Saturday, January 11, 2014

Happy New Year!

Happy 2014 Everyone! I hope all of you survived the "Polar Vortex" with no lingering difficulties. Minnesotans expect this sort of weather in January, but I feel especially bad for folks in other areas of the U.S. who don't have the resources to deal with extreme cold and snowy conditions. Earlier this week we hit -25, not a new record, but still TFC for most of us. Fortunately the cold snap lasted only a few days. Yesterday we had temps above freezing and some freezing drizzle early in the day which changed over to light snow in the evening. That soft ice coating on the trees caught and held the snowflakes quite nicely and we woke up to a winter wonderland. Here are some of the images I captured while filling birdfeeders earlier this morning. Hope you enjoy them from the comfort of your warm house!

The butterfly garden is waiting for spring -- hopefully only 4 more months!
 
Frosty asparagus remains
 
Highbush cranberries will be a tasty treat for robins when the come back in spring

These were purple coneflower blossoms last summer

Swamp milkweed -- seeds have scattered in the wind

 Kokopelli windchime still dances from a tree branch

The birds have picked all the seed from this small sunflower clean
 
Crabapples provide a treat for chickadees, cardinals & starlings
 
A lone oak leaf remains on this tree
 
Apples that didn't get picked provide a feast for bunnies & deer
 
Common mullein
 
A frosty apple ornament still hanging on the tree
 
Mountain ash berries -- we've found that deer love feasting on these!
 
Frosty evergreen
 
Enjoy the beauty of winter!

7 comments:

Gaelyn said...

It sure looks pretty but if you don't mind I'll enjoy from a warm place with no snow and ice.

Mama Pea said...

Good to see a post from you, Ruthie!

I've been very surprised to see you folks so far south in the state have had the brutally cold temps, too. Sounds as if yours didn't last as long as ours, but it's been quite a winter so far anyway, hasn't it?

KGMom said...

Happy New Year, Ruthie.
Lovely photos--I love the irony of the butterfly garden sign.
Frosty snow dresses up many things, doesn't it.
Glad you survived the polar vortex--I was thinking of all you folks in the frozen north.

RuthieJ said...

Thank you Gaelyn. I'm glad you're enjoying warm weather & lovely sights in South Africa.

Thanks Mama Pea. Winter's not loosening the grip this year at all. Thankfully I'm stocked up on yarn, so my time stuck indoors is spent productively at least!

Thank you Donna. Never will spring be so welcome as this year -- when it finally does get here!

stephen said...

Happy New Year Ruthie!!

Thank you for sharing the lovely views of Winter's beauty.

troutbirder said...

A little late but Happy New Year, Ruthie. Lets start off by having some SPRING. Its definitely overdue.

Mollie said...

I'm way late seeing this post, but what beautiful photos! And how much of the fruit and berries can be eaten by some animals in the winter and come spring. Which came and is now moving into fall. Hope your winter is not as dramatic as last year's!