My ground is covered with a patchy mix of dirt, ice, and snow, so nothing is particularly attractive, but the woods are still lovely due to shade from the evergreens.

Babs, that is so pretty! We have no snow left here. Just a lot of salt on bare roads.

A couple of photos from the last few days. Our snow is mostly gone now, though some is left in really cool, shaded spots.

Today I went for a walk in town with friends, though my land is much flatter than this. We lucked out on timing since rain has caused the stream to provide a lovely sound, though in high summer this spot would be really buggy and the stream mostly dry.

So peaceful, NHBabs! A much-needed distraction from the current uproar in our country.

Claire

Yesterday there was a light fluffy snow that just barely drifted down all day, so when we went into the woods to check out the stream, the view was beautiful. You will have to image the gentle trickle of water working its way around the woody debris in the stream.

Exactly as it should be in the winter. So beautiful!

Claire

We had a dusting but it was very minor and quickly disappeared yesterday. I love all your photos Babs!

Yes, Babs, I've been meaning to thank you for sharing your photos. They are beautiful!

:)
Dee

Glad you are enjoying the scenery!

Thanks for the inspiration, Babs. I should get out and attempt to take some winter garden shots with the new camera I got for Christmas but I'm just not all that inspired this time of year. I've been using the downtime to catch up on some interior painting projects.

Up to this weekend winter has been relatively mild this year. The big project here is the timber frame shed Dave is building to house his tractor. It was a kit and delivered later than expected. Now that the support is up and the metal roof is installed, work on the walls, doors and windows can begin. Not sure if the weather going forward will allow that to happen in the short term but so far, so good.

We did have a bit of excitement here Christmas Eve although miraculously we slept through it. High winds on top of three inches of rain took a large oak tree down right next to our house. Fortunately it fell away from the house and not onto the roof right over our bedroom.

One of my cats thinks it's great fun. Dave can cut up the tree but I think we're going to have to seek help to remove the stump.

Sue

My goodness, that tree was close, Sue! Looking at your last photo, it looks like it missed the gardens as well as the house. My dog would be right up there on the trunk like your cat.

The shed looks like it will be a handsome addition to the property as well as useful for storage. I adore having a tractor available to do work around the garden and other areas of the property.

Looking forward to any winter photos you get since I imagine that you have put thought into winter interest.

Sue, Love post and beam construction. Looks like it's going to be a nice looking shed. Wow, did you dodge a bullet with that tree!

Floral, what a pretty scene!

NHBabs, TRULY beautiful! I just love seeing those scenes, as well as your appreciation of every aspect of the landscape around you.

Floral, seeing another photo of your lovely shed and walk is a highlight. So glad you got a dusting of snow. Having grown up where snow was rare, each fresh snowfall is a quiet wonder. Your vista is the same. How often do you get snow?

We are pretty boring here. Too close to the ocean for some nice snow as of recent days, but still love the aspects of winter on the ocean that do not translate well in a photograph.

Diggerdee, that tree was very respectful to fall as it did. I sense a lot of good firewood in your future!

We get one or two falls many years but they don’t usually stay long. Last year we had none.

p.s

NHBabs, there’s a post over here https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6061382/living-privacy-fence-help#n=10 which I think you could help with. Could you show the OP your lovely mixed border pix?

Thanks, Floral! I always enjoy a touch of old England added to our New England photos! Your garden is a gem, and the snow adds a touch of magic.

I will check out the thread you linked. I like to jump in on those shrub border questions because I found so few readily searched references when I was setting up this garden. Most I saw were either really wild hedgerows (of which I have plenty that Mother Nature provided) or single species, so I hope that my example will help.

Even the best nurseries near me looked at me like I was nuts when I tried to explain my vision when I was shopping for plants. They couldn’t get past the one species hedge, perhaps because most folks don’t have the kind of space I have, or perhaps because I live in a rural area without botanic gardens to provide training and inspiration to local nurseries.

Full moon setting into the trees this very cold and blustery morning.

Thanks Babs! The moon has been beautiful the last couple nights. I tried to get a pic but my phone is not very good and doesn't do the moon justice. It was so bright last night, that combined with the snow on the ground, my room was so bright I had trouble falling back to sleep at times. So I would get up and look out the window and admire the scene!

:)
Dee

Dee, in my last house the bedroom had a huge south facing window, and we had to get a blind that we lowered on those snowy moonlit nights because it was so bright, so I can sympathize.

