Country Snow

 Merry February, Y'all!

Flipped the page on our John Sloane calendar to this wintry scene

John Sloane

And here's tonight's big bright full Snow Moon:

We hardly ever see snow here, so when it started falling Saturday, we bundled up and headed to the trails to enjoy it!

There goes Barn Kitty Callie, leading the way, as always.

I was loving the pretty snow dusted scenes:

My camera really didn't capture them, but the clusters of individual snowflakes were so beautiful

(above), we planted our onions this weekend and they got snowed on. They'll be okay

The fairies were safely inside their little houses, keeping WARM.

I had so many layers on, LOL, so I stayed warm. I was so excited to see pretty snow I wasn't paying attention to the cold anyway. 

I told Mr. Front Porch later on, I was SO THANKFUL for all my new "long johns" I'd bought a couple of weeks ago. That's what we called them all my life, long johns. When I went shopping for new ones, there is nothing like that listed anywhere, ha ha LOL. It's now called "warm wear", or "thermal wear".  I know my grandparents called them long johns as well, I also heard them say "long handles", I think. 

just a skiff of snow, so far

Callie says "everything's turning white!"

At this point, we really didn't know how bad the storm would be, (they were forecasting a "bomb cyclone with hurricane force winds"!!) or if we might lose power, so we spent the day preparing, just in case. Charging everything, gathering lamps/lanterns, batteries, water, Mr. Front Porch had made an early morning market run and got our icebox stocked up, we gathered all the eggs, moved firewood, I washed all our clothes and extra blankets just in case we needed them, filled the bird feeders, got the mail before it got slick, made lots of back-up coffee and put into thermoses,  took care of the chickens/guinea and all the other necessary things.

We went out again later and the snow was coming down hard! furiously swirling about

Snowflakes on Callie

snow angels

It was so beautiful

Our Camellia bush finally bloomed, I've been waiting for weeks. They are frosted with snow and so pretty! We plan to add two more this Spring, now that we have figured out where they will grow. We lost both Azalea bushes we planted 2 springs ago, we may try them again, in a different location.

Our ladies were all fluffed up and running around in the swirling snow, and then they discovered they could EAT IT, so they did, and they sure enjoyed it!

Even with these cold temperatures, we know spring will come. Our fig tree has buds

and there's lots of greenery in spots:

This little guy has been visiting us each evening. 

He's very feral and looks rough. I feel bad for him out in the cold, but I think he sleeps in the barn. We made him a covered shelter in case he needs it and yes, I FEED HIM. I'm not going to let any animals go hungry around here, especially in this cold.

When it gets down to the 30s, we bring Callie in at night, she loves it.

Good to come inside and I have some new magazines to read on these cold nights:

We didn't lose power and are so thankful for that. I hope you didn't either, if you were in this storm. The wind blew and rattled the house all night but nothing too scary. LOL.  Church was canceled and we had a quiet day at home. I made a roast with taters/onions/carrots in the crock pot---my favorite Sunday supper.

 I hope everybody is safe and warm and healthy.

Fall and Winter reads

 

Staying warm and cozy here!

Hope y'all are too and that you're not in the path of the big storm that is developing.

my "clunky" shoes ha ha LOL

Fall and Winter reading has kept me busy during my reading times.

I read my first Natasha Lester book back in the hot summer and loved it, so I found others by her. They are all set in the World War Two era. The stories are blended in with real history and are WELL researched.....so are really interesting. I really appreciate it when an author can blend actual history and make it into a really good story.

I just finished Riviera House, It WAS GREAT

Ive never heard of this author, so will be trying her out

I made pictures of the book below in Tansy's dollhouse. It seemed appropriate,  LOL

it was a good book, I enjoyed it!

Tansy scatters shoes all over.....LOL

Both of these books below were quick and easy reads and very good stories, I would read both authors again.

I've read Diane Chamberlain before and I think I liked her books, so I picked this one up at the discount book store:

I finished this book and it was really good:

Alabama, around the turn of the Century

I found Sandy Taylor in late summer/early Fall this past year. Her books are very good and they are clean. The Boarding House stories were really good.

 I have two more Sandy Taylors in my stack as well, to be read.

Looks like they take place in the 1960s

This book  (Irish Eyes)was really good and I LOVED THE HISTORY. 

It was so good I bought the follow up sequel and read it last week. It was even better than the first one. 

Fairy Granddaughter is well beyond the reading level of this cute little book, I bought it just for fun and for a fun look back 

Fairy Granddaughter loved to play with those tiny little Genie dolls

Finished this one last night:

womans world magazine

Sometimes I find good books to try out from this magazine

Womans World magazine

Winter is a perfect time to read!

I always remember the tragic sinking of the Fitzgerald every November. I haven't finished all these books as I got busy with the holidays, they are fascinating reading.

Does anyone remember the sinking? What an awful tragedy.
How about the Gordon Lightfoot song, anyone sang along?

And that's it so far, for my Fall and Winter reads!

Please stay safe and warm, y'all.