Around home....

Wait.  

Wait till the snow flies 

before you roll up the garden hoses

and empty the gas from the mowers

and take them to the barn

for the winter.

Wait.

Wait till the snow flies

before you pull in the hose and bucket

from the stock pond

and take up the pump

that has watered the garden all summer.

Wait.

Wait till the snow flies

before you push the wheel barrow back to the barn

and park it in it's same old spot

for mucking stalls and pens next spring.

Wait.

Wait till the snow flies

to finish digging the rest of the potatoes

and carrots.

They will keep better in the earth.

Wait.

Wait till the snow flies

before you pull the cabbages

They'll weather the storms and snows

No need to take them up yet unless

you need one for supper.

Wait.

Wait till the snow flies

before you dump out the geranium pots 

still in full bloom.

Wait till they wither and fade first.

Wait.

Wait till the snow flies

to gather in the wood

so we can have a crackling fire in the stove.

Wait.

Wait till the snow flies.

The first snow flurries fell today as I hustled around rolling up garden hoses and taking in the pots -- rosemary, ivy, and a little pepper plant.  I'll keep them alive inside while the outdoors gets colder and freezes down.  I always think that I'll overwinter the geraniums, but it never happens.  The red petals fall and stain the wood floor and then the leaves dry and get spindly and I end up dumping them after all.  I couldn't tip out the geraniums today though.  They're looking so glorious just now.  How do you tip out the pots when they look so happy and pretty?  I couldn't.  I may take them to the garage and save them awhile just in case the weather should warm up again.  For now, we're expecting a cold front and possible snow.  I don't think it'll be much snow, but snow nonetheless.

The wind is raging.  The weatherman predicts that we'll have 40 to 50 mile per hour gusts for the next few days.  That'll make the world outside seem even colder.  Did you see the feather tufts on the owl above?  They are blowing from west to east!  I'm taking my walks amongst the shelter belts now that the wind is so fierce.  The dogs and I scared up three white tail deer fawns and I nearly got run over.  They were so frightened that one hardly paid any attention to me as it ran by.

I've been bringing in armfuls of firewood from the garage to keep a fire going in the stove.  The cold wind seems to find its way in through the cracks and under the doors of our house.  The fire looks so pretty and brings extra comfort inside.  I've been burning a Hazelnut candle on the kitchen table.  Firelight seem to bring a feeling of coziness to our home on this gray, windy day.

I have been playing with some fuzzy yarn and made two hoot owls.  I think of them as owlets and not full-grown owls.  Remember the British granny who made pom pom animals?  I decided to take her lead and make owls.  I used two poms poms, tied them together and then used some felt scraps for eyes, ears, and wings.  One owlet has a felt beak and the other has a pine cone bract for a beak.  I snipped off the sharp parts before I glued it on in case small, tender fingers found it.  The owlets are so soft and cuddly, unlike real owls.  Hazel Peach took the white owl home with her this afternoon.

What's it like around your home today?