finally winter

Last Sunday night it dipped down to freezing. I knew it was going to do this and I had brought in all the pots that held plants that would be affected. Most of them are in the garage this year, so a little less protected than previous years. What I didn't expect was that it was going to stay that cold for the hours necessary to wipe out the foliage on the banana trees, the morning glory bush which was blooming, the angel trumpets also blooming, more than half the penta, all the cosmos which was...blooming sparsely but still, the hummingbird bush, some of the ginger, the yellowbells, what was left of the confederate rose. We lost a lot of greenery Sunday night. So I supposed we have segued into winter. Well, it was the solstice after all.

A cold and windy Monday stripped all the remaining leaves off the deciduous trees, a less cold Tuesday, we are on a warming trend and the predicted high Wednesday was 69˚, mostly sunny. I snipped wilted ends and pulled up and gathered all the dead cosmos, eventually working in my undershirt and barefoot.

I found a monarch on the ground Monday morning while there was still a layer of ice on the birdbath and brought it in. I thought it was dead but it started moving as it warmed up so later I took it back outside.

I worked at the antique store Tuesday, helping to cover some of my sister's days while she is out of town for the holidays. I arrived to see a pair of sparrows flying around inside the store. They get in now and then through holes around some of the upper front windows or where some boards have rotted out. The birds fly around and chirp and eventually they find their way out. We guess. At least we stop seeing them in the shop and never find dead little bird bodies. I tried opening both front doors once when the weather allowed and eventually I realized I hadn't seen the sparrow but I don't know if it went out the doors or it's secret little hole.

Speaking of birds, I've been seeing my regular winter birds just not very many of them. Mockingbirds, doves, cardinals, a little yellow warbler, chickadees, a bluejay, I hear the titmice but don't see them. I hear the wrens but don't see them either.

I don't seem to be getting much accomplished this week. Spending too much time on-line. The house still needs a major do-over or just vacuumed at the least, I haven't finished clearing out this room, I haven't started on any new models, and I haven't repaired that glass panel for a lamp shade for a guy like I told him I would months ago.