Miscellany in late March... icicles, wild ones, and orchids

Yes... you heard right.... there was another blizzard here this past week. We really did luck out however, as had it moved 30 miles south of its chosen path, we'd be buried now! This latest combo of sleet and snow has worked in tandem with the warmth of the late March sun to create some lovely decorations in the gardens. I actually don't recall seeing this effect at any time in the past... would shiny red and silver Christmas balls be over the top? Perhaps yes, as I believe mother nature has added just the right amount of tinsel to these conifers...

It's cold outside all week with lows to the single digits, but the sun is marvelous... we've enjoyed some very brisk walks... brisk in relation to temps in the mid 20's during the day and in reference to our pace in our effort to stay warm! Here's a photo of the birch walk from Thursday...

On the 23rd of March I shared a post regarding creatures that  visit my sister's gardens in Vermont... I thought I'd share a few more of these wonderful visitors to her gardens in this post... You may recall this beautiful barred owl from that post... 

Another portrait from last season...

The following could well be the "baby pictures", taken last season, of this amazing bird!

The wee one appears a bit tired...

Another pretty special visitor...

And finally, perhaps the most commanding visitor of all... 

I'll close this post with several close-ups of my phalaenopsis orchids that are in bloom just now... Happy weekend! Larry

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Uninvited company... but that's ok ... everyone's welcome!

I still have a couple months to get through in my review of the 2010 gardens, but I thought  I'd 'birdwalk' a bit this evening, as we called it when my students tried to get me off topic in the classroom.


My youngest sister  lives in a beautiful location on a mountainside in Vermont. Her property is quiet and very private, and I always enjoy visiting there as it's like stepping into a world all of it's own. While she and Lulu (her cat) live alone, they do get visitors however, and I thought I'd share a couple of those visits today... Unfortunately there are no photos of the bear and moose that sometimes stop in... have a great evening, Larry

Lulu greets one of several new acquaintances

Hey... where are you guys going anyway?!

It's so nice, I almost hate to leave!

Do you really think you can manage that thistle feeder?

You guys having a party in there?

See you later...

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