A hole in the ice

There is something new in the pond. Check it out! Looks like a big blue button.

It's really a heater. Even when the ice is thick (it is about 3 inches in this picture) the heater will keep a hole open.

The hole will let the pond breathe.

You didn't know the pond needed to breathe?

Yes, the decaying plants on the bottom of the pond give out gases that need to be exchanged with oxygen from the air so that the water is sweet and good for living things.

Is anything living in the pond in the winter?
Yes. Under all that ice and snow our tadpoles and frogs and turtles and snakes and dragonfly babies are sleeping, waiting for Spring.

So we have to take care of the water under the ice all winter.

Winter snacks

Who likes to eat suet on a snowy afternoon? "I do!" says Red-bellied Woodpecker.

"Me too!" say Carolina Wren and Downy Woodpecker.

Some prefer corn and seed.

Like Cardinal and Sparrow.

And what about Crow?

Crow wants more left-over macaroni and cheese!

A message from Socks

Hey! What's going on here?

Did you know this cold stuff was everywhere when you let me out?It's a joke, right?

You don't actually expect me to...you-know-what in snow up to my armpits.

Winter Garden

Something is growing in my winter garden. It is not plants or anything living. As the water splashes down the waterfall, my winter Ice Garden grows.
Can you see the fern inside the ice?

Everyday the Ice Garden changes.

The shapes become fantastical.

The Ice grows and grows. Now can you find the fern?

Even though it is cold and wintery, I am enjoying my winter garden.

Rocks

We used to go hiking down the dry branch at the farm. It was tricky walking on the rocks.
You could find all sorts of interesting things there.
So I wanted to bring some of the rocks home.

We hired a truck and filled it with rocks.

Now I have a lot of rocks from the dry branch in my yard.
They won't stay here.

I'll find places to put them in the garden.

Wait! One of these things is not a rock!

Do you know what it is?

Last of the Pawpaws

All summer long Jacob counted the pawpaws.
Every morning when we went out to feed the birds he stood under the three pawpaw trees and made sure that there were still 10 pawpaws.
They began to fall in October. First one, then two - hard and green so we put them on the windowsill to ripen.

Granddad saved the seeds after we ate them.
Then one morning two more came down, nice and ripe. Granddad saved the seeds, 10 seeds in each one.

We gathered two in a rush after the first frost and they were a little too ripe. Squishy.
Grandad saved the seeds anyway.
That leaves four pawpaws we didn't eat. Wonder who got them? Maybe 'possum - 'possum likes sweet fruits. Wonder where those seeds will be planted?
Granddad is going to plant his seeds in last year's leaf pile. In the spring we'll see if we have any new baby pawpaw trees.

Fall colors

Out by the barn the tall trees are brilliant with yellow and gold leaves. All along the road the trees have turned bright colors and leaves are flying through the air.

Right outside the kitchen window the sassafras catches your eye. Up close its leaves are red and orange and yellow, with brown spots.

When you look out the window all those colors blend together to make this tree the brightest one around.