The decorations, sort of

Linda likes to put seasonal decorations in the flower pots, once autumn finishes them off. It's a bit of a balancing act that usually turns into a race to beat the snow. As long as the weather is nice, Linda is reluctant to uproot plants that are still hanging on. She says she isn't hard-hearted enough to be a real gardener.

The problem is that weather here can go from a lovely fall, with fairly warm days and crispy nights that might or might not mean covering up plants, to a snowstorm overnight. There are things that must be done, like draining the taps and water barrels. We missed one year and I was working with slush and froze my ass off. We got all that done this year in good time. 

We had a lovely long fall. Linda got started on the decorations fairly early November, which is really late. She finished the afternoon it started snowing, and it hasn't stopped. These are from this morning, Nov 23.

1. The bird herd fluttered off when I stepped out.

2.

3. I just love these flowers.

4. The glass sculpture, nearly buried. This might be the time it disappears entirely.

5. Starting with the decorations. You can see the brilliant and creative work Linda has done, blending together disparate elements to create a cohesive yet dynamic whole, embodying a culture of reuse and reuse melded with new items in a seasonal spirit, together with environmentally friendly support structures that are invisible, even to the discerning eye. (Yes, I'm thinking about the artists statement for the Exposure Fest.)

6.

7.

8.

9. The front roses, and the top of the decoration.

10. A closer look at that decoration.

11. The only decoration without any snow on it.

12. Linda working this morning. Yes, I was out as well.

13. A couple of the bird herd. Often there are a dozen birds around the food bell, and sometimes as many as 20. They don't seem to be quite as enthusiastic about the suet block hanging not far away.

14. Another batch of roses.

15. Two views of the white peony, with a decoration between them.

16.

17.

18. An action shot of Linda.

Of the Day

Driftwood (NZ)

Film

This stretch of Blackfoot trail hasn't changed much in the nearly 45 years I've lived here, but the downtown buildings tell you when the photo was taken.

Newfoundland

Polar bears

And you didn't believe me when I said they could be hard to spot.

Why ever didn't I publish this, and maybe I did

Let's leave you with a dose of sunny after all the snow.