Seasons Greetings to my Bloggie Friends!

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.
The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.
I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.
Charles Dickens

Accept the good, my friends!

a two story Skywatch Friday

This photo was taken on the morning after our first big snowstorm of the season. Through the buttermilk sky the sun lit up the snow. I had never seen a two story gazebo before I moved to Minnesota either.

Minnesota factoid: did you know that some people here flood their back yards in the winter so their kids can ice skate and play hockey in their own yard? Very cool!

See many more cool skies at Skywatch Friday.

form follows function

Observe the official Minnesota winter grill: a fresh wreath entwined with an electrical cord to plug in an engine heater. Festive yet functional. Today's temp w/wind chill has been around -14 degrees. As I post it is -1. The old timers say this is much like the way winters used to be up north. . .

These are two pics I took before the town of White Bear Lake morphed into Siberia. Tis the season for red, including noses! Lots more @ Mary's meme, Ruby Tuesday.

Snow had fallen, snow on snow. . .

Creatures more thoughtful--and with harder shells--than I could be seen here basking in the sun and wondering, 'where did our summer go anyway?'

Fast forward three months or so and Minnesota is hit with some record breaking snow falls earlier than usual. Yesterday's blizzard of 21 inches made everybody [with the exception of the Macy's delivery guys across the street] and virtually everything come to a screeching halt for the day.From the comfort of my kitchen I caught Dave up to his knees in still-falling snow, refilling the feeders for the brave, and hungry. He does seem a little short on one end. . .Finding the beauty in each season isn't really very hard, and for this I'm grateful.

Visit Misty Dawn's meme Camera Critters for much more.

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.
William Blake

weekend wack or . . . pie lovers unite!

He will not see me stopping here. . .

Saturday last we 'received' over 6 inches of snow in one day which ushered in this whole winter in Minnesota thing in style. I took this photo Wednesday morning when the crunchy snow was sun-washed. Due to freezing day temps since Saturday, the lakes are starting to freeze too. Soon the less stalwart water fowl will leave us for several months.

There is a fragile beauty in the sky and on the morning snow now. More beautiful skies to be seen @ Skywatch Friday.

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
Robert Frost

In our California travels I stopped at a wayside farm stand in Carmel Valley which belonged to the organic gardening company Earthbound Farms. [the posters above are from their nifty site] These two gorgeous varieties of Passion Flower were growing around the place and since I had just come from November in Minnesota, they seemed to call even louder to me.

So, since I find myself inhabiting that strange place between home and where one has traveled, I offer these beauties for both memes, Today's Flowers and Ruby Tuesday.