Some specie Crocus are in full bloom, poking up through the fallen leaves and pine needles. A few Tulips have foliage, but no blooms yet. Several species of Helleborus are in bloom, some into their 3rd week. Saw the first bloom today on Hepatica americana, a pink one. Some of the Camellia japonica have been in bloom since early December. Only the pinks and reds, so far, my white one's are always later. The cold blast of 18F for 2 nights turned all of the open flowers brown, but they have fallen off and have been replaced by fresh one's, until the next deep freeze. The Daphne odora are beginning to bloom, I'm looking forward to the lovely fragrance that will accompany the flowers. So far, I haven't seen any aerial pollinators around to perform their necessary function. Maybe they are cautious or sense a forthcoming very cold spell that could doom them. The red berried Hollies that I always enjoy during the winter have been picked clean by the Robins and Rufous-sided Towhee's. Not a single berry remains. As far as I can determine, they haven't touched the Nandinas yet. Out there among hundreds of long dead Hosto leaves, are 2 plants (NOID's), that doesn't know that winter has arrived and show no signs of going dormant! If something doesn't happen soon, they are doomed, since that Genus HAS to have a long dormant period to thrive. Another anomaly, is a couple of native Jack-in-the-Pulpit's decided it is spring and are up and flowering. They also survived, apparently untouched by the Alberta Clipper that dropped the temperature to 18 degrees F. However unusual, I am still enjoying the Mini-spring and try to work in the garden, with frequent breaks for iced tea and to cool off! I have very little shade during the winter months. The soil is really too wet to till today, as yesterday's showers deposited 3.30 inches of water and not much runoff was necessary. RB

HTown, don't be too comfortable with them. I've been feeding the ones in our yard off and on for awhile, but I never get too close to them. No matter how "familiar" you may be with them, they still have an instinctive distrust for people and they have the potential to be dangerous. Most people don't like them because they've had bad experiences with them, just like many other types of wildlife that invade or wreak some form of destruction on their property, and that's completely understandable. They can also be aggressive towards pets. I made a point of mentioning to my neighbors that there were raccoons active in our area. If you get to feeding them and slack off, they could move on to another property where they're not as welcome and that could have negative consequences for the neighbor, the raccoon or both. I'm not saying don't feed or enjoy them, but make sure you educate yourself on them before you get into it on a regular or semi-regular basis. Make sure there are no means for them to access your house including the roof and chimney, because once they know where the food is coming from they could try to find an easier way to get to it. It's best not to leave food for them near your house for this reason. One of the first things I did when I knew how much they came around was make sure they couldn't get on our roof from any trees, the area around our deck was sealed, and our chimney cap was secure. I added chicken(Actually smaller gapped fencing than chicken wire) wire around the opening to ensure there was no access.(Something I was going to do anyway to deter the birds that ended up in our living room.) This link I found can cover it a little more indepth. These are just tips, but they can be helpful. Feeding Tips I guess my message is it's fine to enjoy them, but make sure you know what you're getting yourself in for, as there are a few things to consider. :-)

On the other side of the country, I too am enjoying a snowy day. Today I am blessed that there is nowhere I have to go, no time clock to punch, no schedules or appointments. This morning I decided that even if the roads were cleared, I would not get in my car today. I went out with my dog several times. He is only a year old, and the snow excites him. He races through it with such joy that I by the end of the walk my face muscles ache from grinning. I love the way the snow changes the landscape, and forces me to see it with new eyes. I love the way the pace of life slows on a snowy day: fewer cars are on the road, and my neighborhood is unusually quiet. I've spent the day packaging a proposal to send off to a publisher. Print out the sample chapters, tweek the table of contents, label the slides, write the cover letter. Make a cup of tea and double check for typos. Address the envelope. It is winter, and I have the luxury of being able to work without watching the clock. C.L.

Thirty-four years ago when my husband first took me to the rundown overgrown "farm" that became our home the first bird I saw was a towhee! That sighting helped make me amenable to the task that was ahead of us and with us for the rest of our lives. It's a wonderful bird spot.