O Winter! = Snowy Evening

We had our first big snow of the winter yesterday!  It was light and powdery--Mr. P., still transfixed by the beauty of it all, (as is always the case this early in the season), said it was easy to scoop.
Sitting upstairs in our TV room, which looks out over our backyard, I noticed the snow looked so magical in the light coming from our neighbor's yard.  I just had to grab my camera....

I should have known they were there, but I didn't realize all the deer were enjoying the backyard, too, at the same time.  When cranking open the window to get a better view, I unwittingly interrupted their evening snack==our bird feeders!  Although my camera wasn't steadied yet, I snapped a couple photos.  I actually like the blurred effect; it shows their motion and indecision...  Is this a threat?  I can't leave now, I haven't cleaned out the entire feeder yet!

Once the deer left and I got my camera steadied....here's what I was talking about:

This is a volunteer Redbud tree on our patio; an offspring of a much larger Redbud further up in the yard.  To differentiate between Redbuds (and if you're not careful, you could have dozens of them--those little trees pop up like mushrooms!), this one is known as Redbuddy. (Corny, I know.) A couple years ago I hung Christmas lights on it--they've been up ever since, no matter the season. We like the ambiance!  The lights also help detract from how funny this tree looks in winter, as every year it has a "haircut" to remove the branches that are blocking our view from the upstairs windows.

And finally, here's the view out my bedroom window:

Many a time I have been asked who lives there... it's our neighbor's garage! Lovely in summer and winter:  grape vines grow on the arbor in front of the screened in porch, cardinals nest there every year, clematis vines grow along the sides. And in winter....a lovely, peaceful little cottage tucked behind the snowy rock wall. O Winter!

O Winter! ruler of the inverted year, . . . I crown thee king of intimate delights, Fireside enjoyments, home-born happiness, And all the comforts that the lowly roof Of undisturb'd Retirement, and the hours Of long uninterrupted evening, know.--William Cowper, Task (bk. IV, l. 120) English poet & translator (1731 - 1800)

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