As I was sitting here sipping on a cup of roasted dandelion root tea this morning, I realized that the dandelion actually has a day! Today is National Dandelion Day!
Make a Wish!
January ended with temps around 28°, rain pouring down and freezing as it covered the landscape. Soon all the trees and plants were covered with icicles! It was a really pretty sight.
It wasn't long before an ice laden tree limb fell on the power line, causing the power to go out for the entire last day of January. It wasn't all bad. We enjoyed much of our day sitting by the fire.
It seemed strange to me how the rain hardly froze on the ground but it coated the trees, turning to thick, heavy icicles. While outside, I could hear the branches crackling all around, some far off in the distance, as they succumbed to the weight of the ice. I watched as one huge branch fell, shattering like glass on the ground. Today it's warming up and you can see the trees starting to stand back up as the ice melts from their branches. It's still raining. I guess that will help melt the ice faster. I'm hoping not much damage has been done to the trees... I think I'd prefer snow!
While the power was out, I decided to start some tomato seeds. 
Here's the list, in no particular order:
Crovarese Grape
Honeydrop cherry
Kozula 24
Striped German
Principe Borghese
Rosso Sicilian
Peron Sprayless
Peach Blow Sutton
Fred's Tie Dye (dwarf)
Uluru Ochre (dwarf)
Also planted Lime Basil and Aurelia Basil.
Getting the seeds out was a positive inspiration to start planning this years garden. Now I just need to narrow down my pile of seeds! Well, maybe I'll wait to see if I'll have enough room to plant them all... HA!!
So! It looks like Cubits is on its last days. So sad. Here's my latest post on Spotlight Of Words:
(I changed the image because I seem to have so many photos, I couldn't find the other. But I might like this one better.)
"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words and never stops at all."
--Emily Dickinson
It's February 2nd! Happy Groundhog Day! I don't know if Phil saw his shadow, but I'll guess six more weeks of winter.
Happy Winter Solstice! The shortest day of the year, when the light of the Sun begins a new solar cycle. December 21st, just a few days before Christmas. I wanted to post once more before saying so long to 2022.
I confess, I haven't been doing much outdoors lately. It's cold and we've been having a good amount of rain. Both cold and rain will keep me indoors!
More birds are starting to show up. They're such a happy sight! The suet feeders are hanging and I'm now putting out bird seed for the wild birds. Temps are supposed to drop down to single digits tomorrow night. Brrrr! They will no doubt be happy to find the food.
Here's a White-throated Sparrow
Great Blue Heron makes regular visits to the pond.
A new-to-me apple. The Kanzi Apple is a natural cultivar cross between Gala and Braeburn apples. I like. 
The name Kanzi means "happy treasure" in Swahili. Go figure?
Odin. You may not be able to tell by looking at him, how sweet he is. Maybe you can see where his right eye was scratched by a racoon many years ago and left a scar. I often wonder how it affects his sight and think of the irony of his name... look up Odin and Norse mythology.
Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas!
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. -Luke 2:14
In loving memory of my mom who went to heaven December 20,2022. 🌹🌹
If roses grow in heaven,
Lord please pick a bunch for me,
Place them in my Mother's arms
and tell her they're from me.
--Dolores M. Garcia
I'll miss you my little friends... until next year.
Every year around the first week of October I get all melancholy as the hummingbirds head south for winter. We're into the second week now and it's very quiet outside without their busy chirps and buzzing around. I finally saw two females land on the feeders for a drink. Later I saw a bright male with his glistening red throat. I'll leave two feeders up and keep the nectar fresh for any stragglers that might show up.
Something ate every single leaf off of the Chitalpa tree (Morning Cloud). Every single leaf! And it seemed to have happened over night. I'm guessing it was some kind of moth larva. It's recovering now, with new growth. Since it's deciduous, it will lose all of its leaves again over winter.
The hot peppers are still going strong. And a few tomato plants are still standing with fruit to be had. That crazy Matt's Wild Cherry tomato is going like gangbusters.
