The storm before the storm....

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!! We had a small, quiet, lovely one here. Luckily, for all those who traveled on Christmas day, the blizzard didn't arrive here in New England until today.

This was the small snowstorm that arrived a few days before Christmas.

(click to enlarge any photos)

It was just a teaser of what was headed our way.


Our two "welcome" bunnies....


...may have snow to the top of their ears before this next storm is through.

We are officially under "blizzard conditions" until Monday evening at 6 p.m.

All of these photos were taken on December 22nd.

And although it didn't amount to much, this snowfall was enough to give us a beautiful White Christmas.

I'll try to take photos from these same vantage points...

...once the blizzard has moved out.

I am so ready for spring!

Donna

Old Man Winter vs. the Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

As promised, here are a few photos of the most recent snow Old Man Winter bestowed on beautiful New England...

Thank goodness this isn't one of them! This was taken after our January 23, 2005 blizzard... brrr... it's coming up on that 4 year anniversary... I definitely don't want a repeat of that storm!

But the following photos are from our most recent snowstorms, and I was able to find some summer photos taken from about the same vantage point... (What a difference six months makes!)


The birdhouse wears a white powdered roof while the trellis to the left pokes above the snow...


The same scene this past summer (the flamingos flew south to our shed for the winter!)...


I poked my head out the family room slider long enough to snap this picture of the shed and tree house... Trust me, it's as COLD as it looks!

Oh, sweet greens of spring and summer... Just knowing you're but months away keeps me going through our long New England winter!

Nary a Sammy in sight on squirrel gulch today...

But it won't be long before they're once again sunning themselves on warm spring days....

Little garden angel, do you miss the spring blossoms and the sweet song of the wrens?

Not to worry... Before long your little friends will be back to raise a new family in the wren cottage just beyond the fence...

And now, just a few more random photos of the beautiful snowfalls we've been treated to....

Out the family room sliders...

The back yard....

The mulberry tree by the back fence, along with the snow covered bistro set...

... and the flowering cherry tree in our side yard... The squirrels worked tirelessly to enlarge the birdhouse entrance so they often use it during winter storms....

If you live in a snow region, stay warm!!! And if you don't, you're probably either really envious right about now - or you're thanking your lucky stars that you can just walk out your front door in a t-shirt and drive off to do errands...

...(As opposed to bundling up in coat, scarf, gloves, & hat, brushing off your car, scraping ice off your windshield, and running the defroster before heading out. And it's EXTRA fun if you get to do all the bundling of little ones in the winter time - especially for very short errands... Oh, gosh, I remember those days like they were yesterday!)

Donna

(who, although she really does appreciate the beauty Old Man WINTER sends our way, is still anxiously awaiting the Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of SUMMER!!!!)