We have orchid function

Annnd, five days later, my first orchid of the year is fully open. So if I’m crazy enough to follow a recent suggestion and make my own timelapse video of a phalaenopsis orchid opening, I know how long it takes. Tempting. There’s four more buds in the spray, and the next one has started to […]

Orchid opening

Here’s a quick note and picture to show off Audrey Jr. Orchids may open slowly, but they last a long time. Pretty, pretty, pretty.

Orchid Tease

I’ve been watching my orchid fill out its buds over the last month. Yesterday, I thought the buds looked full. Sure enough, today, I just see the first lips starting to part. Doesn’t it look like it’s thinking about auditioning to play Audrey?

Where the snow isn’t

After another batch of fluffy white, the snow is getting to the point where clearing a path means cutting between ever higher walls and trying to throw the loose snow onto the dreaded six foot berm. Is it any wonder that my eye is drawn to the odd little gaps where the snow didn’t accumulate?

Who are these guppies?

I noticed before that there’s just too damn many guppies to keep track of. Or there used to be. Now I’m looking at the tank going, What happened to Mama Black? Where’s Speckles and Neon and Tiger Stripe? Or Paint Box? There’s just six girls, all black tails, the Black Sisters, I guess. No it’s […]

The goldfinch in winter

Well, well, well. There is indeed a goldfinch visiting my hacked feeder. He was a little hard to spot, first because he’s wearing winter clothes, but mostly because he’s only showing up in the morning. Nice to see you, little guy!

So it snowed, blah, blah, blah

Last night’s snow came down wet. So did the sleet, and the slush, and the rain. To be followed by freezing cold over night. I hate when that’s about to happen. The warning sign comes when you look out at the patio and all the fluffy white snow has gone grey and semi-translucent and it’s […]

Cats in snow

It seems to take life-threatening weather to keep the cats inside. After all, there is Important Cat Business that Needs to be Attended to. Therefore, they must go out, barefoot or barepawed, sidle along the house, leap between dry spots, and–if pressed–wade through snow belly deep. And just when I’m getting impressed by how little […]

Today, I like snow

Call me crazy, but I really enjoyed shovelling this afternoon. There was maybe four inches of beautiful white fluffy snow. Even through the shovel, it felt soft and silky. That’s the weird part. How could I feel the snow without touching it?

A Snow Recession

Last week, everything was covered in snow, but it didn’t take long for the snow to recede. The first sign was the tips of leaves poking through.