if I ran to get my other lens.......he'd be gone. Finally! I got to see him up close and personal. :) Thanks again.

We aren't going to move the elm tree, and I also don't want to plant the Northern Red Oak close to the property line in case neighbors don't appreciate the acorns, so more center and in front of the yellow fall trees will ensure that the oak doesn't grow past the property line. I THINK that since the other two trees would both be near the left and right edges towards the back, that they won't be fully blocked in view. I am also thinking of not planting the Oak dead center, and instead a little right of center with future plans to plant a very small tree in view of a window that is left of center. We also don't have the option to pick with fall color, it's a town sale where they are selling 3 to 5' trees in early September, so I doubt color would change by then. I appreciate all of your feed back that you think the trees would work well together! As for tying it together in the future, what exactly do you mean? I am quite new to this, and this whole not planting everything that is the same in a perfectly straight line thing is against my nature :D. Thanks!