I noticed the same thing last night - it was SO bright! And I'm working on retraining my Circadian Rhythms and I'm trying to darken my Bedroom and get out as early as possible into the light. It's so hard to get it that dark at night. I am covering over the alarm clock, unplugging the TV so I don't get the small lights on the boxes. And I just bought a pair of glasses that block the blue and green light, which is the one that keeps you awake. So if I have to go to the kitchen in the middle of the night, I wear those. They also have blue light blocking lightbulbs which I put in the lamp by my bed and a nightlight for the kitchen that is also blue light blocking.

Coldest morning so far this winter...1.7 degrees F. I was on my way to my home office when I caught the reflection of the sunrise on this bunch of icicles. Brrrr!

With all the snow in more southerly New England, does anyone have more snow photos to share? We got about 10” total, though the day was warm enough that it condensed a fair amount over the course of the day. Sorry it is sideways! That tiny dot is my dog who doesn’t much like any form of precipitation and so was hightailing it back to a warm building.

Sue I love the glow in the ice in your sunrise photo.

We ended up with about 20 inches of snow. DH went out and knocked snow off Large Taxus and Arborvitae that were just bent over in half. The Blue Holly out front was also bent in half, which I've never seen happen. The Taxus and the Holly have pretty strong trunks so it's surprising.

I'm waiting for some sunshine to go out and get a good photo.

What kind of a dog is it Babs? LOVELY scene!

It was hard to say how much snow we got, because of the winds. Parts of my patio and driveway were completely bare of snow, while a few feet away were marvelously contoured snow drifts of 2 to 3 feet! I saw an "official" map in the paper that said we got 2.3 inches, but I highly doubt that, especially as the town next to us got 15 inches! I don't think the storm stopped at the city line lol. We might not have gotten 15 inches, but I think it was at least a bit more than 2.3!

I was so thankful the snow stopped about 20 hours earlier than forecast! But then it started flurrying a bit last night. Wasn't too concerned but woke up this morning and it was STILL snowing - at times while the sun was out. So we got about another inch and a half today.

No pictures, sorry. My phone doesn't take good landscape photos. Ack! I just looked out my window as I am typing and it's snowing again!

:)

Dee

PM2, my little dog is a rescue mutt, likely a corgi-small terrier mix. He has a tough time with snow deeper than a few inches because though he is 20 lbs, he has stubby legs and only about 4” of belly clearance. So right now we are walking on the plowed drive until I have a chance to get out snowshoes to do some packing of snow on the woods trails.

I live in a river valley, and I could hear the wind blowing, but it seems that it mostly blew above us, so I didn’t have the moving around that Dee and some of my higher altitude neighbors mentioned. We did have flakes drifting down on and off all day yesterday, and even some today as well. The dog is not a fan of precipitation since he doesn’t like being wet.

Corgis are so much fun. I was watching videos of them online and they were so cute. I thought about getting one, but we're not ready for one right now. Then one of our kids got a new puppy a couple of months ago. A long haired dachshund. And he is very low to the ground too with those little legs. Any walk when it is wet or snowy, he just about needs a bath when he comes in. [g] He's a mini dachshund so he will top out at 10 pounds when he is fully grown. Having a lot of fun with him. He was less than 5lbs when he arrived. Amazingly cute at that size.

it's been great to see how much company the dog has become and how much happiness they bring with them. Dogs are great! I bet you enjoy yours, how old is he?

No sunshine today and I got lazy and didn't get a photo. Maybe tomorrow. [g]

Like Dee, the wind whipped the snow around at our place so much it was impossible to get an accurate accumulation. I estimate somewhere between 15 and 18 ". Our house is sits at just above 800 feet in elevation. When the wind blows it sounds like freight trains are running through the yard.

I bet your dog is good company, Babs. I miss having a dog. I had miniature schnauzers for 23 years and always had to shovel paths for them during large snowstorms. Someday I'll get another but now is just not the time.

Has anyone started thinking about their spring garden plans yet? I've been tackling some interior painting projects and haven't given it too much thought beyond general goals like adding more conifers and a few small trees. It seems there is still plenty of time but the weeks seem to be going by fast!

I did take one picture during the storm with the new camera I got for Christmas and am still playing with as it's bit over my usual point and shoot head.

Great shot with your new camera, Sue.

