Here is is the end of anuary and it feels like the end of March. Temps are 15 degrees warmer than usual for the month and even had several days in the 4o's. Snow is gone from the roof and the only snow left is the icy snow pack mounds that remain because overnight they refreeze and compact even more. But I'm glad for the snow cover on the gardens. Lily and I go for frequent long walks on the trails. I've been busy going over garden catalogues and placed on order last week- includes Morheim Beauty which I lost 4 yrs ago and haven't been able to find until this year,
It's been a mild winter so far. Thank goodness because gas prices are up this year. We had several inches of snow in early December but it was pretty much melted by Christmas and our xmas had dirty snow but mild temp. Luckily I had shoveled snow from the grass onto the garden so the plants are somewhat protected. I ended up going to the ER Xmas Eve with elevated Bp and was hospitalized overnight and went home Xmas pm. Then there was a beautiful snowfall at the end of Dec which left both the decicious as well as the evergreens flocked with heavy snow. It cooled down and the snow remained on the tress etc for many days- very picturesque. In January it warmed up during the day but froze at night so a lot of the snow melted and then froze overnight so we are left with hard, frozen icy snow banks. The roads and driveways are clear now. The intermittent thaw/freeze played havok with the downspout drainage, The garden still have this hard snow coverage. Lily and I have been out on long walks 2 to 3 times a week. Some of the temps have been in the 40's and I was driving down Main Street one day and most peolple had lifgter coats unbuttoned and a few were in shirt sleeves. Today Lily and I walked down by the river and the Mississippi was wild open.