Winter beauty

Although we haven't had much snow yet, there is still beauty in the landscape. Yesterday, my husband and I listened to a woodpecker feasting on hidden bugs in one of our ancient sugar maples. We even spotted him peeking away, causing pieces of bark to fall down to the frozen ground below. Ice crystals formed overnight on the evergreen garland hanging on our fences and railings. For a few minutes they sparkled in the sunlight. True, most of what I'm seeing in my gardens is brown and, lets face it, a bit depressing. But I know that there's activity going on below the surface and in just a few short months, everything will begin to pop.

Now all I need is a nice snowfall, a stack of seed and plant catalogs, a roaring fire, and Riley curled up next to me. Ahhh....the joy of winter.