Nice composition, Sue! Hardscape and evergreens add so much to a winter garden. I like the backdrop of deciduous trunks as a frame. What are your urns made of, and how well do they weather freeze and thaw cycles?

Dee, Flax is about a year and a half old, and I have had him since September. Prior to that he was in a series of shelters due to COVID limiting adoption visits. The house felt very empty after my DH died, and when I expected I would be home for some months, I started looking for a companion. He is a happy boy and brings me much joy. We are working on training via a Zoom class, and he is really quick to pick up what I want him to do, and since he is very food motivated, he has made a lot of progress on everything except social graces because we rarely see people. And I love that he gets me outside a lot. This morning, our first outing was a bit before sunrise with the SW sky a series of blue purples.

Sue, you always sound like a very busy and productive person! Painting rooms! Love it.

Babs, what a cute name!! Flax! I think getting a dog is one of the best decisions for someone who is grieving. Dogs are such a comfort and good company too. Yes, COVID and working from home was the reason for the addition of the dachshund in our family too. They were going a little stir crazy at home without co workers, and decided it was a good time to get a dog. It has worked out better than I ever expected. They did virtual training classes too. And while they were doing a lot of walking any way, it's increased and the stairs up and down, in and out. They are as fit as they've ever been. [g] The dachshund puppy is called Babs, believe it or not. lol

I'd love to post a photo but, they'd kill me if I did. So I found a photo online of a dog that is similar.... you can see how low to the ground he is. He gets soaked and sometimes muddy when he's walking in wet weather.

I love that photo of the early morning sky!

Flax, who is named for his color and likes to climb on things so he feels taller.

This afternoon we took the path that is the white stripe that diagonals across the behind Flax in this photo, though there is more snow now than there was when I took this photo a couple of weeks ago. A couple of hundred feet past this point, I looked across through the woods to a low spot and saw a herd of deer lying in the snow, one a good sized buck still carrying his rack along with several non-antlered deer. Happily, Flax didn’t see them.

Fltax is very cute!! So sturdy looking and what a pretty color he is and that sweater looks great, especially good for seeing him in the woods. Boy some dogs live such a charmed life. lol Your dog looks like he has an amazing environment. Able to be in nature all the time and have a loving owner. Lucky dog. Good luck with him Babs, I hope he has a long and happy life with you!

He's a cutie, Babs. Dogs are such wonderful companions.

Most of my urns are glazed pottery but I've found that if you fill the bottom quarter with crushed plastic bottles and make sure they are elevated for drainage, most will take the elements. I have been adding concrete and cast iron to the mix. Dave made a custom cover for the urn sitting on the stump in my picture. It's also elevated. The majority of my containers are stored in the garage, shed or under the deck covered in tarps.

PM2, so far I haven't painted any rooms, just the trim in the upstairs hall, the french door in our dining room and an old IKEA bookcase that was collecting dust in the basement. This weekend I will start the doors for the bedroom we turned into a home office. The master bathroom is on my list but for that I will need help from Dave since I don't roll walls...lol. Counting the days til I can get back in the garden...

Sue you and I would make a perfect pair. I love to paint, but hate doing the trim!

I too was up pre-dawn. And I too was up because of a pet. But mine was a cat looking for food, not a dog looking for a walk. Which is a good thing. The cat barely got the food. The dog definitely would not have gotten a walk!

Babs Flax is looking mighty noble on that log (which is bigger than him lol)! It's like he knows the camera is on him! And I'm so sorry about your husband. I hadn't realized you lost him. My condolences, sincerely.

Dee

Oops! Just realized it’s now February. . . There is a new thread.

Might as well finish out this thread...

Sue - I always enjoyed painting, but the last time I hired out. Just more work than I could do at this point. And I get too fussy and will spend endless time trying to sand everything to an almost new finish. I hired out for the LR and hallway and after always doing it myself, I had sticker shock at how much they charge. And he didn't do the job I would have tried to do, but he did it in 3 days just before Thanksgiving and it was finally done after I'd procrastinated for way too long. And I've been happy enough with it since. It was good enough. Life is too short. [g]

Dee, I am still working on retraining my Circadian Rhythms and I'm getting some better night's sleep. Keeping my fingers crossed that it continues to improve consistently. I can't wait for warmer weather and earlier sunrises to get the light early and spend more time outdoors which will help.