Slovenian Black tomato (the plant growing from 15 year old seeds) has a good amount of fruit taking its time ripening. I'm excited and hoping they finish ripening before the season is over! Feeling good about it.
The Emerald okra plant has inched passed the 11 foot marker!!! The biggest okra I've ever grown and most prolific, it branches off like crazy!
This is two day's harvest from one plant!
I was sitting outside earlier watching the Belted Kingfisher noisily skim the pond. They are only here a short time in the fall. I love seeing them. He's fast but I'll try to get a picture. Last year I think I got a picture of the male and the female...
This is the time of year we see lots of butterflies. 
Hello Anole! My husband spotted this one while we were sitting outside enjoying the weather. He called it a "Penny-throat" lizard. I'd never heard of that name.
Spider & moth
FALL BLOOMS---
Asters
We have several species of goldenrod that grow wild here. They are NOT causing your allergies! That's the ragweed! Goldenrod gets a bad rap I guess because everyone can see their beautiful bright yellow blooms around the same time the ragweed is blowing around by the wind, causing all the itchy eyes and sneezing. Goldenrod, on the other hand, is pollinated by insects as you can tell by all of the activity buzzing around their flowers. It's an important food for many beneficial pollinators.
Pluchea odorata
Roselle grows well here and it's blooming now. The Sulfur butterflies especially like it. I also spied two hummingbirds fighting over it. It's a medicinal plant and the dried flowers are made into a tea, known to be very good for lowering blood pressure. It's also high in antioxidants and has so many more benefits, like eliminating kidney stones, lowering cholesterol, and even fighting cancer. Good food, good medicine! I've made the calyces into a jelly before, Roselle & Bee Balm jelly. It was really good.
I don't remember where I saw this quote by Hans Christian Andersen, but liked it enough to put in my journal:
"It seems to me that life itself is a wonderful, poetic tale. I feel that an invisible and loving hand directs the whole of it; that it was not blind chance which helped me on my way, but that an invisible and fatherly heart has beat for me. The history of my life will say to the world what it says to me – There is a loving God who directs all things for the best." ---Hans Christian Andersen
Last night's moon
Enjoying the weather with hubby
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. -John 14:27
Update: I got a picture of the Belted King Fisher a couple of days after this post so wanted to post it here:
It seems par for the course these days, I'm wondering where the time went as we approach the end of August.
We've been enjoying the summer harvest...
Top-Amy's Sugar Gem, Left to right is Kellogg's Breakfast, West Virginia Sweet Meat, and Black Sea Man.
Matt's Wild Cherry was a welcome volunteer this year.
Plentiful 'Mariana' is so good slow roasted. And they freeze well in zip locks with a little olive oil.
Emerald okra. Yes, there's just one plant in this photo, it's huge, and reaching for the sky. I now pull the branches forward on the plants to get at the okra.
Aji Lemon hot peppers make a delicious jelly.
We've had a long dry spell so most of the flowers have faded faster than usual.
A pair of Summer Tanagers taking turns at the bird bath. The male appears to be molting, looking none the worse for wear.
A couple of young bucks hanging out at the ponds edge. Well, the one looking towards the camera is a young one. The other is bigger and older. I thought it was interesting that they were running together and it made me wonder if the young one lost his mom.
Hairstreak butterflies are regular visitors on the Feather Celosia
That reminds me, I thought this mantis had found a new home but I see that she just changed out of her green and into her fall colors. I think it's a she, since the females don't fly. Although she is on the small side. Hmmm...
I don't think I've mentioned my mid summer seed planting. It's the first time I've planted seeds mid summer that I can remember. It's been a positive experience so far.
Malabar spinach seeds planted 6/30/22
Summer Crookneck and Baby Round zucchini seeds planted 7/11/22
I'm now starting to plant a few fall crops. So far I've planted Snowball Y Cauliflower and Lancinato Kale. But I'm not done! 
Drum roll please...
LOL! The hummingbirds are filling their bellies with plenty of nectar from the feeders. This past two weeks, I've gone from filling eight feeders once a day to filling them 2 or 3 times a day. It must be time to fatten up for their journey south.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9
