collecting...

My friend, Devavati and I braved the fridgid winds yesterday to go out collecting things for winter decorating...this is her west coast painted van...

A short walk from my house, about 10 years ago, there used to be a 30 acre patch of forest, until the lumber company came in and mowed it all down. Then the tree planters came in and replanted the area and all was quiet on that front...it finally started to green up and the little trees were now 6 or 7 feet tall and the birds and animals were happy here..then the developers came in and mowed down about 2/3rds of the young trees to make way for acreage plots to sell to future homeowners...its all very ridiculous and all for the sake of money but at least they've left some trees standing...among them are some lovely pines with big sappy pinecones...

We went and delicately took some gifts from the trees...

....and brought home the scent of the woods...

There have been some amazing patterns in the ice...

Looks kind of 'bird' like...

We brought home some teasel seed heads that have been slowly naturallizing here and are now scattered everywhere...

 

...there's me and Griffin with our bunch!

So as the trucks roll on past me with loads of gravel, preparing to pave the road in here, I see that  another pretty little spot of green will slowly disappear...I cherish these walks and hope those who build houses here will appreciate the trees around them and hope that they can look up into the hills behind them and still see the forest...

...but for now I look into this pretty winter sky and enjoy the time here...

Favorite site of the day....

No snow yet but cold enough to be out for brisk walks and in for some gift making projects...Today I will have to seriously limit my time on the net...you see I've found a great site for hundreds of projects for all levels of expertise...peek through this door to find some fun... On the toolbar there are many options, but I suggest you check out the 'Handmade Holidays' section...I think its important to find some time to make things for those you love...it can even be as simple as a tin of yummy cookies or a frame with your childs wintery drawing...go ahead...make something! I'm going to attempt the homemade marshmallows and pair them with a nice cocoa mix in a pretty cellophane bag.........

....dreaming of that winter wonderland.....

BBRRRRRR!!!

When I woke at 6 this morning the power was out...we were having a wicked wind storm all night and it was only a matter of time before this happened. We're used to this kind of thing but after the hurricane we had here 3 years ago, everyone is a bit nervous when wind warnings get posted on the weather channel...The wood stove is our best friend during these dark days and it is not only our heat source, but also a cookstove if we are without power...

This past October, I was lucky enough to have a pair of Anna's hummingbirds start coming to the feeder...

...the Rufus hummingbird stays from about April to August, then flys south but these little guys are here year round...I try to take pictures of them at the feeder like I do with the Rufus....

...but the Anna's are much more shy. The zoom lens is a great thing for birdwatching....

It has been -6 at night now and the winds today were fierce. I wonder where these tiny creatures go at night and how on earth do they stay warm?  I imagine the pair of them cuddled up inside the knothole of a big tree..shutting down for the night...side by side so they look like one fuzzy ball of feathers....I'll help them along through winter with the sweet sugar water they need to survive...

And me? I'm happy inside with the wood fire glow and candles burning...