What a difference a day makes!

Last Summer, I visited a garden of a school friend and posted many pictures here.  With a Winter storm predicted, I wanted to visit Cathy's yard again, along with my Mom, to see how her yard looked after all the plants had gone to sleep for the season.  What a pleasant surprise!!  Greenery and white lights have replaced the hostas and flowers.  Her fairy gardens now have gnomes and snowmen.

Carolers greet guests on the front porch

Some of the bird baths/fairy gardens have been switched out with greenery and statues

The pond and some of the bird baths still held water and seed was scattered about for our furry and feathered friends

Planters that once held annuals now have greenery in them

The fairy gardens are just as cute now as they were last Summer

The back door entrance is just as inviting as the front

I need to go by some evening so I can see the lights at night

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And the next day, the snow came. . . along with ice and wind 

These are pictures of my 'buried in snow' back yard

My two goose statues were buried up to their heads . . . at least they aren't completely buried like my turtle, bunny, and birds

The bird bath on the deck looks like an infinity pool

Everything was plastered in ice (including my husbands truck) thanks to the rain that proceeded the snow and blizzard strength winds

After the sun came out, everything was glistening from the ice

We even had enough sun to charge the solar lid on my canning jar

I hope everyone is safe and warm.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful time with your family!!

Goodnight Garden. . .

We've been putting the garden and yard to bed for the year.  Fall fertilizer has been put on, to be followed by Winter fertilizer the end of the month, cutting back perennials, pulling out annuals and scattering their seeds, and forever raking leaves.  As it happens every two years, my leaf  blower/vac died, and I am waiting for it's warranty replacement to be delivered - I'm sure there will be plenty of leaves left when it arrives.

When we were working outside yesterday, I noticed a self made sundae for the birds.  Our Red Jade Crabapple is always loaded with berries, and this year, one of them impaled it's self onto a dried Purple Coneflower.  The Robins are the beneficiaries of the berries, and the Chickadees and Goldfinches eat the Coneflower seeds. . . so we'll see who eats first.

There are still quite a few berries left.

The Robins almost seem to get intoxicated when eating the berries.  They get very aggressive, chasing and fighting for them.  They take breaks and come up to the deck to drink and bathe in the birdbath.  

I have very few blooms left, but my Geranium is still hanging on.  I think I'll bring this one inside for the Winter.

I like the Fall interest my dried Hydrangea adds

I bought these small pumpkins at our local garden center and hope they dry nicely for me.  

It never entered my mind you could dry pumpkins for future decorating, but this photo from a Facebook friend proves it.

I hope you are enjoying a nice long Fall . . . because we all know what comes next.

Fall colors

We went camping this week to one of our favorite State campgrounds.  While we have been in a drought, they have had a little more rain this year than we have.  I was once told, that there would be better Fall colors when there was more rain.  I imagine the trees will change more in a couple of weeks, but after sitting in the trailer during a hail storm and rain yesterday, we'll be satisfied with what we got to see.

This is from the observation deck overlooking the Missouri River.  The tan land in the distance was farmland, but after last years flood, the farmers have spent this year moving the sand and silt from their land.  It will be many years before they can plant again.

The sun bleached out this thick bunch of Sumac.  It was a brilliant red.

We only saw two deer while we were there, but the Turkeys were plentiful

Last year, there was substantial flooding along the Missouri River and a lot of damage was done to the Park.  There is so much silt washed up into what was formerly grassy areas and many trees died, as you can see in the background.  The Beavers certainly were busy!!  I didn't know they would/could chew trees that large.  If they thought they could dam up the Missouri . . . they were mistaken.

I think I like the splashes of yellow the most

We didn't get any pictures of them, but there were a lot of Bluebirds sitting on their boxes.  There were also a lot of immature Red Headed Woodpeckers, but the Hummingbirds have gone until next Spring.

This tree was so pretty - notice the moon to the left of it?

I don't know what kind it was, but here is a close up of the leaves and the seed pod like things it had on it

September and October is a fun time at the park.  They have campsite decorating contests every weekend, haunted hay rides, and many other activities.  There are Fall decorations throughout the park

I hope you are enjoying Fall in your part of the country.  This week has been a little too cool for me, but I hope to get in the garden and continue with my clean up.